Part 4 of the Content Systems Series | Reading time: 10 min
Start from Part 1 | Catch up on Part 3
You’ve recognized the problems.
You know your content operation is broken.
Now comes the expensive question:
Do you fix what you have, or do you start over?
Most business owners get this wrong. They either:
A) Throw money at patches – Hire another person, buy another tool, add another process – without addressing the root cause
B) Blow everything up prematurely – Fire everyone, cancel contracts, start from scratch – when the foundation was actually salvageable
Both paths waste money. Often €50,000+.
Here’s how to make the right call.
The Fix vs. Replace Framework
I’ve consulted with 40+ companies on this exact decision. Here’s the framework that actually works:
Run Your Operation Through These 4 Tests
TEST 1: The Talent Assessment
Ask yourself honestly:
“If I gave my current team a perfect system and unlimited budget, could they execute at the level I need?”
If YES → Your problem is systems, not people. Fix is possible.
If NO → Your problem is talent. Replace is necessary.
If MAYBE → Your problem is both. Partial replace + new systems.
Be brutally honest here. Sometimes you’ve hired lovely people who just aren’t right for what you need.
TEST 2: The Time Horizon Check
How much time do you have to see results?
90 days or less → Replace. You don’t have time to retrain and restructure.
6-12 months → Fix might work, but requires intense commitment and zero distractions.
12+ months → Fix is viable if you’re willing to invest in the transformation.
TEST 3: The Commitment Analysis
Fixing a broken content operation requires:
- ✓ Leadership time (10-15 hours/week for 3-6 months)
- ✓ Budget for new tools and training (€10K-30K)
- ✓ Acceptance that productivity will drop during transition
- ✓ Willingness to make hard people decisions if they resist change
Can you commit to all of that?
If YES → Fix is an option.
If NO → Replace is smarter.
If “I THINK SO” → You’ll likely quit halfway through. Replace.
TEST 4: The Math Test
Calculate your true cost per piece of content:
Total monthly cost (salaries + overhead + tools) ÷ Pieces of quality content produced = Cost per piece
Now compare to market rates:
- Professional video: €1,500-€4,000
- Social post suite: €200-€500
- Blog post: €300-€800
- Graphic design: €150-€400
If your cost per piece is 2x+ market rates → Replace is more economical.
If your cost per piece is competitive → Fix might make sense.
Real Examples: When to Fix
Case Study 1: The “Good Team, Bad Systems” Company
Situation:
- Team of 3 talented people
- No project management system
- No asset library
- No workflow documentation
- Spending €15K/month, producing sporadically
Fix Solution:
- Implemented ClickUp for project management
- Built centralized asset library in Frame.io
- Documented workflows for each content type
- Added quality checkpoints
Cost: €12,000 setup + 3 months transition
Result: Same team, 3x output, consistent quality
Timeline: 4 months to full productivity
When this works:
- You have capable people who are frustrated by chaos
- Leadership can dedicate time to implementation
- Team is open to process changes
Case Study 2: The “Almost There” Scenario
Situation:
- Solid videographer and designer
- Weak content strategy
- No data tracking
- Content exists but doesn’t drive results
Fix Solution:
- Hired fractional content strategist (2 days/month)
- Implemented analytics dashboard
- Created content-to-conversion tracking
- Optimized based on data
Cost: €8,000 over 6 months
Result: Same content volume, 5x better business outcomes
Timeline: 2 months to see impact
When this works:
- Production quality is good
- The problem is strategy, not execution
- You need expertise, not more hands
Real Examples: When to Replace
Case Study 3: The “Money Pit” Operation
Situation:
- Team of 4 full-time people
- €22K/month burn rate
- Constant drama and turnover
- Output: 2-3 videos/month, sporadic social
- CEO spending 15 hours/week managing team
Replace Solution:
- Partnered with external content production system
- Kept 1 internal brand manager
- Defined clear workflows and expectations
Cost: €8K/month to external partner + €5K for internal manager
Savings: €9K/month (41% reduction)
Result: 4x content output, zero drama, CEO time freed
Timeline: 30 days to full operation
When this works:
- Internal team is fundamentally misaligned
- Cost per content piece is way above market
- Leadership doesn’t have time to manage the fix
Case Study 4: The “Wrong Talent” Situation
Situation:
- Hired team based on personality, not portfolio
- Nice people, mediocre work
- Can’t compete with industry standards
- Clients starting to comment on quality
Replace Solution:
- Respectful offboarding with severance
- Partnered with specialized content agency
- Kept brand control internal
Cost: €25K severance + €6K/month to agency
Savings: €8K/month ongoing + reputation preserved
Result: Professional-grade content, client confidence restored
Timeline: 45 days including transition
When this works:
- Honest assessment reveals talent gap
- Your market demands higher quality than current team can deliver
- You’re willing to make the tough but necessary change
The €50K Mistake: The Hybrid Disaster
Here’s what NOT to do:
The “Keep Everyone Happy” Approach:
- Keep your current team
- But also hire an agency “to help”
- Try to make both work together
Why it fails:
- Redundant costs – Paying for internal team + external team
- Territorial conflicts – Internal team feels threatened
- Unclear ownership – Who’s responsible for what?
- No real improvement – Same problems, different people
Real cost: €50K+ wasted before you finally choose one or the other
The Decision Matrix
Use this to decide:
| Your Situation | Fix | Replace |
| Good people, bad systems | ✓ | |
| Bad people, any systems | ✓ | |
| Mixed talent + broken systems | ✓ | |
| Small problems, good trajectory | ✓ | |
| Crisis mode, need results now | ✓ | |
| CEO has time to lead transformation | ✓ | |
| CEO needs to focus on business | ✓ | |
| Cost per content below market | ✓ | |
| Cost per content 2x+ market | ✓ | |
| Team open to change | ✓ | |
| Team resistant to change | ✓ |
The Hard Truth About “Fix”
Fixing a broken content operation is possible.
But it requires:
- Ruthless honesty about talent
- Significant time investment from leadership
- Budget for proper systems
- Willingness to make hard decisions
- 3-6 month commitment to transformation
Most businesses don’t have all of those.
And that’s okay.
Because “Replace” isn’t failure. It’s smart business.
You don’t do your own accounting (probably). You don’t run your own IT (hopefully). You don’t manufacture your own office furniture.
Why should content be different?
What’s Actually Worth Keeping In-House
Even if you “Replace” the production operation, keep this internal:
✓ Brand Strategy – What you stand for, who you serve, what you promise
✓ Content Direction – What topics, what angles, what messages
✓ Quality Control – Final approval on brand alignment
✓ Performance Analysis – What’s working, what’s not, what to do next
Basically: Keep the brain. Outsource the hands.
One senior person can manage all of that. Call them Content Director, Brand Manager, whatever.
Cost: €5K-€8K/month for the right person
Value: Strategic control without operational headaches
The Question You Should Ask Yourself
Don’t ask: “Can we fix this?”
Ask: “Is fixing this the best use of our resources?”
Because maybe you can fix it. With enough time, money, and effort, most things can be fixed.
But should you?
Or should you redirect that time, money, and effort toward actually growing your business?
Continue Reading: “The Content Operations Model That Actually Scales (Without Hiring)” →
In the next post: The exact model that companies like TechVision are using to produce more content, at higher quality, for 60% less cost. With zero HR drama.
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