From the Codex //023: The 5x Systems Method: How to Build Scalable Systems That Save You Time, Energy, and Money
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Why your workflow leaks money and how to build systems that get stronger every time you run them.
The Hidden Cost of Broken Systems
I was recently talking with a friend who’s part of the team behind a YouTube channel with over ten million subscribers.
At one point, he asked me how he should decide what actually needs to be systematized, especially when there are so many moving parts, people, and projects happening at once.
That question stuck with me.
Because most founders and creators eventually reach this point where things are working… but only because they’re holding it all together through sheer effort.
It’s not that the business isn’t “working,” it’s that the system hasn’t caught up to the scale.
And when you don’t intentionally build your systems, you end up training yourself (and your team) to work harder than necessary. Every inefficiency compounds: time wasted, creative energy drained, opportunities missed, and money left on the table.
That’s why I created the 5x Systems Method: a framework that helps you build systems that get stronger every time you run them, so your business scales sustainably without you needing to keep running faster just to maintain it.
The 5x Systems Philosophy: Learn, Refine, Optimize, Operationalize, Systematize
Most founders try to systemize at the wrong time.
Either too early, before they even know what the system is, or too late, after they’ve been repeating broken patterns for years and training themselves (and their teams) into inefficiency.
They document chaos, automate friction, and end up optimizing what was never designed to work in the first place.
The 5x Systems Method honors the natural rhythm of mastery, the way real systems evolve through repetition and awareness, not urgency.
Each time you run a process, it becomes clearer, lighter, and more aligned.
The 5x Principle: Why Five Repetitions Matter
Before we dive into each phase, here’s the simplest way to think about this framework:
The 5x Systems Method is built around the first five times you do something.
Whether it’s launching a program, creating a video series, or onboarding clients, each repetition refines the process.
The first time, you’re learning; it’s brand new.
The second time, you’re documenting the processing; noticing what worked and what didn’t.
The third time, you’re optimizing; improving the flow, removing friction, and designing how each phase connects.
The fourth time, you’re operationalizing; building structure and backend support so your system runs efficiently.
The fifth time, you’re systematizing; finalizing SOPs so your operations can scale.
By the fifth round, the process should run itself; not because you forced it, but because you let it mature naturally.
Each repetition compounds clarity, efficiency, and confidence until the system becomes self-sustaining.
Let’s break each one down so you can see your operations clearly, identify where energy is leaking, and start building systems that scale without draining you.
Phase 1: Learn (The Exploration Phase)
Theme: Discovery, curiosity, and data collection.
The first time you do something, your only goal is to learn what it actually takes to create the end result you’re aiming for. **This isn’t the moment for efficiency or structure, it’s the moment for exploration.
You’re discovering what works, what doesn’t, and what steps actually exist in the process.
For example, creating a YouTube video for the first time requires you to research similar creators, study editing styles, learn how to script effectively, and figure out what tools or software you need.
Or, if you’re building a landing page for the first time, you’re exploring what makes a high-converting funnel, learning how to use your chosen platform, testing design tools, and studying examples of great copy.
This phase takes longer than most people expect, usually three to five times longer than you think it will.
That doesn’t mean you should rush through it, or avoid learning altogether, it’s just part of the process that you need to allot time towards. Schedule accordingly and give yourself permission to take your time.
Focus on:
Learning what you need to learn to make it happen, this is about gaining clarity, not speed.
Taking light notes of new learnings or insights you didn’t anticipate.
Avoiding the pressure to document every step; your system will evolve once you understand the process
Letting yourself experiment freely; your goal is comprehension, not optimization.
Energetic frame: Curiosity over control. This is where you collect raw information/understanding that becomes the foundation of everything that follows.
Phase 2: Document (The Awareness Phase)
Theme: Awareness, articulation, and pattern recognition.
By the second time you do something, you’re no longer completely in the dark. You’ve gone through the motions once, now it’s time to observe yourself in the act and start documenting what actually happens.
This isn’t about perfection. It’s about building awareness. You’re beginning to see the sequence that lives inside your process: what happens first, what tends to follow, and what happens after.
For example, if you’re creating your second YouTube video, this is when you start writing down your workflow:
Step 1: Research
Step 2: Outline concept
Step 3: Create final script
Step 4: Film
Step 5: Find BRoll
Step 6: Edit: Rough Cuts → Sound → Color Grading
Step 7: Export
Step 8: Caption
Step 9: Upload
Your notes don’t need to be detailed or polished yet. Even rough bullet points are enough to reveal your natural rhythm to give you a clear indicator of “this is what’s next now that I’m done with the previous step”
Focus on:
Documenting what you actually do, when you do it, not what you think you should do.
Make a note of how much time each step/phase takes so when you go to optimized, you can consider alternative paths
Beginning to see the order of operations take shape.
