The Automation Threshold
Not everything should be automated. Some tasks are faster to do manually. Some scripts take longer to write than they'll ever save. In this module, you'll learn to recognize when automation helps—and when it's overkill. You'll develop the instinct to know exactly when something is worth turning into a script.
Not Everything Should Be Automated
There's a trap that catches many Terminal users: spending an hour automating something you do once a month.
Automation saves time only when the time spent creating it is less than the time you'd spend doing it manually.
The Simple Rule
Ask yourself:
- Will I do this task more than 5 times?
- Is the manual version error-prone?
- Does it involve more than 3 steps?
If you answer "yes" to two or more, consider automating. Otherwise, just do it manually.
Key Takeaway
Automate repeated, multi-step, or error-prone tasks. For everything else, manual is fine.