Building Systems

Hello, builder! 👋

Systems are “a collection of interrelated components that work together to achieve a specific purpose.” Systems are all around us. When we participate in society, we’re interacting with a multitude of systems performing their own unique functions. And some systems are more complex than others. The human body, for example, is a complex system, whereas a thermostat is a simple system. Systems are important to understand not just because we’re surrounded by them—building our own systems provides structure and efficiency to our lives and work.

You probably have a system for taking notes, managing tasks, or running your company. Systems can be long-running or temporary, designed to match your current goals. For instance, starting this newsletter meant developing a system: brainstorming ideas, writing, sending, promoting, and resharing content on social media.

Mastering system-building lets you improve nearly any area of your life. Plus, creating your own systems teaches you the fundamentals of systems design and systems thinking—skills essential for tackling big, complex challenges. But let’s save that for another time.

So how do we build systems? That’s why we’re here.

Here’s a framework I use that includes five core elements:

1. Objective: Define Your Goal

The first step in creating a system is clarifying its purpose—its “why.” Without a clear objective, you risk veering off course. Take this newsletter, for example. The goal was simple: to grow my newsletter subscribes. A goal doesn’t need to be grand; it just needs to keep you focused.

2. Reason: Define the Purpose

While the objective is the goal, the reason is the deeper “why” that drives it. In my case, I want to expand my personal brand and create new opportunities. A clear purpose fuels your commitment to keep the system running.

3. Metrics: Track Progress

A strong system has metrics to measure effectiveness. I focus on two types:

• Leading metrics predict success (like how many content posts I create).
• Lagging metrics show results (like newsletter subscribers).

For the newsletter, subscribers are the lagging metric. A good leading metric could be the number of social posts promoting it. By regularly breaking down each newsletter issue into social posts, I can test and see if more posts lead to more sign-ups. Metrics are guides, so don’t worry about perfection—just get started and refine as you go.

Individually, each metric tells a different story. Together, they tell the full story. The right leading metric tells you what lever you can pull to increase the likelihood of the right outcome. And the lagging metric will tell you how you’re performing.

When you find the right pairing, your system operates effortlessly.

4. Checklist: Create Actionable Steps

Now it’s time to build the checklist—the set of steps we need to perform as part of the system. I like to preload these into a Notion page with a button that generates steps as to-do items. It doesn’t matter what tool you use, but find a way to build an easily repeatable checklist you can continually update.

For the newsletter system, we can create the following checklist:

• Selecting a topic
• Writing and refining content
• Sending the newsletter
• Creating and posting social snippets

Starting simple helps build momentum. You can always add or adjust as needed.

5. Routine: Set a Schedule

If the checklist covers what you need to do, the routine covers when you’ll do it. Think of routines as habits you tie to specific times or triggers.

My routine for this newsletter includes:

• Planning: Choosing a topic and ideas.
• Writing: Drafting, editing, refining.
• Sharing: Posting content on social media.

Consistency makes systems reliable, so find the rhythm that works for you, whether that’s daily, at a fixed time, or following a reminder.

Bringing It All Together

To build a system, start with a clear purpose (your goal and reason). Define metrics to track progress. Then outline the steps and decide when to do them. A system is only as effective as its parts—so keep refining and improving as you learn. The best systems are living, evolving structures that reliably drive results.