The hottest Decision-making Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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Top Business Topics

dear bear: the secretary problem

bookbear express • 385 implied HN points • 18 Mar 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Decision-making
  1. Effort is most useful when correctly directed. Avoid over-optimizing or under-optimizing in relationships. Appreciate what you have while recognizing when to seek more fulfillment.
  2. Understand your values and what truly matters to you in a partner. Consider daily experiences, joy, and genuine connection in assessing your relationship.
  3. Seek advice from honest friends who know you well. Remember, infinite wrong choices won't satisfy, but the right one will bring a fulfilling weight.

The emotionally informed company

benn.substack • 613 implied HN points • 04 Aug 23
💼 Business Decision-making
  1. Correlations are important indicators, not necessarily causal relationships.
  2. Emotions play a significant role in decision-making and should not be dismissed.
  3. Companies should be informed by emotions, not solely driven by them, allowing for daring decisions.

Just make the decision

Russell’s Index • 13 implied HN points • 21 Nov 25
💼 Business Decision-making
  1. You probably won't get it right on the first try, so it's important to be open to adapting your approach.
  2. It's good to limit risks and have a plan to roll back changes if things don't work out as expected.
  3. The best way to learn is by getting your product into customers' hands and improving from their feedback, even if it takes multiple tries.
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Just Don't Do It: The Hidden Virtues of Quitting

OK Doomer • 144 implied HN points • 08 Jan 25
📖 Philosophy Decision-making
  1. Quitting can be a tough decision, but sometimes it's the right one. It takes strength and discipline to walk away from something that isn't working out.
  2. Many people struggle with the idea of quitting due to societal pressure to always push forward. Learning when to stop can lead to a healthier mindset and better choices.
  3. The fear of stopping or changing paths can lead to bigger issues in society, such as unrealistic expectations for endless growth. It's okay to aim for balance and recognize when to take a step back.

When prospect theory and poker bubbles collide

The Leap • 1 HN point • 12 Sep 24
🎾 Sports Decision-making
  1. In poker tournaments, players often face decisions that can greatly affect their outcomes. Choosing whether to play it safe or take risks can make all the difference in winnings.
  2. Prospect theory shows that people view gains and losses differently, often fearing losses more than valuing equivalent gains. This means players may avoid risks, even when the potential rewards are greater.
  3. Even though playing aggressively didn't work out this time, taking calculated risks can lead to bigger rewards in the long run. Balancing risk and safety is important in both poker and life.

Scaling Decision Making

Suzan's Fieldnotes • 98 implied HN points • 18 Jul 23
💼 Business Decision-making
  1. Scaling companies need to pay attention to decision-making processes as they grow
  2. Organizations should delegate decision-making power throughout the company
  3. Centralizing decisions and leaving key voices out can hinder scaling and lead to organizational dysfunction

How Process Impacts Your Culture

Ways of Working • 98 implied HN points • 19 Jul 23
💼 Business Decision-making
  1. Our personal relationship with process can impact how we work and interact with others, showing our organizational culture.
  2. Processes are applied in organizations in areas like people processes, team-level processes, company-level processes, and customer processes.
  3. Processes in organizations aim to facilitate work, reduce risk, ensure consistency, but can also hinder creative thinking if taken too far.

Book Review: “Clear Thinking" by Shane Parrish 5/5

Poczwardowski Notes • 78 implied HN points • 17 Nov 23
📚 Literature Decision-making
  1. The book explores clear thinking and decision-making holistically, starting with self-awareness and strengths/weaknesses, delving into the decision-making process, and ending with a philosophical reflection on what truly matters.
  2. An interesting tool suggested in the book is creating a personal board of advisors in your head, made up of people you value and trust, to gain different perspectives when making decisions.
  3. The book shares a recipe for turning ordinary moments into extraordinary results, but emphasizes that success depends on our implementation of the concepts discussed.

