Who-Not-How Focus Rule
Protect your scarce strength by finding the right person for everything else
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Time to result
- ~weeks to results
- Steps
- 5
- Confidence
- 95%
Bartlett describes a default question that changed how he uses scarce time: ask who can do a job rather than automatically asking how to do it yourself. He first identifies the small area where his own contribution is distinctive and difficult to replace, then relies on capable people for the remaining work. Perez applies the same logic to missing business skills, saying he does not need to earn an MBA when he can hire that capability. The mechanism is selective delegation, not abdication: identify only-you work, find a suitable owner for everything else, define the expected result, and restore attention to your strongest contribution. The rule depends on resources, trust, and clear ownership.
Origin
Steven Bartlett described the rule during The Diary of a CEO.
Core principles
- 01Time is a scarce asset
- 02Not every problem should become your new skill
- 03A strong team expands access to specialized ability
- 04Your highest-value work is the work only you can do well
How to run it
- 1
Inventory the work
List the tasks, decisions, and responsibilities consuming your time across current projects.
Watch out Do not omit low-status work that quietly absorbs the week.
- 2
Find only-you work
Identify the narrow contribution where your strengths, authority, or relationships make you unusually hard to replace.
Pro tip Keep the set small enough to guide real trade-offs.
Watch out Preference alone does not make a task only-you work.
- 3
Ask who
For every other task, look for the person whose existing strengths fit the required outcome better than learning it all yourself.
Pro tip Search for capability, not merely availability.
Watch out Delegation is not justified when coordination exceeds the task.
- 4
Transfer clear ownership
Give the chosen person a defined result, appropriate authority, and the context needed to deliver it.
Watch out Handing off a vague problem creates dependency rather than ownership.
- 5
Reinvest the time
Use the released capacity on the distinctive work identified earlier and review whether the handoff actually protected it.
Watch out Delegating without changing your calendar does not create focus.
In the wild
Perez identifies marketing, vision, writing, and meditation as strengths, then says he does not need to obtain an MBA himself; he can hire that capability. Bartlett similarly credits strong teams with letting him spend time on the work only he can do.
→ Specialists cover capability gaps while each person spends more attention on their strongest contribution.
Common mistakes
Delegating without an owner
Finding a person is useful only when the expected outcome and ownership are clear.
Calling every preferred task essential
The rule loses force if every enjoyable or familiar activity is classified as work only you can do.
Is it for you?
Best for
Leaders with access to capable collaborators who are spread across too many functions.
Not ideal for
Very early work where delegation costs more than execution or where no trustworthy owner is available.
From the transcript
“The big unlock for me after meeting certain entrepreneurs and spending time with Richard Branson and great people is those people default to who.”
“I need to hire out an MBA.”
From the episode
Yung Pueblo: How To Let Go Of The Past, Connect With The Present, & Expand The Future