Date: July 31, 2026, 10:00 AM EDT Attendees: Michael Houck (Rye Valley), Ben Ornstein (Foundingjourney)
Summary
Operations and automation updates, content pipeline restructure, and a frank conversation about Ben’s role as Michael automates more and moves back into builder/creator mode.
Decisions Made
- Newsletter format shift: Moving to one issue per week per platform (X and LinkedIn), with separate funnels and tags in Beehiiv. Each issue = 3 viral templates analyzed and broken down into usable formats. Micro-essay intro TBD based on Blake’s availability.
- Charlene onboarded to handle Jeffrey’s account replies. Ben reviewing outputs for the next week before she goes fully independent.
- Fable reply automation: Promising - estimated under $100/client/month for 100 comments/week, cheaper than current VA cost. Goal: fully automated, no manual review layer. Ben to flag bad outputs via DM to Hermes.
- Ben’s near-term scope reduced as Michael automates more and takes on AI building himself. Ben’s durable value = human review layer between AI outputs and clients/world, plus pre-research (VSL, etc.) and post-verification. Catch-up Tuesday to continue the conversation.
Action Items
| Owner | Action | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Ben | Draft 13 viral X posts into Beehiiv | Michael adds “why it works” sections after |
| Ben | Share Taplio MCP LinkedIn creator sourcing output | Running Claude + Taplio now; report when done |
| Ben | Review remaining Hermes content drafts | Completing same day; first script reviewed and looked solid |
| Ben | Reflect on reduced near-term scope | Catch up with Michael on Tuesday |
| Michael | CLOSED Aug 3 - Michael confirmed not needed |
Notable Excerpts
(Full word for word transcript is available in Granola; open the meeting via the granola_id above. Paid team plan since 2026-08-13.)
Key themes from notes:
On automation direction: Reply automation (Fable model) looking promising - under $100/client/month for 100 comments/week, cheaper than current VA cost. Goal is fully automated with no manual review layer.
On Jolt agents: Jolt agents in good shape; Hermes validated the architecture. Tatum moved to agent channel only (DM access removed) so Hermes can monitor.
On Ben’s role: “Near-term work volume likely lower as he automates more and takes on AI building himself. Wants to return to builder/creator mode vs. orchestration and Slack management.” Ben’s current highest-leverage role: human review layer between AI outputs and clients/world. Potential future expansions: leading creator partnerships agency or context farming agency when those launch.
On LinkedIn sourcing: Ben testing Taplio MCP via Claude to find creators at scale. On free trial, cycling emails to avoid paying.
See also: Newsletter platform split: one issue per week per platform