Systems of Business is a weekly podcast about the people, processes and decisions behind businesses that work.
Every business is a network of systems, some carefully designed, some accidental, and some held together by one person who knows where everything is buried. Each episode takes a clear-eyed look at one part of that network, covering topics such as people, operations, marketing, technology and growth.
Trailer: Software Bloat, Part 2: The Process is the Problem | The Systems of Business Podcast
Welcome to the Systems of Business Podcast.
Every Tuesday at 12 pm AEST, Tony Gavin and Damon Simms cut through the typical entrepreneurial advice to talk about what actually happens when you build and run organisations.
In Part 2, Tony and Damon move past the shiny tools and look at what actually breaks inside a business when ownership, communication and process are missing.
They discuss why automation does not fail in a vacuum, how easily businesses automate the wrong thing, and why AI is often being used where a simple workflow would do the job better.
The conversation also gets into process mapping, SOPs, keeping humans in the loop, and why documenting what actually happens in the business needs to come before adding software, automation or more people.
About the hosts:
Tony Gavin: https://tonygavin.com (https://tonygavin.com)
Damon Simms: https://damonsimms.me (https://damonsimms.me)
About the Pod:
Systems of Business (https://systemsofbusiness.com) | LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/systems-of-business-podcast/)
10 Nov 2026
Software Bloat, Part 1: The Shiny Tools Trap | The Systems of Business Podcast
Welcome to episode 12 of the Systems of Business Podcast.
This week, Tony & Damon discuss:
The shiny tool trap and why businesses keep buying software they do not need
AI features, SaaS bloat and rising subscription costs
Why startups often need a spreadsheet more than a CRM
The hidden cost of learning and maintaining overly complicated tools
Why understanding the problem needs to come before choosing the software
New technology is constantly sold as the answer to problems businesses may not even have. Add lifetime deals, artificial urgency and the current rush to bolt AI onto almost everything, and it becomes very easy to accumulate an expensive collection of tools that never deliver the promised value.
Tony and Damon get into software bloat, paying for features nobody asked for, and why a product becoming more powerful does not necessarily make it more useful.
They also look at the temptation to build a business around the systems you think you will need in the future rather than the problems you actually have today. Sometimes the right CRM really is a spreadsheet, and sometimes automation simply adds another layer of complexity to a process that was already working.
Systems of Business comes out weekly on a Tuesday at 12 pm AEST.
Mentioned in this episode:
ArtCraft open-source Adobe Creative Suite alternatives:
https://github.com/storytold (https://github.com/storytold?utm_source=chatgpt.com)
About the hosts:
Damon Simms: https://damonsimms.me (https://damonsimms.me/)
Tony Gavin: https://tonygavin.com (https://tonygavin.com/)
Follow the pod:
Systems of Business (https://systemsofbusiness.com/) | LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/systems-of-business-podcast/)
5 Nov 2026
Trailer: Software Bloat, Part 1: The Shiny Tool Trap | The Systems of Business Podcast - Episode 12
Welcome to the Systems of Business Podcast.
Every Tuesday at 12 pm AEST, Tony Gavin and Damon Simms cut through the typical entrepreneurial advice to talk about what actually happens when you build and run organisations.
This week, we’re trying something different with a two-part episode about software, automation and the expensive habit of throwing technology at problems before understanding what actually needs fixing.
In Part 1, Tony and Damon get into the shiny tool trap, lifetime deals, bloated SaaS subscriptions and the rush to add AI features to products that were already doing their jobs perfectly well.
They also discuss why startups often need a spreadsheet more than a CRM, how software can create new costs instead of removing them, and why the first question should never be “what tool should we buy?”
About the hosts:
Tony Gavin: https://tonygavin.com (https://tonygavin.com)
Damon Simms: https://damonsimms.me (https://damonsimms.me)
About the Pod:
Systems of Business (https://systemsofbusiness.com) | LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/systems-of-business-podcast/)
Contact Systems of Business Podcast
Guest appearances
Books guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
Host of Systems of Business Podcast?
Claim your podcast to manage its listing and keep your show details accurate.
Pod Engine is an independent podcast discovery and analytics service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by this podcast. Artwork and show content belong to their owners. Full legal notice.
Explore this show Podcast research with Pod Engine
