When creating an accounting firm, the author initially struggled with implementing automation despite having grandiose ideas about its benefits. However, after bringing on new partners, they decided to invest in setting up automated systems to support their work. The main benefit of automation is that it's free or low-cost and allows for consistency, reducing errors and saving time. The author uses a task management tool called ClickUp to manage client deliverables and assign tasks, with the help of Zapier to automate workflows such as sending reminders to clients for required documents. By setting up automated systems, the author is able to streamline their workload and reduce stress, making them feel like a "super cool hacker".