Don't treat all decisions the same
Simplifying decision making
As a member of any product team, you face tons of decisions daily. Some of them will stress you out, and some you will make without thinking about it.
The trap lies in understanding which decisions are worth investing more time into analysis and which you should decide as quickly as possible.
When it comes to decision-making, I don’t see a size fits all framework. But I do know a way of simplifying and removing a load of stress from your shoulders.
What can you do today for a better tomorrow?
I’m all for simplicity. I understand that we tend to neglect the power of simplicity because we believe it’s not enough. Well, I hope you understand the power of it sooner than I did. After years of experience, I realize that the more we simplify, the more value we can create.
My approach is to categorize decisions as reversible or irreversible. That’s the approach used by Jeff Bezos. He calls it a two-way or one-way door.
You can apply it quickly as that:
Reversible: Ensure you decide immediately because if something goes wrong, you can quickly revert. The longer you take to make this kind of decision, the more stuck you get.
Irreversible: Don’t hurry up with this kind of decision. Deciding quickly with an irreversible decision is like playing with fire. You will get burned, and the scar will stay with you forever. The more irreversible your choice is, the more time you should invest.
Make decisions simple. Don’t be afraid of progressing with reversible choices. Be afraid of getting stuck and slowing down.
A bad decision is better than not deciding because it creates learning, while the other ensures you remain stuck.
A question for you
How long do you take to make reversible decisions? What holds you back from trying it out and learning from the results instead of spending time with imaginary outcomes?
Worth reading
Note: Recently, I released a crash course about Product Discovery. You may be interested in knowing what successful companies do to create value sooner.