Article · 8 min read

5 Things Founders Never Do Before Vacation (But Should)

Melissa Franks · On Call COO Free Intermediate

This is the closest thing to a practical runbook for making yourself unreachable for a day. The core move, Pre-Decision Banking, is exactly the one-page runbook: spend 30 minutes listing the 20 recurring decisions your team pings you about, then turn each into a written standing rule (any team member can approve refunds up to a set amount, extend a trial without asking) so the decision no longer needs you. Her line lands the whole problem: your team is not slow because they cannot do the work, they are slow because they do not know if they are allowed to.

• Run a Ghost Week test six to eight weeks out: go quiet without announcing it and watch what actually breaks, so you document the real emergencies, not imagined ones.
• Convert your most-asked questions into written authorization rules with dollar and time limits, so most emergencies can genuinely wait or be handled without you.
• Book the non-refundable trip first: the hard deadline is what forces the delegation you have been putting off.