Regret Maximization Sickness

Investing 101 • 55 implied HN points • 07 Jun 25
💰 Finance Decision-making
  1. Regret can hold us back and often leads to worse decisions. Instead of focusing on what we've done wrong, it's better to learn from mistakes and move forward.
  2. There is a lot of pressure to maximize our regrets, but we can choose to focus on hope and redemption instead. We have the option to embrace grace for ourselves and others.
  3. Investing should be about hope for the future. Dwelling on past regrets stops us from looking forward and finding new opportunities.

Fighting the Bandwagon Effect in Your Decisions

Ruben Ugarte's Growth Needle™ • 39 implied HN points • 20 Feb 24
💼 Business Decision-making
  1. JPMorgan Chase is opening more physical branches, even though many think they're outdated. This shows that sometimes going against the trend can be a smart move.
  2. The bandwagon effect can lead people to make poor decisions just because others are doing something. It's important to think critically instead of just following the crowd.
  3. To resist the bandwagon effect, consider your own goals, gather diverse opinions, and take time to analyze options before making decisions. This can help you make better choices.

What Price Theory Is And Is Not

Economic Forces • 14 implied HN points • 13 Nov 25
💼 Business Decision-making
  1. Price theory focuses on predicting behavior based on resource constraints, not on people's thoughts or feelings. It helps us understand how people make choices when they face limits.
  2. People often use simple rules of thumb to make decisions rather than complex calculations. Price theory can help identify which of these rules work well and which don’t.
  3. Asking people why they make certain choices can be misleading since they often have only local knowledge. Price theory helps to explain broader market trends without needing to understand every individual's reasoning.

How I Cross Streets

Outlandish Claims • 19 implied HN points • 02 May 24
📖 Philosophy Decision-making
  1. There are different strategies for crossing streets based on your priorities.
  2. Game theory can be applied to understand the interactions between pedestrians and drivers while crossing streets.
  3. Being aware of the context and aligning intentions can lead to safer and more efficient street crossings.

Help others make better decisions

Ruben Ugarte's Growth Needle™ • 59 implied HN points • 12 Dec 23
💼 Business Decision-making
  1. Encourage your team to write down their decision-making process. This helps clarify steps and improves alignment.
  2. Identify key stakeholders in decisions. Knowing who matters most can streamline communication and decision-making.
  3. Look for ways to improve the decision-making process. Discussing it openly can reveal areas of improvement to help the team work better.

The Hidden Psychology of Career Choices | LSW#61

The Leading Sapiens Weekly • 100 implied HN points • 06 Feb 25
💼 Business Decision-making
  1. Choosing a career is tough because we often fear making the wrong choice. It's important to remember that feeling lost is normal and part of the journey.
  2. It's better to try different jobs and experiences instead of only chasing promotions. You discover more about what you like by experimenting and learning from your experiences.
  3. Regret is a normal part of making choices. It's more about owning your decisions and accepting that every path has ups and downs, rather than looking for a perfect option.

The cult of data has gone too far

Wednesday Wisdom • 113 implied HN points • 01 Jan 25
🕹 Technology Decision-making
  1. Relying too much on data can lead to wrong decisions because numbers don't always tell the full story. Sometimes, human judgment or understanding is needed.
  2. Data can create a false sense of certainty, making people ignore the uncertainties and assumptions behind those numbers. It's important to be honest about what the data truly represents.
  3. Setting goals based on numbers can make teams lose sight of the real-world processes they are supposed to improve. Chasing metrics blindly can lead to poor outcomes.

The Proactionary Principle

Extropic Thoughts • 78 implied HN points • 16 Jun 23
📖 Philosophy Decision-making
  1. The Proactionary Principle encourages making decisions with foresight and embracing technological progress.
  2. Be objective and comprehensive when making decisions to ensure a structured and thorough approach.
  3. Prioritize risks effectively and make responses proportionate based on the severity and likelihood of potential consequences.

Introducing not-knowing.

The Uncertainty Mindset (soon to become tbd) • 199 implied HN points • 11 Jan 23
📖 Philosophy Decision-making
  1. Understanding not-knowing helps us deal with uncertainty in our lives. It’s important to recognize that we often face different types of not-knowing that affect our decision-making.
  2. The world is more interconnected today, which means uncertainties can spread faster. We need to be aware that one issue in one part of the world can quickly impact others.
  3. It's important to accept that we can't know everything. Recognizing our limits can help us manage our emotions better and make clearer decisions in uncertain situations.

