Lazy Leverage

Jon Matzner and Peter Lohmann
Lazy Leverage

Talking about using leverage in life and business.

  1. 4H AGO

    Looking Beyond VAs: Building Leaders, Not Just Task-Doers | Lazy Leverage #63

    Hiring a VA is easy. Turning them into a leader? That’s where most founders stall out. Jon and Binsi unpack how to stop recycling task-doers and start developing talent, explaining why reframing roles is the first step toward long-term leverage. Jon breaks down the difference between delegation and development, while Binsi - Sagan’s newly minted managing director - shares firsthand what it looks like to grow from an assistant role into real leadership. Together, they walk through the cultural, structural, and emotional shifts that separate low-autonomy task-doers from high-impact operators. They explore why title inflation doesn’t equal real promotion, how neglected onboarding is sabotaging retention, and why ambition is the heartbeat of every high-performer - no matter where they’re from. They also preview Sagan’s new initiative: Global Talent 101, a five-day onboarding bootcamp designed to shortcut the ramp-up time for overseas hires. The goal? Better communication, clearer expectations, and real context for working in American business environments. This episode isn’t just about semantics - it’s about systems. Because the distance between VA and executive isn't measured in miles or time zones. It’s measured in trust, training, and the belief that leverage is a two-way street. TIMESTAMPS (01:04) VA vs. Global Talent: What’s the Real Difference? (03:55) Why Title Matters—and When it Doesn’t (06:58) Signs You’re Still Hiring Like a “Level 1” Leader (10:18) The Quiet Ambition of High Performers (18:19) Designing a Better Onboarding with Global Talent 101 (24:00) Inbox Zero, Slack Habits, and Building AI Fluency (27:00) The Leadership Ladder: From Order-Taker to Operator (29:03) Common Onboarding Mistakes When Hiring for Potential Leaders 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

    35 min

  2. JUN 19

    Architecting Work: The Blueprint for Scale, Sanity, and Leverage | Lazy Leverage #62

    Jon and Peter explore a deceptively simple but powerful concept: architecting how work gets done. Inspired by Profit Coach and shaped through years of trial and error, it’s more than systems and tools - it’s about intentionally designing workflows that enable scale, accountability, and freedom. They start by defining what “done” looks like, then dive into tools like swimlane diagrams, task maps, and online forms - essential for hiring, training, delegation, and AI. Leverage doesn’t begin with tech - it starts with basics, like removing your phone number from the website so work flows through systems, not you. Peter adds “policy courage”: the discipline to enforce structure, like requiring form submissions over ad-hoc emails. It’s inconvenient short-term, but essential for long-term capacity. They share examples - from refund forms to recruiting flows - showing how small workflow improvements compound into major gains. This isn’t micromanagement - it’s about designing with intention, delegating clearly, and leading boldly. TIMESTAMPS (01:00) What “Architecting the Work” Really Means (03:05) Defining Done: Why Ambiguity Breaks Everything (13:27) Forms: The Most Underrated Business Tool (27:12) Swimlanes, Task Maps, and Trigger Discipline (37:57) The E-Myth, WhisperFlow, and Tools of Scale 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

  3. MAY 28

    The 4-Level System That Lets You Take a Month Off Every Year | Lazy Leverage #61

    While a ton of business owners today are chasing the next AI hack or automation craze, Jon and Peter return to a foundational truth: leverage isn’t a tactic - it’s a philosophy. Today they’re talking about “Matt’s Hierarchy of Leverage,” a napkin-sketch turned mental model that redefines how small business owners should think about time, talent, and tools. Rather than obsessing over AI for AI’s sake, they explore leverage as a quiet system of compounding returns: replacing complexity with clarity, chaos with delegation, and brute effort with thoughtful structure. At its core, the hierarchy isn’t about removing yourself from the business - it’s about repositioning your energy where it matters most. From global talent to smart systems, from automation to delegation, each rung down the pyramid creates space to climb higher in impact. AI isn't magic; it's just another train in a well-built transportation system, but that system still needs the roads, trucks, and drivers to lay the path. They challenge operators: What will you do with the margin you earn? More cash? Better product? A month off? There’s no right answer - only trade-offs. Jon and Peter aren’t interested in glossy tech dreams or lazy business hacks. They’re here for the long game - where leverage is earned, not bought. Where progress isn’t driven by viral trends, but by disciplined execution. And where the true win isn’t freedom from work, but freedom to choose the right work. In a noisy age of shiny tools, this is a blueprint for quiet scale. Key Topics: (02:00) Introducing Matt’s Hierarchy of Leverage (10:30) Systemization, SOPs, and Hiring B-Players (22:00) Saying No: The Key to Moving Work Down the Pyramid (37:12) AI Starts Taking Jobs (For Real This Time) (43:00) What Will You Do With the Increased Margin? 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

