How to Make Better Startup Decisions Under Pressure

Hey Reader,

Extreme uncertainty is literally the MO of StartUp Founders. Make decisions that are hopefully on the righter side of right, praying that when you hit, the impact moves the needle.

There's no playbook, no perfect formula. Don't get caught up in finding the right way to do things. Just get out there and build, with a touch of structured intention.

TL;DR Even gut decisions need a framework to drive resources towards actions with the potential for high impact and some level of certainty.

LETS GET INTO IT:

At some point, you'll need to reconcile how you make decisions.

Not to kill your vibe or passion, not even to bring order to the chaos. It's just a personal exercise, a mental model to help you keep on keeping on as your decisions multiply in complexity and impact.

Chaos has merit. It's how we got here. But... When you're overwhelmed, procrastinating, not gaining traction, it might be time to shift gears.

The transition from "founder with a vision" to "founder building a business."

No one is looking to slow you down or kill momentum. It's adding a touch of method to the madness. Perhaps, make decisions faster, with more intention, sleep better (occasionally), and understand why you're doing what you're doing.

Even chaos needs a roadmap.

This isn't organizing or micro-managing day-to-day decisions - features to prioritize or channels to test or which messaging will resonate. Those have tactical frameworks that tend to be right. This is about the big, macro go/no-go decisions for you, the founder, the trajectory creator.

We got here via gut, luck, accidents, and audacity. Founder bravado. But as the stakes get higher, managing that chaos with will power becomes impossible. You become the blocker.

This is the inflection point where you realize that chaos may have got you here, but it will not get you past those first few customers.

No one is stifling your creativity or forcing you into a flowchart. It's not about having all the answers, it's about asking the right questions at the right time.

Pick a framework, any framework, it doesn't matter. What matters is having a consistent way to measure your decisions. It's a grounding tool.

My framework? The Founder's Impact-Certainty Matrix.

So, what does this mean for you?

This is just a forced question to ask yourself as you plan your day, map your priorities, and make sure the work you're doing COULD actually move the needle.

EXPLORE (High Impact, Low Certainty): This is your testing zone, skunk works, crazy, not crazy, who really knows zone. Run experiments, validate assumptions, and allocate time and energy to exploring. It's risky, but innovation lives here.

EXECUTE (High Impact, High[er] Certainty): You've got data, you've got validation, you've got neither but you have some signals – stuff that if you do, it is likely to generate some results. Execute ruthlessly.

AUTOMATE (Low Impact, High Certainty): The necessary evils. Automate, delegate, or systematize these tasks before they become your day job as soon as you understand what needs to happen and how.

IGNORE (Low Impact, Low Certainty): The shiny, sound urgent, might be urgent for someone else, but not for you, not right now. Learn to say no, to yourself and others.

Perhaps, today, categorize your decision, your time, your priorities, against this matrix?

EXPLORE: What experiment will validate your riskiest assumption?

EXECUTE: Name three actions that will tangibly move your core metrics.

AUTOMATE: Identify one task sucking your time that you can systemize or delegate.

IGNORE: What "urgent" distraction can you kill to buy back your focus?

As always, if I can be of service, feel free to grab time.

LFG.

-- James