Decisions depend on the decision maker

Overthinking Everything • 419 implied HN points • 31 Aug 23
🚌 Education Decision-making
  1. Decisions depend on who is making them, as individual factors influence the best choice.
  2. Even in games with 'objective' optimal strategies, decisions are subjective based on each player's abilities and knowledge.
  3. Beginners should consider their own strengths and weaknesses when making decisions, rather than just emulating experts.

Make Your Future a Little Less Uncertain

Ruben Ugarte's Growth Needle™ • 39 implied HN points • 30 Jan 24
💼 Business Decision-making
  1. Success can come with unexpected challenges, which can be hard to talk about. It's important to recognize and address these challenges as they arise.
  2. Changes in society, like those seen during the pandemic, can really impact how organizations connect with their clients. Adapting communication methods is crucial for effective outreach.
  3. Issues like inflation and increased stress in people's lives can lead to more divorces and conflicts. Organizations need to be ready to support their clients through these tough times.

Questions First, Data Second

The Data Score • 59 implied HN points • 15 Nov 23
💼 Business Decision-making
  1. Data-driven insights are most effective when the right questions are asked, emphasizing the need for thorough inquiry and curiosity in decision-making processes.
  2. Asking the right questions involves various methods like the '5 Whys' technique and 'Question Bursts' to delve deeper into understanding the root causes of problems and uncovering key insights.
  3. Understanding users' desired outcomes through techniques like 'Jobs To Be Done' interviews is crucial for creating products aligned with user needs and expectations, leading to greater satisfaction and product success.

Gullible, me? No way! 🤷🏻‍♀️— Anchoring bias

10x your mind • 199 implied HN points • 09 Jun 22
🏥 Health & Wellness Decision-making
  1. Anchors influence our decision-making more than we realize, affecting things like budgeting, salary setting, and party planning.
  2. The anchoring bias can lead us to make decisions based on irrelevant or absurd information, impacting negotiation outcomes and everyday choices.
  3. To counter the anchoring bias, it's beneficial to make the first offer in negotiations, delay important decisions to avoid impulse buys, and use anchors to set higher personal standards for growth.

Seconds to Strategy: How Your Relationship with Time Shapes Your Career

Five Links (and three graphs) by Auren Hoffman • 243 implied HN points • 26 Feb 24
💼 Business Decision-making
  1. Different career decisions are optimized on different time scales from sub-second to months to years.
  2. Professions like athletes and speed-chess players excel in making sub-second decisions through muscle memory and pattern matching.
  3. Job interviews are typically designed for quick-time decisions, but should be adjusted based on the timescale of the job.

Values of My Hypothetical Company

Sarah's Newsletter • 199 implied HN points • 10 May 22
💼 Business Decision-making
  1. Company culture is critical for employee happiness and retention, with clear values fostering alignment and unity.
  2. Values in relationships and business overlap, emphasizing the importance of shared core beliefs for effective communication.
  3. Key principles like valuing individuals, balancing logic and emotion, trusting employees, and working with intention and urgency can drive success in company culture and relationships.

How To Swear At Your Coworkers

The Ruffian • 288 implied HN points • 04 Nov 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Decision-making
  1. The use of swearing in the workplace can indicate a lack of self-discipline and quality of thought.
  2. Swearing, when used strategically and thoughtfully, can be a powerful tool for impactful communication.
  3. Maintaining a balance between reasonableness and assertiveness is crucial, knowing when to speak up even if it requires using strong language.

Design Documents

Engineering Open Societies • 58 implied HN points • 12 Mar 23
🕹 Technology Decision-making
  1. Design documents are essential for software engineers to communicate ideas and solutions with others.
  2. Design documents should be treated as ephemeral artifacts used to drive a collaborative process and then discarded.
  3. In design documents, focus on presenting the problem, provide solution-independent correctness conditions, and offer a solution with trade-offs and decisions.