    55 min

  4. MAY 22

    Trust at Scale: How Content Compounds When You Do It Right | Lazy Leverage #60

    In a time where brands everywhere churn out content for clout, Jon and Peter make the case that there is power in focusing on niche over noise. They talk about the difference between running a media business—one dependent on clicks, views, and CPMs—and running a business powered by media. The latter isn’t chasing virality. It’s using content to build trust at scale, with the right audience. A single engaged viewer—one potential customer who finds real value—can be more powerful than 50 million passive scrolls. This mindset reframes media from a vanity metric machine into a quiet engine of asymmetric returns. A podcast that lands one high-value client? Worth more than thousands of empty impressions. A newsletter that converts 1.2% of readers into loyal customers? Incredibly high leverage, even if the list is modest in size. Still, they wrestle with the usual considerations all operators think about: Should we do short-form? Do we really have to play the algorithm game? Peter and Jon push back against performative content, advocating instead for authenticity, audience clarity, and compounding trust. Show up. Document. Speak with depth. Build a back catalog for the long game. If you're a business owner in 2025 wondering where to start, forget growth hacks. Instead, record a podcast. Write a blog post. Hit “publish” once a week. In a year, you'll be stunned by the optionality and leverage you’ve created—not from volume, but from intentional signal. In the end, lazy leverage is just focused effort, multiplied by time. Key Topics: (02:43) Media-Fueled Businesses vs Media Businesses (10:15) How SMBs Should Create Content for Top-Funnel vs Mid-Funnel (17:16) The Right Way to Do Short-Form Content (28:14) Running Ads Without Becoming a Sellout (35:12) Succeeding as a Niche B2B Brand (39:22) Getting Clear on Your Audience (43:30) Changing Up Your Environment 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

    49 min

  5. MAY 15

    The Hidden Power of Low Leverage (And How to Use It Strategically) | Lazy Leverage #59

    In an age obsessed with scale, speed, and leverage, it’s easy to forget that the best long-term advantage might come from doing the exact opposite. Call it the "Low Leverage Advantage." When you're early in your career—or launching something new—there’s a strong case for diving into the work yourself. Not delegating. Not automating. Just doing. Need to onboard a new sales team? Write the first 20 cold DMs yourself. Building a new ops process? Sit next to the team member buried in outdated workflows and fix it together. Why? Because high leverage comes from judgment. And judgment comes from getting close to the metal. It’s why executives driving Ubers for a week makes more sense than another offsite. Or why a CEO helping troubleshoot a Dropbox error can spark more productivity than another strategy session. But the magic doesn’t stop at work. Trying to optimize your personal life with AI prompts and workflows? Terrible idea. Your kids don’t need you to delegate bedtime—they need you to show up. Presence is low leverage, but it’s high value. The trick? Learn to oscillate. Plant with intimacy, harvest with leverage. Create media, but still get your hands dirty. Record podcasts, but stay close to the customer. Don’t chase scale so hard that you forget where insights come from. Low leverage isn’t a step backward—it’s an intentional investment in depth. And if you document along the way, even the mundane becomes future leverage. Your dusty SOP doc? Might be the foundation of your next seven-figure business. Leverage and scale will come, but only if you show up, do the work, and remain consistent. Key Topics: (03:08) Why (and When to) Go Low Leverage? (10:19) How Low Leverage Activities Build Loyalty with Team Members (17:08) Laying the Groundwork Early on in Your Business (23:05) Learning New Skills with Low Leverage Work (31:00) Creating a Body of Work That Makes the Best Use of Your Time (40:25) Nurturing Growth by Encouraging Healthy Debates (48:22) Why Respectful Disagreement Between Team Members is Good for Business (53:27) Jon and Peter’s Latest AI Breakthroughs 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

    58 min

  6. MAY 5

    Why Your Business Problems Are Actually Leadership Problems (And How to Fix Them) | Lazy Leverage #58

