{{DECISION_TITLE}} — Decision Toolkit

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Decision Toolkit

A structured 9-lens framework that helps you think clearly about significant decisions — without deciding for you.

Before we begin

What are you deciding?

Decision statement Decision type Deadline for this decision

Step 1 of 9 — Framing

Frame the Decision

Surface hidden sub-decisions. Confirm you're solving the right problem before applying any lens.

Restate in one precise sentence Hidden sub-decisions (if any) What happens if no decision is made?

Step 2 of 9 — Context

Gather Context

Establish the conditions that will shape every lens that follows.

What's forcing this decision now? Who has a vote or veto? What does success look like in 6 months? What's the biggest risk you're trying to avoid?

Lens A · Step 3 of 9

Start-Fresh Test

If you were starting from zero today with current knowledge, would you choose this path? This strips sunk costs and legacy assumptions.

If starting from scratch today, what would you do? What assumptions are you carrying from the past?

Lens B · Step 4 of 9

Stakeholder Mapping

Every decision affects people beyond the decision-maker. Map them before committing.

Who is directly affected by each option? Whose buy-in is required for implementation? Who could block or undermine this after it's made?

Lens C · Step 5 of 9

Bias Audit

Check which cognitive biases may be distorting your judgment. Check all that apply.

FOMO — Fear of missing a unique opportunity Sunk cost — Avoiding change due to past investment Status quo — Defaulting to "keep going" because it's comfortable Confirmation — Looking for validation, not information Optimism — Best-case is wishful, not realistic Authority — Deferring because of title, not argument Planning fallacy — Underestimating time, cost, complications Loss aversion — Overweighting losses vs. gains

How will you counter the biases you checked?

Lens D · Step 6 of 9

Timing Test

The right decision at the wrong time is still wrong. Is this a two-way door (reversible) or a one-way door (irreversible)?

Door type

Two-way door Reversible
Move fast — optimize for learning One-way door Irreversible
Move slow — optimize for correctness

Why decide now vs. in 30 days? What would you know in 30 days that you don't today?

Lens E · Step 7 of 9

Opportunity Cost

Every choice forecloses other choices. Make the true cost visible.

Time commitment What else could those hours produce? What relationships or opportunities might suffer? True opportunity cost — in plain terms

Lens F · Step 8 of 9

Pre-mortem

Travel 12 months into the future. The decision was made — and it failed spectacularly. What happened?

Describe the failure scenario Is this scenario more likely than your gut says?

Lens G + H · Step 9 of 9

Scenarios + Regret Test

Map the probability-weighted range of outcomes, then apply the Bezos regret minimization test.

Scenario matrix

Scenario	Probability	Outcome
Worst
Bad
Neutral
Good
Best

At 80, would you regret doing this? At 80, would you regret not doing this?

Lens I · Final Lens

Second-order Effects

If this decision succeeds exactly as planned — what new problems does it create? What signals does it send?

What new problems does success create? What does this signal to others? What precedent does it set?

Before you decide

Three Open Questions

The hardest questions to sit with. Edge cases, unknown unknowns, gut-checks. These are not answered here — they are held.

Question 1 Question 2 Question 3

Analysis complete

Decision Summary

Your full analysis across all 9 lenses. Print or save this page before closing.

Complete the framework screens to see your summary here.