Lazy Leverage

Jon Matzner and Peter Lohmann
  • 5.0 (7)
  • BUSINESS
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

Talking about using leverage in life and business.

  1. 3D AGO

    Floors & Ceilings: The Anti-Perfectionist Framework for Business Owners | Lazy Leverage #85

    Jon and Peter explore three frameworks that challenge conventional wisdom about running small businesses. They reveal why all-or-nothing thinking kills momentum, when authentic transparency becomes a liability, and how AI is forcing a reckoning with what real value looks like. They unpack what they call the “floors-and-ceilings” concept, which reframes habit building and business processes. Let’s say you’re onboarding a new team member. Your ceiling might be comprehensive task maps and week-long training, but your floor is simply defining what success looks like in six months. Never skip the floor, always aspire to the ceiling. This framework can do wonders for perfectionist entrepreneurs prone to all-or-nothing thinking. If you can't execute perfectly, you don't execute at all. That’s a recipe for paralysis and missed opportunities! Next, Jon and Peter talk about how a little magic and mystery can do wonders for a leader’s authority. Drawing from Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamazov, they make the case that, while radical transparency feels authentic, people actually crave some mystique. The fitness trainer who measures your ulna and checks your zodiac before recommending weight training creates more buy-in than one who simply says "lift weights and eat fewer carbs." Both deliver the same advice, but presentation matters. Finally, they’re talking AI in workplace communication. Both Jon and Peter caught team members using AI to draft emails and reports, sometimes brilliantly (analyzing 15 candidate profiles against job requirements), sometimes disastrously (generic responses to client questions that should demonstrate personal attention). Jon uses the analogy of recruiter-as-sommelier, where AI can pour the wine, but only humans can make the subjective recommendations that build confidence through the buying process. The future belongs to people who know exactly when to automate data analysis and when authentic human judgment becomes non-negotiable! KEY TOPICS: (02:03) The Anti-Perfectionist Framework (08:19) Magic, Mystery, and Authority in Business Relationships (20:12) When Team Members Use AI Wrong (27:00) Recruiters as Sommeliers (33:14) Radical Candor Stay connected for more insights and strategies by following: Jon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@MatznerJon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on X and at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠lazyleverage.beehiiv.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Peter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@pslohmann⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on X and at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠peterlohmann.com

    42 min

  2. DEC 4

    Why Your Best People Are 8,000 Miles Away | Lazy Leverage #84

    According to Jacob Kline of Inkline Homes, his remote Filipino team members outperform his local American workers at a fraction of the cost, and they actually ask for more work on slow days. After seven years flipping 300 double wide mobile homes in Florida, Jacob's building something radical at Incline Homes: luxury construction quality at bottom-10% pricing. Think IKEA's disruption of furniture, but for housing. His secret weapon isn't cheaper materials or cutting corners. It's ditching the traditional overhead-heavy construction model for a lean operation powered by global talent and AI. Jacob shares how yesterday's leadership strengths become today's constraints. He learned this the hard way. His obsession with controlling every detail nearly tanked his business when he couldn't find quality project management. The breakthrough came when he realized his need for control was the actual bottleneck, not the lack of talent. Jon's experience mirrors this evolution. He was drowning running a construction business with unreliable local talent (finding mini liquor bottles in desks of people making $30/hour). Global talent didn't just solve his staffing problem. It, in fact, reignited his passion for business. His Filipino team members think about improving the business in their free time, calling old leads for reviews without being asked. As businesses scale, founders must evolve from doing everything to orchestrating systems. Jacob discovered his construction expertise was limiting growth because he couldn't delegate effectively. Once he let go and trusted global talent with core functions, his capacity exploded. This isn't about replacing American workers, but strategic allocation. Jacob’s example demonstrates the value of paying local talent more for high-touch work while global talent handles the systematic, repeatable tasks. The result: better service, happier teams, and margins that allow truly affordable housing without sacrificing quality. Key Topics: (01:14) Introduction to Incline Homes and the IKEA Approach to Construction (04:22) Global Talent Outperforming Local Workers (08:42) “You Need An Apprentice, Not An Assistant” (12:42) Self-Awareness of Your Level of Operational Maturity (21:35) When to Hire Managerial Talent (27:07) Scaling to Your Current Revenue (39:25) Sagan's Talent Pool and Hiring Innovation (41:00) Building Solutions for Your Own Problems Stay connected for more insights and strategies by following: Jon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@MatznerJon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on X and at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠lazyleverage.beehiiv.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Peter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@pslohmann⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on X and at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠peterlohmann.com

