#35 Solo forever?

Hey there,

Today we’re digging into a question that almost every solo we work with eventually bumps up against:

When do I stop doing everything myself, and what does bringing on help actually look like?

We named ourselves Duo and we serve solos. The irony is not lost on us. But most of the solopreneurs we work with don’t stay strictly solo forever — they grow into teeny tiny micro agencies, and that whole transition gets smooshed under the umbrella of “solopreneur” in a way that confuses everyone.

So we’re unpacking what the micro-agency model actually is, why we believe one delivery pod with the founder at the helm can take you to $2.5–3M, and why most people try to remove themselves from the work way too soon.

(We share a real client example where the accounts the founder still ran lasted double the lifetime of the ones he handed off, because the systems weren’t ready yet.)

We also get into one of our favorite topics: compensation models. Most people pay contractors hourly, which creates a perverse incentive where they’re motivated to move as slowly as possible. We break down the outcome-based comp model we’ve seen work incredibly well, including one case where a contractor is managing 20 accounts and earning $20K a month.

That doesn’t suck.

Later in the episode, we talk about why we recommend hiring other founders instead of employees, the role automation can play right now (Erica has been up until 3 AM multiple nights building things in Claude Code and has feelings about it), and why posting “I’m hiring” on LinkedIn is almost always a terrible idea.

Plus, we tackle some of the limiting beliefs that keep people stuck, like “no one can do what I do,” and why holding onto the client relationship while delegating the execution is the move.

Cheers,
Nick and Erica

(00:00) Intro
(00:38) When does solo stop being solo
(04:54) The exit pressure myth
(07:15) Why the micro-Agency model works
(11:40) The power of comp models that align goals
(15:45) Risk, reward, and the founder’s edge in business
(22:24) Hitting the revenue wall and deciding what’s next
(27:40) The value of building a small bench
(30:18) How automation gives quick wins
(33:10) Build systems in the moment, not before
(35:15) When to hire contractors vs. full-time employees
(38:33) Overcoming the fear of hiring and letting go

Ready to standardize your offer and scale your consulting services to $50k+ months? Apply to work with us here: https://duoconsulting.co/