Automation is how one person does the work of three — but only if you pick the tool you'll actually maintain.

The core trade-off

Zapier: easiest to learn, biggest app catalog, gets expensive fast as task volume grows.

Make (formerly Integromat): visual scenario builder, far more operations per dollar, steeper learning curve.

Price at realistic solo volumes

The decision rule

If your automations are simple ("new form row → send email"), Zapier's speed wins. If you're running multi-step scenarios with branching logic — like the 12 recipes in the Tech Stack Blueprint — Make costs a quarter as much at scale.

Whatever you choose: document it

Every automation you build goes in your SOP doc with a screenshot. Future-you, troubleshooting at midnight six months later, is a different person who needs those notes.