How I Use ClickUp, Google Drive, and AI to Run a Lean Ops Firm

The question I get asked most isn't about strategy or hiring or scaling. It's about tools.

"What project management system do you use?" "How do you track time?" "What AI tools are actually worth it?"

I get it. When you're drowning in operations, a new tool feels like a lifeline. Maybe the right platform will finally make everything click. Maybe the right AI will finally give you leverage.

But here's what I've learned running a lean fractional ops firm: the tools aren't the strategy. They're the infrastructure that supports a strategy you've already built. Get the order wrong and you'll spend more time configuring platforms than actually doing the work.

That said — people keep asking. So here's exactly what I use, why I chose it, and how it all fits together.

The Great Tool Reversal

Something fascinating happens when founders see my tech stack. They expect complexity — dozens of specialized platforms, expensive subscriptions, elaborate integrations. Instead, they find the opposite.

I run AbsoluteOps on a handful of tools that most businesses already have access to. The difference isn't what I use. It's how everything connects.

When I started the firm, I could have built an elaborate system with dedicated platforms for every function. Instead, I asked a simpler question: what's the minimum infrastructure that lets me deliver exceptional work without creating overhead that eats into client time?

The answer was surprisingly lean. And that leanness is exactly what makes it work.

The Core Stack: Where Real Work Happens

ClickUp is the operational brain. Every client engagement lives here — tasks, timelines, documentation, recurring workflows. But here's what most people get wrong about ClickUp: they use it as a to-do list when it should be a system.

I've built views for each tier of work — leadership tasks, execution tasks, support tasks. Every task is tagged by function, by client, by who owns it. Weekly dashboards show exactly where hours are going and whether we're tracking against priorities.

The setup took time. But now, anyone on the team can see exactly what needs to happen without asking me. That's the point. The tool should answer questions so I don't have to.

Google Drive is the knowledge base. Every SOP, every template, every client folder lives in a structure that mirrors how we actually work. Function folders. Client folders. Resource libraries.

The key is ruthless organization. If someone needs a document and can't find it in under thirty seconds, the system has failed. So I built it to be stupidly simple — clear naming conventions, consistent structure, nothing buried more than two clicks deep.

Hubstaff handles time tracking. Every team member tracks every hour in real time. Clients can see exactly where their budget is going — no surprises, no guessing, no end-of-month reconciliation headaches.

The transparency is the feature. When clients know exactly how their hours are spent, trust builds fast. When team members know their time is visible, focus follows.

SnagIt is quietly essential. Screenshots, screen recordings, quick annotations. Every SOP I build includes visuals because written instructions only go so far. When I can show someone exactly what to click, training time drops dramatically.

It's not glamorous. But the amount of "wait, where is that button?" questions it eliminates is worth every penny.

The AI Layer: Leverage Without the Hype

AI has become unavoidable in the productivity conversation. Most of it is noise. But a few tools have genuinely changed how I work.

Claude and ChatGPT are thinking partners. I use them for drafting, brainstorming, refining frameworks, and pressure-testing ideas. Not to replace thinking — to accelerate it.

The mistake most people make with AI is asking it to do the work. The real leverage comes from using it to think through the work faster. Draft an SOP outline in two minutes instead of twenty. Brainstorm ten angles on a problem instead of three. Refine copy through rapid iteration instead of staring at a blank page.

I probably save five to ten hours a week on work that used to be slow — not because AI does it for me, but because it compresses the messy middle of creation.

The Creative Stack: Where I Probably Spend Too Much Time

Here's a confession: I genuinely enjoy the marketing and creative side of operations. Which means I've built out tools that most ops firms wouldn't touch.

Descript for audio and video editing. Client calls that need to become training content. Quick video walkthroughs. Podcast-style content when I eventually launch one. The transcription alone saves hours.

HeyGen for AI video. When I need to create walkthrough content but don't have time to record, this fills the gap. Not for everything — authenticity matters — but for certain internal documentation, it's incredibly efficient.

Canva for anything visual. Social content, presentation polish, quick graphics. I'm not a designer, but Canva makes me dangerous enough to move fast.

Envato for assets when Canva isn't enough. Stock elements, templates, things that would take hours to create from scratch. The Nano Banana feature is a quiet game-changer — generative AI editing that lets me fine-tune images instead of endlessly searching for the perfect one. Tweak what I have instead of hunting for what I need.

I end up helping clients with this side more than I expected — because once you have the systems in place, the creative work becomes fun instead of another burden. And founders notice when their ops partner can also make things look good.

Why Leanness Beats Complexity Every Time

The independent operators I admire most share one trait: they resist complexity.

Every tool you add creates maintenance. Every platform requires updates, training, integration management. The subscription cost is nothing compared to the cognitive overhead of keeping everything running.

My stack works because it's intentionally minimal. ClickUp for tasks. Google Drive for knowledge. Hubstaff for time. AI for leverage. A few creative tools for the work I enjoy.

That's it. No elaborate integrations. No expensive middleware. No dedicated platform for every micro-function.

The constraint is the feature. When you can't add another tool, you have to make the existing ones work better. That pressure creates simplicity. And simplicity scales.

The Playbook for Building Your Own Stack

The tools I use aren't magic. They work because they fit how I work. Your stack should do the same.

Start with the workflow, not the tool. What actually happens in your business? What tasks repeat? What information needs to flow where? Map this before you touch any platform.

Choose tools you'll actually use. The best system is the one you maintain. If you hate the interface, you'll abandon it. Find tools that feel natural to how you think.

Build for your team, not yourself. A system that only works when you're driving it isn't a system. It's a dependency. Every tool should make it easier for others to operate without you.

Audit ruthlessly. Every quarter, look at what you're paying for and what you're actually using. Kill anything that isn't earning its place. Tool creep is real and expensive — mostly in attention, not dollars.

Let AI handle the acceleration, not the thinking. Use it to move faster through work you already understand. Don't use it to avoid understanding the work in the first place.

What This Means for Your Operations

The stack question is really a systems question. And the systems question is really a clarity question.

What does your business actually need to run? Not theoretically. Not aspirationally. Actually.

When you can answer that clearly, the tools become obvious. When you can't, no tool will save you.

I run a lean ops firm on a lean stack because lean is the point. Every tool serves a specific purpose. Everything connects. Nothing exists just because it seemed like a good idea.

That discipline is available to any business willing to do the work of getting clear first.

I run a lean ops firm on a lean stack because lean is the point. Every tool serves a purpose. Everything connects. If your tech stack feels bloated and nothing quite works together, the problem isn't the tools — it's the strategy underneath. 

Book a call if you want help untangling it. 

— Darci