Five decisions only the owner still makes
Reducing owner dependence starts with naming the decisions that always come back to you, then handing them off one at a time.
If the business cannot make these without you, you do not own a business yet. You own a job.
- Pricing exceptions and discounts.
- Hiring and firing the core team.
- The biggest customer relationships.
- Cash and spending above a threshold.
- Quality standards when something goes wrong.
Hand off one per quarter
Pick one, write down how you decide it, set the guardrails, and let someone else own it. Independence is built one decision at a time.