Build and backfill

Levi D. Soprovich, CPA

1 hour ago

2 min read

I believe a business is like a Rube Goldberg machine: every part sets the next in motion. Build and backfill is how I put that belief to work. I build the system first, then fill it with people who can see exactly where they fit. How I lead matters as much as what I build, so each step is guided by a principle I hold.

1. Map the machine

Guided by: Seek first to understand, then to be understood

Before I recommend anything, I learn how the business actually runs: who does what, how each person's work sets the next in motion, and where the chain breaks down. I listen to the owner and the team first.

2. Build the system

Guided by: Put first things first

Payroll, cashflow and compliance come before improvements. Once the essentials are secure, I design policies and procedures tailored to the business and structured for growth, so the financial information they produce is available, relatable and actionable.

3. Define each part

Guided by: Create clarity

I turn the procedures into roles. Each role describes the routine work and exactly how it fits into the broader system, so everyone knows what they're responsible for and why it matters.

4. Backfill with the right people

Guided by: Overcommunicate clarity

I hire, or develop people already on the team, to run the routine work. I use diagrams and visuals to show each person how their work connects to the whole, and I repeat the message until it sticks. People get up to speed faster and can see where they could grow next.

5. Step back

Guided by: Begin with the end in mind

From the first day, the goal is a team that runs the system without me. I coach until it does, then move my time to the next build or to the decisions that move the business forward.