    Most small business owners think leadership is instinctual—something you figure out once you’re “in charge”. But if your managers act like friends, choke on tough conversations, or drown their teams in bureaucracy—you've got a leadership gap that’s preventing you from taking your company to the next level.. Today, Jon and Peter break down why leadership is taught, not caught. Their message is simple: great companies don't just promote top performers and hope for the best. They train leaders the moment they’re knighted into management—and they make the expectations painfully clear. It’s not enough to hand someone a team and hope they "figure it out." You have to define leadership (get the job done, care for, and retain your people), teach core skills (giving feedback, holding accountability without micromanaging), and most critically, create psychological safety. Jon’s most important move? Running a weekly emerging leaders meeting—teaching frontliners how to think, fire, hire, and lead before the problems show up. Leadership isn’t about being the smartest guy in the room. It’s about creating the space for others to thrive and grow. Culture isn’t just vibes—it’s the operating system of your company. Skip investing in leadership development, and you’ll be stuck wondering why no one takes initiative. Train your people to lead with clarity, courage, and care—and you won’t just survive—you’ll scale. Key Topics: (02:47) Peter’s New Favorite Definition of Leadership (07:24) Jon and Peter’s Leadership/Management Philosophies (11:24) How Great Leaders React When Things Go Wrong (20:00) Setting the Tone with Younger Leaders (27:12) The Importance of Defining Leadership/Management to Team Members Early On (32:04) Developing Your Leaders and Staying Accountable to Your Team (39:45) The Empathy Edge 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

    44 min

  7. APR 25

    Why “Just Slack Me” Doesn’t Work Globally (and What to Do Instead) | Lazy Leverage #57

    Most business owners don’t think they have a “culture problem.” But if your team misses deadlines, seems afraid to speak up, or quits without notice—you’ve got one. This isn’t a vibes issue. It’s a systemic one. Today Jon sits down with Sagan’s Head of Product, Binsi Das, to break down the hidden culture traps that derail global teams. Here’s what’s happening: you’ve built a company with an egalitarian mindset—flat structure, open feedback loops, lots of autonomy. But half your team comes from hierarchical, low-context cultures. In many of these countries, employees don’t speak up unless asked directly, bosses don’t typically use Slack, and using AI can get you fired. The fix? Awareness, structure, and trust. Know that culture isn't just where someone is from—it’s how they communicate, perceive authority, and handle feedback. Build memos, not just Slack rants. Create explicit permission structures. Watch faces and tone as much as words. Start with small, low-stakes projects and coach confidence into your team, especially if they come from high-control backgrounds like BPOs or strict traditional offices. Also, stop assuming they’ll just “get it.” People won’t magically unlearn 30 years of cultural conditioning because your company has a no-meeting Monday. Write things down. Give context. Be human. And memo everything. Memos are the underrated superpower of leadership. They force clarity, reduce Slack flailing, and act as asynchronous coaching tools. They also turn you into a multiplier—not a micromanager. Culture issues can sneak up on leaders of global teams in the form of rework, delays, confusion, and burnout among team members. But if you build systems that acknowledge the hidden rules people operate under, you won’t just manage your team—you’ll unlock them. Remember: It’s not about hiring smarter—it’s about leading wiser.   Key Topics: (03:12) The Unspoken Rules of Cross-Cultural Leadership (11:30) Empowering Your Team to Become More Proactive (17:27) Low Context vs High Context Cultures (24:42) Unlocking the Potential of High-Value Talent (36:32) Jon and Binsi’s Thoughts on Memos (42:03) Other Common Leadership Mistakes

    44 min

  8. APR 17

    Why Notebook LM Might Be the Sleeper AI Tool of the Year | Lazy Leverage #56

    Google quietly dropped an AI tool that could replace half your tech stack. Its name? NotebookLM. Think ChatGPT, but with deep integration into your documents and a smarter memory. You can feed it PDFs, YouTube transcripts, Google Docs, or even random web pages. From there, it becomes like a supercharged research assistant that not only remembers what you’ve uploaded but cites it like a pro. Sure, there are a couple of downsides: as of now, sharing is limited to people on the same Google Workspace, and there’s no API. But the upside is wild. You can create topic-specific notebooks—for example, onboarding, legal docs, or SOPs—and then just ask it natural language questions like “What were our last three hires?” or “What did I say in my journal about work-life balance?” It's especially powerful for teams or solo entrepreneurs looking to offload some mental load. You can use it to prepare for meetings, craft a vivid vision for your company, or even build a repository of everything you’ve ever written or said. Instead of combing through old files or Slack threads, just ask. We're on the cusp of turning years of scattered knowledge into a living, searchable, AI-powered archive. And it's free with Google. If Notion and Trello don’t adapt fast, they’re going to be toast. Moral of the story: dump your docs into Notebook LM, talk to it like your most competent employee, and watch the magic happen.   Key Topics: (02:12) Initial Thoughts on NotebookLM (08:10) Having a Vivid Vision for Your Business (11:32) The Best Way to Phrase Questions to AI (16:39) Creating a Content Ecosystem with LM (24:50) Consolidating Data from Point Solutions (31:43) The Power of a Two-Day Solo Retreat (41:00) Final Thoughts   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
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
5 Ratings

About

Talking about using leverage in life and business.

Information

  • Creator
    Jon Matzner and Peter Lohmann
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2025
  • Episodes
    63
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Jon Matzner and Peter Lohmann
  • Show Website
    Lazy Leverage

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