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?

Season 1. Episode 15: Building a Testing Culture