Creative Entrepreneurship in an Age of Passive Systems
There’s a fantasy that haunts every creative entrepreneur: the idea of setting up passive systems so the business runs itself.
But here’s the truth — passive systems are never passive.
They’re replicators, not replacers.
Every time I experiment with new tools, AI systems, or organizational changes at BRAEID, I realize: I’m not stepping away from the business. I’m extending myself. I’m magnifying my reach. And now, as I prepare to hire a client project manager — someone who, ideally, works fluently alongside AI tools and can manage accounts, follow-ups, deliverables, and billing — I’m confronting the deepest layer of the passive system myth.
The question isn’t “Can they do the work?”
The real question is: Can they extend me?
The Illusion of Passivity
Passive income has always been sold as the ultimate prize for creatives: make something once, let it generate returns forever. But in practice, those systems don’t spring out of nowhere. They require architecture, maintenance, and thoughtful experimentation. Whether it’s automation tools, AI assistants, or streamlined agency processes, they all still orbit around a central figure: the founder.
Even if you build a machine that works beautifully, you are the one who sets its purpose. Without clarity of purpose, even the most elegant passive system can decay into confusion or stall.
So the pursuit of passivity becomes, in reality, the pursuit of replication: how can I extend my mind, my judgment, my decision-making into tools, processes, and, most importantly, people?
Replicating Myself at BRAEID
Lately, I’ve been reflecting on a central challenge: How do I replicate myself at BRAEID?
Not just by adding more hours or more hustle, but by building a true extension of the way I think and work.
This is where hiring a project or account manager comes in. I see it as a focused experiment:
Can I responsibly bring someone on, even for a limited initial run?
Within 30 days, can they prove their value by helping secure or close out outstanding revenue?
In the following month, can they generate fresh profit that shows the system can sustain itself?
I don’t expect them to 10x the business overnight. What I’m looking for is a minimum viable prototype (MVP) of human extension. If they can break even or generate any profit, that signals an infinite runway for continued growth.
This isn’t just about adding hands — it’s about adding a mind. Someone who can manage tasks, follow up, coordinate, and use the same AI tools and workflows I rely on to scale our efforts.
The Human + AI Collaboration Layer
What excites me most is the possibility that I’m not just hiring another person — I’m hiring a multiplier. Someone who can work side by side with AI, who understands the interplay between human creativity and machine efficiency.
When you combine human intuition with machine precision, you create a magnification effect: human + AI + system + founder. The sum becomes exponentially more powerful than its parts.
But you can’t outsource leadership or clarity. The founder’s role is to set the boundaries, the goals, and the rhythms of experimentation. That’s why this next phase isn’t just about scaling production — it’s about scaling me.
Timing and Ruthless Experimentation
As I journaled today, the central challenge comes down to timing: when do I pull the trigger?
Do I move now, setting up a controlled, time-boxed experiment where a new hire gets 30 to 45 days of onboarding, with the goal of taking the reins during a semi-vacation/retreat later this summer when I will be mostly offline? Do I structure their communication roles carefully, defining whether they enter Slack or project systems under their own name or as a formal PM role for the brand?
These are details I can figure out. What matters most is that I have a clear experimental frame: one month to break even, two months to generate profit, and a clear sense of the KPIs that will define success.
I don’t need to solve everything overnight. I just need to run the right experiment, with the right clarity, at the right moment.
The Real Game of Passive Systems
The deeper I go into creative entrepreneurship, the more I realize: passive systems are built on top of active, intentional human and machine collaborations.
True creative entrepreneurship isn’t about disappearing into the background. It’s about setting the stage, hiring the players, writing the script, and knowing when to let the performance run without you — but always staying ready to step back in when the system needs tuning.
And sometimes, all it takes to unlock the next level is the simple, grounding power of journaling: putting the swirling ideas on the page, clarifying the next move, and reminding yourself why you’re playing this game at all.
