Archive - Systems & Side-eyes

Your Team Cannot Live Inside Your Head

A recording from Katie Barnes and Cory Blumenfeld's live video

Sep 15 • Katie Barnes and Cory Blumenfeld

50:02

The Operator's Backroom #003 - Who owns the ball?

How to create real ownership without turning your startup into a bureaucracy.

Sep 9 • Katie Barnes

August 2026

I accidentally talked about how I get clients

Plus fractional work, Substack, shiny objects, AI systems and why I’m still chasing my first viral Note high.

Aug 31 • Katie Barnes and Philip Hofmacher

25:09

OMG I just realized I am the Dr. Robby of Startup Ops...

I’ve been binge-watching The Pitt and accidentally decided I’m the Dr. Robby of startup operations. So scrub in. We’ve got five patients in triage: a…

Aug 21 • Katie Barnes

The Operator's Backroom #002 - Where the Heck does this Live??

A practical guide for getting all of that good company info out of people’s heads, DMs, Slacks, and random docs.

Aug 12 • Katie Barnes

The Systems Person Forgot to Build one for Herself 😳

Who the heck am I this week??

Aug 7 • Katie Barnes

July 2026

To AI or Not to AI?

What a silly question...

Jul 29 • Katie Barnes

The Operator's Back Room #001 - The Startup Operating Rhythm

The communication cadence I install when a 10–30 person company is running from Slack instead of systems.

Jul 21 • Katie Barnes

Two Kinds of People Read This Newsletter

(besides my mom...)

Jul 15 • Katie Barnes

One Year Without a W2: What I Got Wrong, What I'd Say Again

what I actually learned about panic, boundaries, and invisible work. Not the highlight reel version.

Jul 8 • Katie Barnes

AI Didn't Make You Dumber. It Made You Absent.

Keep the strategy and judgment on your plate. It's what got you here.

Jul 2 • Katie Barnes

June 2026

For the "I have way too many meetings..." people

Why cutting your calendar won't fix what's actually broken.

Jun 25 • Katie Barnes

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