Energetic frame: Awareness over action. This is where you translate experience into insight, where your raw learning from Phase 1 starts to form into a structure you can refine and repeat.
Phase 3: Optimize (The Refinement Phase)
Theme: Streamlining, sequencing, and removing friction.
By the third time you do something, you already know the steps, now it’s about improving how they work together. You’re no longer discovering; you’re refining.
If something feels clunky, don’t push through it, slow down and ask why.
Does it take too long because of the order of events? Because you’re switching contexts too often? Because one step still depends too much on you?
Optimization is about simplifying the order of operations. Maybe you’ve been writing one article start to finish before moving to the next. But when you batch your process: ideating five topics, outlining them all at once, then writing in flow, the whole system becomes faster, cleaner, and more efficient.
Or another example: maybe you do your content analytics on the last Friday of every month, but you find that’s not enough time before creating content for the next month.
Focus on:
Streamlining the sequence of steps; find the most natural order for efficiency and ease.
Identifying friction points and asking what causes them.
Testing new methods or tools that could make the process smoother.
Preparing the workflow so the next round (Phase 4) can be supported by structure and backend systems.
Energetic frame: Precision over pressure. You’re moving from chaos to choreography, designing the rhythm that everything else will build on.
Phase 4: Operationalize (The Infrastructure Phase)
Theme: Building structure, backend support, and energetic stability.
By the fourth time you do something, the process itself works, but it still depends too much on you.
This is where you begin to operationalize: building the scaffolding that holds your system in place so it can run without your constant input.
You’re moving from workflow to infrastructure, setting up the tools, automations, and team support that sustain the rhythm you refined in Phase 3.
This will look like:
Creating a Notion or Airtable dashboard to track deliverables.
Automating recurring steps with tools like Zapier.
Designing templates for client delivery or content batching.
Documenting specific handoffs so your team knows exactly what to do next.
You’re not just organizing tasks, you’re architecting the energetic flow of your business. The system should now start feeling lighter, not heavier. Each new layer of structure should relieve pressure, not create more of it.
Focus on:
Translating your workflow into repeatable, trackable systems.
Introducing the right tools and automations to reduce manual effort.
Establishing clear checkpoints, templates, and handoffs for consistency.
Ensuring every structural addition supports creative flow, not control.
Energetic frame: Foundation over force. You’re creating stability so your business can grow without chaos: building an ecosystem that holds your energy, rather than draining it.
Phase 5: Systematize (The Scale Phase)
Theme: Stabilization, delegation, and expansion.
By the fifth time you do something, your process should feel clean, repeatable, and predictable. You’ve learned it, refined it, optimized it, and built the backend support; now it’s time to systematize.
This is where you transform your workflow into a living asset that can scale beyond you. You’re documenting final SOPs, training your team (or future team), and locking in the structures that allow your business to run consistently whether you’re hands-on or not.
Think of this as your final integration round: tightening small gaps, simplifying where needed, and making sure everything connects. You’re turning what was once a scattered process into a dependable engine for scale.
This looks like:
Finalizing SOPs and organizing them in your business and operations manual.
Hiring new team members when required and delegating recurring tasks with clear instructions and expectations.
Automating status updates, reports, or reminders so you stay informed without micromanaging.
Reviewing the system for energy leaks; anything that still feels heavy likely needs simplification, not more process.
Focus on:
Final documentation and delegation, creating a system that others can run.
Standardizing the flow while leaving space for creativity and iteration.
Reviewing metrics, feedback, and performance to confirm the system works under scale.
Freeing yourself from daily execution so you can focus on growth and innovation.
Energetic frame: Freedom through structure. This is the moment your business becomes self-sustaining, when the architecture you built begins generating energy instead of consuming it.
How to Use the 5x Systems Method
Go through every major process in your business: content, delivery, marketing, sales, and operations and walk each one through the 5x flow from start to finish.
I know your first step when you want to systematize is to hire someone else to do things for you, but there are things in your business you need to do yourself, so they can be systematized for your own brand.
Don’t rush it. Start with the area that creates the most friction or drains the most energy. Bring it through all five phases before touching the next.
Then, every time you add something new: a program, a team member, a product , run it through this same 5x method again. It’s how your systems stay alive and evolve with you.
Next Week: Building the CEO Dashboard
Once your systems begin to take shape, you’ll need a way to see them clearly: to track performance, spot friction, and make decisions like a true CEO.
That’s what we’ll cover next week in From the Codex //024: The CEO Dashboard, how to design the weekly and quarterly reviews that keep your business in rhythm, your operations in sync, and your energy focused where it matters most.
That's a wrap on this week's article. From the Codex drops every Thursday; straight from my desk to yours. Join the list here so you never miss your next power move.
