How to Make Your Business Autonomous
People often ask me why I live in Amsterdam while my business is in Hamburg. They look puzzled when I tell them I’m not physically there — not behind the counter, not cooking, not serving.
For most people, the idea of not being present in your own business seems strange. They think that if you own a company, you are the company — that your identity and presence are what keep it alive. They imagine the entrepreneur as someone who stands in their store every day, selling, managing, fixing.
But I’ve always seen it differently.
Your product is not your product. Your business is your product.
From Working In to Working On the Business
In the first years, I worked inside the business every single day. I had to. We had no money, no systems, and no structure. But even then, my goal was to build something that could eventually operate without me.
So while I was making bowls and managing shifts, I also observed. I looked for patterns. I asked:
What are the few things that truly make this business work?
What are the parts that break easily or depend too much on me?
How can I make this simpler, faster, more consistent?
Building autonomy is not about working less. It’s about building a business that can work without you — one that functions as an independent, living system.
Step 1: Make Your Business Lean
Every business has noise — activities that consume time, energy, and money but don’t truly create value.
Start by applying the Pareto principle: 80% of your results come from 20% of your efforts. Identify the 20%. Find out which products, services, or actions actually generate profit — and which just make you feel busy.
Then simplify.
Eliminate unnecessary complexity.
Streamline the menu, offerings, or product lines.
Focus your energy on what people genuinely love and what creates real cash flow.
Lean businesses are agile, efficient, and easier to automate.
Step 2: Codify Everything
Autonomy depends on clarity. If your business only exists in your head, you don’t have a business — you have a job.
Document everything. Write down every process: how to open the store, how to prep products, how to handle complaints. Film short onboarding videos. Create digital checklists. Make everything accessible online.
Every time a problem occurs, resist the urge to fix it yourself. Instead, pause and ask why it happened.
Why was the order wrong?
Why did the customer complain?
Why did the system fail?
Each “why” brings you closer to the root cause. Solve the cause, not the symptom — and update your system so it doesn’t happen again.
That’s how you transform chaos into structure.
Step 3: Build Systems, Not Heroes
A well-designed business doesn’t depend on a few “super employees.” It depends on systems that make average people perform exceptionally well.
Most employees don’t own the business — they work for a salary. They won’t intuitively know your standards or values unless you make them visible. So communicate not just what to do, but why it matters.
If a table isn’t clean, don’t just say “clean harder.” Explain why cleanliness matters — that customers pay for quality and deserve to feel comfortable. When people understand the deeper purpose, they act with ownership.
Step 4: Trust and Empower People
Autonomy doesn’t mean control. It means trust.
If you want your business to run without you, you must give others the freedom to make decisions. Hire people who believe in your mission. Give them responsibility. Offer incentives that make them care — whether that’s bonuses, profit-sharing, or simply recognition.
Micromanagement kills autonomy. Trust creates it.
Step 5: Combine Lean, Systems, and Trust
A business becomes autonomous when three things align:
Lean focus – only what truly matters remains.
Codified systems – every action is documented and repeatable.
Empowered people – the team understands the purpose and takes ownership.
When those elements work together, your business becomes an independent, non-human entity. It runs on principles and systems, not on your constant presence.
I want to be clear about something
I have enormous respect for business owners who completely identify with their product. Many entrepreneurs are the soul of their business, and that level of passion is something I deeply admire. Not everyone needs — or wants — to build an autonomous company. Some people find meaning in being physically present every day, talking to customers, shaping the experience with their own hands. And that is a perfectly valid path.
But there is also a shadow side to this approach. When your identity becomes inseparable from your business, every setback feels personal. If sales drop, you feel attacked. If there is a complaint, you internalize it as a judgement of your worth. Deep identification is beautiful because it creates dedication — but it can also drain you, because your emotional state becomes tied to the volatility of the business.
The Freedom of Letting Go
Making a business autonomous isn’t about laziness — it’s about longevity. It’s about creating something that can stand on its own, reflect your vision, and continue to grow even when you’re not physically there. That’s what I mean when I say: your product is not your product. Your business is your product.
You can think of it like raising a child. In the beginning, your business is a baby — dependent, fragile, demanding constant attention. That phase is necessary. But over time, most parents want their children to become independent, to thrive without being held every minute of the day. Some parents love being needed forever; others want to give their child the tools to stand on its own. Both approaches are valid.
Entrepreneurship works the same way. Some founders find joy in being present daily; others want their business to operate independently so they can live their lives, explore new ideas, or simply breathe. There is no right philosophy. Autonomy is simply the one that aligned with the life I wanted to build — and the kind of business I wanted to create.
