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Hi, and welcome to Try AI for Growth, a baby podcast out of Make Space for Growth. Here, I share short and maybe surprising stories of how I’ve used technology to tackle everyday challenges—at home, at work, and in business.
I’m your host, Sara Vicente Barreto, and today I want to talk about something that rarely makes the top of a founder’s to-do list—building internal policies. Not because it’s not important—but because it feels like one of those things you’ll get to later. And frankly, it is something that feels a bit heavy, overwhelming and way out of my comfort zone.
Now, if you’re a founder, a leader of a small team, or running an NGO or social venture like I do, you’ve probably had this moment too. You know you need to have policies in place. Conflict of interest, fundraising, data protection, information systems, you name it. You want to protect your organisation, set expectations, and be transparent. But where do you even start? If you’re not in a regulated industry or don’t have a full compliance team, hiring a lawyer for every document draft isn’t always realistic.
So what do we do? We freeze. We put it off. We keep saying, “I’ll get to that later.” Famous procrastination
Until now.
Starting at a Blank Page
For my new company, Inside the Business Mind, as I formalise how I operate and engage with clients, it was time to get on with it. I needed proper frameworks for data protection, information systems, risk management, and digital tools. I wanted something fit for purpose, but I didn’t have a compliance department or days of spare time to reinvent the wheel. I wanted to create something that was meaningful, that I could understand, but also that would not mean endless days of work.
So, of course, I turned to AI.
If you’ve ever tried to write a policy from scratch, you’ll know the hardest part is simply knowing where to begin.
So I began with a prompt for research.
“As a solopreneur and sole director, I would like to establish policies for my new company. Given the materiality and nature of the business, please give me an overview of the policies and procedures I should have in place and which ones I should prioritize doing?”
It is important to say ChatGPT already had context on my company and type of business, as I have done extensive work on my messaging and refining of my value proposition examples with it.
Making My Own Decisions
Helpfully, ChatGPT gave me a set of policies split by high, medium and low priority. With this, I was able to choose which ones applied to me and make my own decisions. I selected 5 high-priority policies and was ready for the first template
“Can you help me draft a Data Protection Policy for a small consultancy business working with client data, using cloud systems, and based in the UK, catering to both UK and EU clients?”
And just like that, I had a structure. Not final. Not fancy. But something clear, contextual, and tailored to where I was.
Time to Learn and Iterate
I was ready to start. With this, I followed up with questions that would first and foremost help me understand the spirit of the policy while also providing feedback to ChatGPT on the specifics of how I worked:
- “What are the common goals of a data protection policy?”
- “What key risks should I be concerned about as I develop an information systems policy?”
- “What are the best practices for the usage of cloud systems?”
- “Should I include specifics about the tools I use in my workflow, like my AI Notetaker?”
The more I asked, the better it got. I wasn’t just drafting—I was learning while doing.
In the past, I was mostly handed out policies. Whilst I sought to always understand them, in large corporations they are long, generic and need to cater for many different examples. In my case, I was focused on ensuring it fit my needs, it was adaptable as my business developed and it was fit for purpose for large clients.
Adaptation, Not Copy-Paste
As I iterated, I kept incorporating feedback and adjusting the first draft to my own needs, keeping it simple and understanding this point. As I worked, I probably established a few new rules for myself as well. It was time to change ChatGPT from being my teacher to being my critic.
So I used AI to:
- Review my latest draft for any incorrect statements, point out any inconsistencies or suggest improvements
- Apply the voice of a compliance officer to point out any areas of potential exposure that are left open
What surprised me most wasn’t the content. It was the confidence that came from having something in place. The confidence of having a good understanding, of having done research and having ownership of my own processes and procedures.
AI didn’t eliminate the need for review—if I were in health tech or fintech, I’d still have a lawyer look at it. And over time, I will most likely do. And I will know what to ask! But it removed 90% of the “where do I even start” block. It saved me hours of manual drafting. And more than that, it got me moving.
A Rounding Polish
As I moved from one policy to the other, I had a doubt hanging over my head. What do I do with all these policies? What needs to be published and what should be published?
One more time, I did a round-up session of understanding the requirements and, with an extra hand:
- Summarise each policy into a coherent policy statement
- Drafted a new legal page where the core of my policy statements sits
- Helped me determine a few procedures to have internally to go alongside my policy
The answer helped me clarify what lives on my website, what sits in my working files, and what should be shared only if needed for due diligence.
Why This Mattered
If you’re running a small consultancy or building a lean business, governance doesn’t need to be bureaucratic—it just needs to be clear. And it needs to exist.
Using AI helped me:
- Draft documents faster
- Clarify my own expectations and processes
- Save legal review for where it matters most
Policies may not be fun, but they are a sign of maturity in your business. You’re showing clients, partners, and yourself that you take their trust—and your systems—seriously.
An added bonus is that when you do it yourself, you get a totally different understanding of the goals of each policy and how they really connect to your business. By not outsourcing, you are grasping an understanding and a much greater level of control.
Lessons Learned
Here are the lessons this experience taught me—lessons I think apply whether you’re building a policy, a product, or a business:
✅ You don’t have to start from scratch — AI can help you move past the blank page and into action.
✅ Understanding builds confidence — Drafting with AI made me more confident in what I was putting out into the world.
✅ Governance isn’t just for big companies — It’s a signal of professionalism, trust, and clarity.
This wasn’t just about writing policies. It was about building ownership over the way I work and the values I stand by.
What You Can Try Today
If this sounds like something you’ve been avoiding, here’s how to start:
1️⃣ Ask AI for an understanding of the applicable policies to your industry, country or area
2️⃣ Ask AI for a draft policy, making sure you provide the background of your business and the type of clients you work with
3️⃣Challenge the policy, adapt to your business, and make sure you understand the goal of each article
4️⃣ Pressure test the gaps, ask for a compliance review and areas of exposure
5️⃣ Save your lawyer for the final review, not the first draft.
Final Thoughts
This was one of those small wins that make a big difference. I didn’t need a full framework or legal department. I just needed a place to start, and AI gave me that. Now, Inside the Business Mind has policies I can stand behind—because I built them to fit how I actually work.
Thanks for joining me for this episode of Try AI for Growth. Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, or share your own stories of how you’re using AI to learn and grow your business.
Until next time—keep experimenting, and keep having fun!
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