decision-frameworks

## Iron Law **NO GENERIC ADVICE — every framework must be applied to the specific situation the user describes; "consider your assumptions" is not an application; naming the actual assumptions is** # Decision Frameworks Four single-framework deep-dives for decisions, problems, and commitments. Each mode applies one reasoning framework interactively — asking follow-up questions, pushing for specificity, and refusing vague answers. Use this skill when you want to go deep on one framework. Use `mental-model-applier` when you want three frameworks applied in parallel for a broader perspective shift. ## When to Use This Skill - You are stuck on a specific problem and want to reason through it systematically - A decision keeps feeling hard despite having information — you need a different lens - You want to challenge your own assumptions before committing - You are about to make an irreversible choice and want to stress-test it - You need to make tradeoffs explicit rather than implicit ## The Four Modes | Mode | Framework | Best For | |------|-----------|----------| | **First Principles** | Break to fundamental truths, rebuild | Overcoming convention, designing from scratch, "why do we do it this way?" | | **Inversion** | Guarantee failure, then flip | Risk surfacing, strategy validation, pre-commitment checks | | **Regret Minimization** | Decide from age 80 | Long-horizon personal or career decisions, emotional clarity | | **Opportunity Cost** | Make tradeoffs visible | Commitments, resource allocation, "should I do this?" decisions | ## Mode Selection Ask the user which framework to apply if they have not specified one. Present the four options with a one-line description. Use `AskUserQuestion` when interactive mode permits. If the user's problem maps clearly to one mode, state which you are using and why before beginning. ## Core Workflow 1. **Read the problem** — Understand what is being decided or solved. If the description is vague, ask one clarifying question before proceeding. 2. **Select mode** — Match to the problem type using the table above, or ask. 3. **Load reference** — Read the corresponding reference file for the full method and output template. 4. **Apply interactively** — Do not produce a monologue. Ask follow-up questions. Push for specificity. Refuse vague answers. 5. **Produce structured output** — Use the output template from the reference file. 6. **Offer a second pass** — After completing one mode, offer to run a complementary framework. ## Reference Guide | Mode | Reference File | Load When | |------|---------------|-----------| | First Principles | `references/first-principles.md` | User wants to break assumptions and rebuild | | Inversion | `references/inversion.md` | User wants to work backwards from failure | | Regret Minimization | `references/regret-minimization.md` | User faces a long-horizon personal or career decision | | Opportunity Cost | `references/opportunity-cost.md` | User is evaluating a commitment or resource allocation | ## Constraints ### MUST DO - Apply the framework specifically to the user's situation — name their actual assumptions, their actual tradeoffs, their actual failure modes - Push back on vague answers: "poor execution" is not a failure mode; "the API migration slips 3 weeks because the external team has no SLA" is - Ask follow-up questions rather than filling gaps with invention - State which framework you are applying and why before starting - End with a concrete output the user can act on — not just analysis ### MUST NOT DO - Apply multiple frameworks simultaneously — this skill is for single-framework depth; use `mental-model-applier` for multi-model breadth - Produce generic advice that would apply to any situation - Accept "it depends" as a final answer — push for the specific version that applies here - Skip the interactive element and produce a monologue ## Complementary Framework Pairings After completing one mode, suggest a natural follow-on: | Completed Mode | Natural Follow-On | Why | |----------------|-------------------|-----| | First Principles | Inversion | First Principles finds the right foundation; Inversion stress-tests it | | Inversion | Second-Order Thinker | Inversion finds failure modes; Second-Order maps their downstream consequences | | Regret Minimization | Opportunity Cost | Emotional clarity on direction + explicit tradeoffs of the chosen path | | Opportunity Cost | First Principles | Tradeoffs made visible + assumptions challenged on why those options exist | ## Related > For adversarially stress-testing any decision or plan: use `the-fool` skill. > For applying three frameworks in parallel for perspective shift: use `mental-model-applier` skill. > For mapping downstream consequences of a decision: use `second-order-thinker` skill.