    43 min

  3. NOV 21

    Building Internal Software That Actually Gets Used | Lazy Leverage #83

    Jon and Anna walk through Sagan's dramatic talent pool transformation. From clunky PDFs to a sophisticated searchable platform, they’re demonstrating what modern internal software development looks like in the AI era. The original concept, simply, is that candidates who didn't get hired were already vetted, interviewed, and qualified. Rather than let this "sawdust" go to waste, Sagan created a talent pool where members could hire these candidates for free. One member has made over 20 hires this way! But the initial execution was rough. PDFs scattered across Google Drive, static posts in Circle, and no way to search or filter. Members were frustrated. They wanted searchability, confirmed availability, and a seamless experience integrated directly into their member portal. The new platform solves these pain points systematically. Real-time availability confirmation prevents candidates from expiring before members can act. Advanced search filters by country, skills, and specific software. A "reserved" function prevents the talent auction problem, which is when multiple members request the same candidate, driving up rates and creating chaos. Anna's key lesson from managing this project resonates beyond Sagan: you need to be specific about what you want, but don't let perfect planning paralyze you. The first draft enables iteration. Once you see a prototype, feedback becomes concrete rather than abstract. Sagan's development philosophy is "make it exist, then make it good." The platform will continue evolving with features like talent drops, personalized notifications, and specialized alerts. Future additions might include: notify me when you add a CSR from South America, or alert me to full-stack developers under a certain rate. This isn't just about hiring. It's about building internal software quickly using AI coding tools, getting feedback fast, and iterating relentlessly. KEY TOPICS: (01:34) The Talent Pool Concept: Turning Interview "Sawdust" Into Value (04:10) Problems Being Solved: Availability, Searchability, Integration (08:22) Full Candidate Profiles: Video, Resume, Interview Q&A (10:01) Lessons from Developing the Talent Pool (11:22) Make It Exist, Then Make It Good Stay connected for more insights and strategies by following: Jon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@MatznerJon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on X and at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠lazyleverage.beehiiv.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Peter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@pslohmann⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on X and at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠peterlohmann.com

    14 min

  4. NOV 20

    The Barnacle Problem: Why Your Business Keeps Slowing Down | Lazy Leverage #82

    Jon and Peter dive deep into a problem every growing business faces: team members saying "I'm too busy" and processes accumulating like barnacles on a ship's hull. More than just a matter of workload management, this issue is about the fundamental architecture of how work gets done. So what exactly makes up these "barnacles"? According to Jon, it’s threefold: outdated forms, irrelevant marketing copy, and processes that solved problems from three years ago but nobody remembers why they exist. Peter connects this with the principle of Chesterton's Fence. That is, never remove something until you understand why it was built. To begin solving this problem, establish what you want this person doing at their highest level. That’s their "zone of genius." For a CFO, that's strategic planning rather than transactional bookkeeping. For a business owner at $2-4M revenue, it's growing revenue and developing leadership instead of fulfillment work. It also helps to do a detailed task mapping exercise. List every output, identify inputs needed, describe the transformation process, and define triggers. Jon's framework adds complexity and time assessments to identify "high time, low difficulty" tasks. Those are the lowest hanging fruit for delegation. Peter had the revelation that this exercise is often unintuitive for team members who can't articulate where their hours actually go. Finally, avoid fragmenting roles too much (increasing internal transaction costs), but recognize that labor specialization is actually a sign of operational maturity. Both Jon and Peter hate documentation and SOPs. But they hate being tied to their desks even more. As George Soros said: "I work furiously because I am furious that I have to work." Key Topics: (04:00) The Barnacles Analogy (09:04) Understanding Why Things Exist Before Removing Them (12:06) Define Their Zone of Genius (14:58) Task Mapping: Outputs, Inputs, Transformation, and Triggers (21:12) Difficulty vs. Time: Finding the Low-Hanging Fruit (27:11) How Specialized Should Your Roles Be? (39:32) The Pain of Transformation vs. The Golden Ring of Freedom Stay connected for more insights and strategies by following: Jon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@MatznerJon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on X and at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠lazyleverage.beehiiv.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Peter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@pslohmann⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on X and at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠peterlohmann.com

    45 min

  5. NOV 14

    Radical Candor Across Cultures: High Care, High Honesty | Lazy Leverage #81

    Jon sits down with Sagan’s Head of Recruitment, Sofía Bravo, to talk about what American team leaders often overlook when working with people from Latin America. Sofía identifies the Latin American default: when something goes wrong, the immediate response is performative work: lengthy reports, detailed timelines, exhaustive documentation. These are all designed to prove effort was made. The fear, especially among junior employees, drives them to muddy the waters with complexity rather than deliver clear, confident analysis. Problems arising from this phenomenon often stem from a fundamental misunderstanding about what managers want. When a boss asks "what happened?", junior team members hear "who's to blame?" So they build defensive fortresses of documentation. But what Jon and Sofía actually need is the thinking: tell me what you know (facts), what you don't know (gaps), and what you think (judgment). That confident assessment is the actual value. The solution centers on radical candor. That’s high care combined with high honesty. Jon's approach is to explicitly acknowledge when he's about to give hard feedback, but frame it with demonstrated care. This creates psychological safety for honesty in both directions. Two years ago, Sofia would've struggled with bluntness. Now she catches herself using "we" instead of direct feedback and immediately corrects. Leadership reinforces this by selectively praising what matters. Not "everything's green" but "you owned the mistake and drove the solution." This cultural challenge isn't unique to Latin America, but recognizing these defaults makes them addressable through deliberate modeling, selective praise, and relentless focus on judgment over justification. KEY TOPICS: (01:00) The Latin American Default: Justification Over Analysis (04:08) Performative Work (10:48) Leadership Modeling (14:22) Radical Candor (17:12) Building Relationship Bank Accounts Before Honesty Stay connected for more insights and strategies by following: Jon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@MatznerJon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on X and at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠lazyleverage.beehiiv.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Peter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@pslohmann⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on X and at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠peterlohmann.com

    20 min

  6. NOV 11

    Specific, Shared, Supported: The Leadership Standard That Actually Works | Lazy Leverage #80

    Christian Ruf, special operations veteran turned executive search leader, delivers a masterclass in expectation-setting that exposes why most delegation fails before it begins. Effective leadership, according to Christian, rests on four pillars: feedback, accountability, consistency, and expectations. But expectations come first. Without clear standards, the other three collapse into subjective interpretation and frustration. Christian's three S's framework cuts through management theory bloat: Specific means zero room for interpretation. "End of week" becomes "Friday 3PM PST, PDF format, in my inbox." The rule of thumb is to ask, “Could a four-year-old understand it?” Shared understanding gives people the "why" behind the task, enabling autonomous decision-making when you're not there. Cooking dinner for two versus twenty requires completely different approaches. Without context, people optimize for the wrong outcome. Supported means providing actual resources: training, SOPs, budget, organizational access. Asking someone to do Turkish getups without a kettlebell sounds absurd, yet managers do the equivalent daily. At the same time, you shouldn’t stop giving your team the "why". Your purpose needs repetition until it becomes organizational muscle memory. He introduces the brief-back technique, where you have team members explain their understanding before executing. This allows leaders to catch misalignment before it becomes failure. The framework's power lies in its diagnostic utility. When someone underperforms, leaders ask: Was it specific? Shared? Supported? Three yes answers mean it's a performance issue. Any no means it's a leadership failure. This shifts accountability where it belongs and prevents the toxic cycle of blaming team members for unclear expectations. KEY TOPICS: (02:02) The Four Pillars of Effective Leadership (05:10) Pillar One: Specific Expectations (08:24) Pillar Two: Shared Understanding (12:38) Pillar Three: Supported Execution (15:24) The Three S's Diagnostic for Failed Expectations Stay connected for more insights and strategies by following: Jon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@MatznerJon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on X and at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠lazyleverage.beehiiv.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Peter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@pslohmann⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on X and at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠peterlohmann.com

