4.6 Internal Documentation
(Or: "How to stop tribal knowledge from vanishing when someone quits")
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4.6.1 Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
Your Company's Playbook
💡 SOP That Doesn't Suck
Component Bad Example Good Example
Format 50-page PDF no one reads Loom video + Notion checklist
Owner "Everyone" (i.e., no one) Department head + backup
Updates Last revised in 2019 Quarterly review mandate
Access Buried in SharePoint Pinned in team Slack + QR codes at workstations
🔥 Horror Story:
When a Bengaluru startup's ops manager quit:
• 37 key processes existed only in his head
• New hire took 4 months to reconstruct workflows
• ₹82L lost in operational errors
SOP Template:
markdown
# [Process Name]
**Owner:** @Name
**Frequency:** Daily/Weekly/Monthly
**Tools Needed:** Tool1, Tool2
## Steps
1. [Action] → [Screenshot/Loom clip]
2. [Decision point] → "If X, do Y"
3. [Quality check] → "Verify Z before proceeding"
⏰ Time to complete: 15min
❗ Common mistakes: [List]
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4.6.2 Meeting Minutes
The Art of Not Wasting Everyone's Time
🚀 Pro Meeting Protocol
Role Responsibility Tool
Designated Notetaker Rotate weekly among juniors Notion/Google Docs
Decision Tracker Highlight action items in red ClickUp/Trello
Archive Master Store in correct folder /Company/Meetings/YYYY/MM
💀 Nightmare Scenario:
A critical investor term sheet discussion:
• Had 3 conflicting meeting summaries
• Led to 2-week legal battle over terms
• Nearly killed ₹7Cr funding round
Minutes Template:
markdown
# [Meeting Title] - YYYY-MM-DD
**Attendees:** @Name1, @Name2
**Absent:** @Name3 (reason)
## Decisions Made
✅ [Exact wording of agreement]
## Action Items
🔴 @Name - Task - Deadline
## Key Discussions
• [Topic1] → [Outcome]
• [Topic2] → [Follow-up needed]
📌 Next meeting: [Date]
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🛡️ Documentation Health Check
"How much would burn if key people quit tomorrow?"
Parameter 😱 Oral Tradition 🛠️ Partial Docs 🛡️ Institutionalized
SOP Coverage 0-10% of processes 30-60% 95% + video walkthroughs
Meeting Hygiene No records Some notes Searchable decision log
Onboarding "Follow Joe around" PDF manual Interactive training portal
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🚨 Documentation Emergencies
"When knowledge gaps bite:"
Disaster Triage Cure
Key person quits Schedule "brain dump" sessions Implement weekly SOP Fridays
Legal dispute Mine meeting minutes for proof Hire forensic documentation expert
New hire stuck Pair with top performer Build GPT-based Q&A knowledge base
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📌 Founder's Documentation Toolkit
1. The 5x5 Rule
o Any task done 5 times by 5 people needs an SOP
2. The Meeting Minute Monitor
o Assign one director to audit random meetings monthly
o Grade completeness (A-F) with consequences
3. The Documentation Debt Sprint
o Quarterly "cleanup week" where:
All hands document one process
Best doc wins ₹5K prize
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🎯 Final Thought
"What isn't documented doesn't exist - until it becomes a lawsuit."
