Done for you(DFY)
Strategy and planning
Strategy and planning
DFY (done for you) means an agency or specialist executes the work while you review the results. The middle path is DWY (done with you): they set it up, you take it over.
Outsourcing is strong for specialist or one-off work: the technical foundation, measurement setup, migrations, strategic choices and peaks around a launch. You buy experience and speed without having to build the skill yourself.
Judge DFY on agreed outcomes and on what you can do afterwards, not on hours delivered. Good outsourcing leaves something behind: a setup you understand, documented choices and no dependency on one person.
In practice
Outsourcing recurring execution work for years without learning anything yourself. That is exactly the work where an agency makes the least difference.
Related terms
- Do it yourselfDIY (do it yourself) means you execute the work yourself — updating your website, writing content or running campaigns — buying knowledge and tools instead of execution hours.
- KPIA KPI is a number you steer on because it links directly to a goal, such as qualified enquiries per month or cost per customer.
- Northstar metricA northstar metric is the single measure that best reflects the value customers get from your product or service — and predicts your growth over time.