    18 min

  7. NOV 6

    Career Transitions Without Burning Bridges | Lazy Leverage #79

    Jon and Peter tackle two challenges facing successful entrepreneurs: being truly present with family despite physical attendance, and navigating career transitions without severing valuable connections. Ever felt "a million miles away at work” when spending time with family? You’re not alone. It’s a common paradox that many an entrepreneur has to deal with. That “paradox” of being present in body when you’re out with family, but absent in mind because all you’re thinking about is work. The entrepreneurial personality that drives business success (obsessive, curious, relentless) becomes the enemy of presence. Entrepreneurs often swap one addiction for another: trading work obsession for ultramarathon training or school board positions, still pressing the gas pedal instead of learning to simply be. Peter introduces the framework of quality versus quantity time. Having household help isn't about avoiding parenting. It enables better engagement during hours spent together. And it’s not an easy transition for entrepreneurs. Imagine building and managing "palaces of business operations" where everything bends to their control, then returning home where nothing does. On career transitions, Jon argues against two extremes. Don't make your next chapter entirely about your previous identity (the Navy SEAL who only does SEAL ventures), but don't abandon it completely either. The answer is to "reinvent yourself 25% at a time" by leveraging your background to open doors while building toward something new. Peter adds Charlie Munger's principle: "The first rule of compounding: Never interrupt it unnecessarily," especially regarding relationships. That fraternity photo from twenty years ago? Those shirtless beer-drinking kids are now senior lawyers, venture-backed founders, and doctors. That makes for an invaluable network that compounds over decades. KEY TOPICS: (01:46) Physical Presence vs. Mental Presence with Kids (08:00) Trading Addictions: Why Entrepreneurs Can't Just Sit (17:26) Psychedelics as Tools for Presence (19:00) Quality Over Quantity Time: The Case for Household Help (23:35) Unlearning Survival Habits (30:47) Reinventing Yourself 25% at a Time (38:11) Never Interrupt Compounding (Especially Relationships) (45:32) Carl Rogers on Appreciating People Like Sunsets Stay connected for more insights and strategies by following: Jon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@MatznerJon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on X and at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠lazyleverage.beehiiv.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Peter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@pslohmann⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on X and at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠peterlohmann.com

    47 min

  8. OCT 30

    Military Leadership Meets Small Business Operations: Why Former Operators Make Perfect GMs | Lazy Leverage #78

    Jon sits down with Christian Ruf to discuss why labor-intensive small businesses need both affordable global talent and battle-tested leaders who thrive in chaos. Christian’s specialty is recruiting former military personnel. He’s not just thanking veterans for their service, but also solving a specific problem for lower-middle-market companies stuck between drowning in operations and being unable to  afford a $250K president. Christian personally experienced the ego death necessary to understand what small business operators actually need. After all, he’s flown helicopters in special operations and power-washing patios for country music stars, earning more than $20/hour. All drawn from real and raw on-the-ground experience! Jon and Christian distinguish between two hiring categories. First, the premium tier: former special forces operators with MBAs commanding $180-250K as COOs and presidents. But the real volume, and arguably bigger impact, sits in the second category: former company commanders earning their undergrad at state schools, serving 5-7 years, then spending a few years discovering they hate wealth management. These leaders command roughly $10K/month and provide asymmetric value to small business owners who need someone to "just run the show." Only 1 of 55 placements had industry experience. Operators need to read between the lines of a resume to find these guys and girls. A pilot who flew night missions at 300 feet over Syria while being shot at can probably manage restaurant operations. The military community provides a translated skill set that small business owners struggle to evaluate: leadership under chaos, accountability systems, and the ability to link strategic intent to tactical execution. TIMESTAMPS: (01:23) From Special Operations Helicopter Pilot to Small Business Operator (05:42) The Handyman Ego Death: Power Washing Investor Patios (10:17) Strategic Partnership: 50% Off Executive Recruiting for Sagan Members (13:35) Two Categories of Military Hires: Upper vs Lower End (15:07) Category One: Special Forces + MBA = $180-250K Leadership (20:56) Why Industry Experience Doesn't Matter (22:20) Category Two: The $10K/Month GM Who Just Runs the Show (31:50) Translation Services: Flying at 300 Feet Over Syria vs Restaurant Stress Stay connected for more insights and strategies by following: Jon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@MatznerJon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on X and at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠lazyleverage.beehiiv.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Peter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@pslohmann⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on X and at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠peterlohmann.com

    34 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
7 Ratings

About

Talking about using leverage in life and business.

Information

  • Creator
    Jon Matzner and Peter Lohmann
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2025
  • Episodes
    85
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Jon Matzner and Peter Lohmann
  • Show Website
    Lazy Leverage

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