Get rid of the parasite before it gets rid of you

I did bookkeeping for my first year of business. One year was enough for me. It was boring and very spreadsheet–heavy, and I knew I never wanted to do it again. So I did what I thought savvy entrepreneurs called “delegating.” I hired a bookkeeping and accounting firm to do it for me, and I paid for the software they recommended.

As a result, I grew reliant on service providers and their referrals. I didn’t know when service was good or bad, and I wasn’t sure how to double check their work. I was pretty sure the accountant was verifying the bookkeeper’s work. I thought I was “delegating,” but in reality, I had decided to abdicate this function.

“Let me take care of this hard thing for you. Trust me, I know better,” the voice says. It’s a voice that makes an offer you and I find difficult to refuse: just “Focus on the things you’re good at,” and “Don’t worry about all of that stuff.” It’s stressful!

In exchange, the parasite extracts just a bit of value at first — then it starts to grow.

You and I see signs of this parasite everywhere. The term “enshittification,” describes the parasite that social media networks use to lock in their users. Now users “are stuck” seeing ads because they didn’t understand that they were never Meta’s customer — they were the product. Creators “are stuck” because they didn’t build a direct connection with their fans — like through email, text messages, etc. Whoever owns your marketing also owns your income.