How to make faster decisions

Stop agonizing over every choice and learn to decide with confidence.

👋 Hey, it's Kareem - Welcome to Driving Impact, my weekly newsletter for high-performance product managers and operators learning to become unstoppable.

Have you ever found yourself stuck in analysis paralysis, endlessly gathering data for a decision that should have been made weeks ago? Or maybe you've rushed into a major product decision only to regret it later?

This week, I'll share a framework that transformed how I make decisions as a PM, helping me navigate everything from minor design choices to major strategic shifts.

• Why most PMs get stuck between analysis paralysis and reckless speed

• The decision matrix that will change how you think about product decisions

• A simple framework to determine your decision investment

Reading time: 6 mins.

Before breaking into product management, I spent 6 years in finance.

As I moved into tech, data was my super power. I dove deep into excel sheets and came up with great findings.

But, as I moved into product management at Amazon, I was frequently being called out by my manager for being slow. I would get caught in endless analysis loops always chasing the next data point.

It wasn't until I was leading the Amazon Egypt roadmap that I realized this approach wasn't sustainable. With hundreds of decisions to make and a tight timeline, I needed a better way.

A man dressed in a blue hazmat suit standing in front of two doors trying to decide which one to open. Inspired by Fallout.

Decision-Making Trap

Jeff Bezos speaks about decisions as doors:

"Some decisions are consequential and irreversible – one-way doors – and these decisions must be made with careful deliberation and consultation from senior executives. Most decisions are two-way doors, and these should be made quickly with the understanding that you can always go back."

As PMs, we often think we need to choose between two poor options:

1. The "paralysis" route: Endless stakeholder consultations, countless data points, and still feeling like we need more information.

2. The "reckless" approach: Quick decisions based on gut feel, often missing critical risks and stakeholder input.

Both paths lead to the same destination: lost trust from your team and stakeholders.

The Better Way: Decision Budgets

Good decision making is not about choosing between speed and quality – it's about matching your investment to the decision's importance and reversibility.

Think of it like this: You wouldn't spend the same amount of time choosing lunch as you would buying a house. Yet many PMs invest the same energy in every product decision, regardless of its impact.

Let's expand on one-way and two-way doors into a matrix that considers both impact and reversibility.

The Decision Matrix

Here are some guidelines for how to use the decision matrix:

1. High-impact, irreversible:

   Example: pricing changes, sunsetting products

   1. Buy yourself time by making it reversible

   2. Run A/B tests

   3. Rollout gradually to users

2. High-impact, reversible

   Example: quarterly OKRs, roadmap priorities

   1. Focus on speed to learning

   2. Set clear evaluation criteria

   3. Plan for iteration cycles

3. Low-impact, irreversible

   Example: API design, product naming

   1. Leverage existing best practices

   2. Consult experienced team members

   3. Borrow expertise

4. Low-impact, reversible

   Example: minor feature designs, bug prioritization

   1. Delegate when possible

   2. Make quick decisions

   3. Empower your team

The biggest mistake most PMs do is they spend too much time on quadrants 3 and 4, and not enough on quadrant 1. Remember, great PMs spend more time on high-impact decisions and less time on low-impact decisions.

The 70-30 Rule

You don't need 100% certainty to make a good decision. In fact, waiting for complete certainty often leads to missed opportunities.

Instead, aim for 70% certainty. If you have 70% of the information you think you need, and it’s a high-impact, reversible decision, move with confidence. The remaining 30% often isn't worth the time investment to acquire.

But, how do you handle urgent requests? That urgent email from leadership about an unhappy customer or a "can't-miss" partnership opportunity.

Here's how to handle these:

1. Is this new information?

   1. Yes → Evaluate using the decision matrix

   2. No → Stay the course and communicate your existing plan

2. Does it fit your current strategy?

   1. Yes → Incorporate within existing priorities

   2. No → Evaluate the opportunity cost

Making It Work

Here's how I put this into practice:

1. Evaluate Impact

   1. Will this affect a large subset of users?

   2. Is the financial impact significant?

   3. Could this damage our brand?

2. Assess Reversibility

   1. Can we roll this back easily?

   2. What's the cost of reversal?

   3. If it’s irreversible, can we make it reversible?

3. Set Your Budget

   1. Which stakeholders need to be involved?

   2. What data do you absolutely need?

   3. How much time will you invest?

Remember: The goal isn't to make perfect decisions – it's to make appropriate decisions at the right speed with the right investment.

What's your approach to making product decisions? Reply directly to this email or drop your thoughts in the comments—I'd love to hear what works for you!

---

Thanks for reading! I’ll be back in your inbox next Wednesday.

Kareem

P.S. If you enjoyed reading this, here are more ways I can help:

1. Follow me on LinkedIn for insights during the week.

2. Download my free Product Templates and kick-start your first draft.