The hottest Decision-making Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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#39: Remove the plow and hive

The Uncertainty Mindset (soon to become tbd) • 59 implied HN points • 29 Jul 20
💼 Business Innovation Organizational Design Risk management Flexibility Decision-making
  1. It's important to understand risks properly by knowing all possible outcomes and their chances, instead of just labeling everything uncertain as risky.
  2. Taking small steps and learning from them is better than waiting to act. This helps you understand what's happening as things change.
  3. Being flexible and open to new opportunities is more helpful than trying to make everything super efficient. This way, you're ready when good chances come along.

Episode 17: Burkhard on Qt Embedded Systems

burkhardstubert • 39 implied HN points • 03 May 21
🕹 Technology Embedded Systems Software Development Programming Languages Licensing Decision-making
  1. Qt LGPLv3 is good for many projects, and less than 25% of modules are under commercial licenses. This makes Qt accessible for many developers and companies.
  2. Effective decision making is important in projects. It involves knowing when to step back and let the expert handle specific decisions to keep the project on track.
  3. The Qt Company is acquiring other companies, like froglogic, to enhance their tools which will benefit developers. This shows a commitment to improving the software development process.
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Reassessing the Confirmation Bias

Optimally Irrational • 11 implied HN points • 14 Jun 23
🚌 Education Psychology Behavior Bias Decision-making
  1. Confirmation bias is a widely acknowledged cognitive bias where we tend to seek information that supports our existing beliefs.
  2. In today's world of political polarization, confirmation bias contributes to escalating tensions as people isolate themselves in echo chambers.
  3. Seeking confirmatory information aligns with an optimal information acquisition strategy, especially when considering costs and efficiency.

Quitting

Fish Food for Thought • 5 implied HN points • 20 Dec 23
💼 Business Decision-making Leadership Strategic Planning Project management Technology
  1. Quitting can sometimes be advantageous, even though it's often seen negatively in society.
  2. Knowing when to quit is as important as knowing when to persist, especially in decision-making and project management.
  3. Strategic quitting requires establishing clear criteria, listening to experienced voices, and making rational decisions for better outcomes.

Think Like Executives

The Uncommon Executive • 1 HN point • 28 Mar 24
💼 Business Leadership Decision-making Constraints Innovation
  1. Thinking like executives involves focusing on bigger picture problems and considering people and resources in decision-making.
  2. Prioritizing the company's interests over specific teams or individuals is crucial at an executive level.
  3. At the executive level, there are no fixed constraints to finding optimal solutions, and it's important to challenge assumptions and think outside the established norms.

Julie Timm Weighs In on the Future of the Puget Sound Region.

Exasperated Infrastructures • 7 implied HN points • 21 Jul 23
💼 Business Transportation Community Impact Decision-making Leadership Public Sector
  1. Julie Timm, CEO of Sound Transit, emphasizes the importance of regional equity and building new services for all riders.
  2. Strong partnerships between different agencies in Seattle improve transit connectivity and service access.
  3. Ensuring fair, living wages for transit workers is vital for maintaining reliable service and increasing ridership.

#33: Preference uncertainty

The Uncertainty Mindset (soon to become tbd) • 39 implied HN points • 17 Jun 20
💼 Business Strategy Decision-making Outcomes Innovation
  1. Making choices is easier when we clearly know what we prefer. When our preferences are uncertain, it becomes tough to decide on a course of action.
  2. Preference uncertainty happens when we don't know how to rank different outcomes or when we lack complete knowledge about them. This can make it hard to choose what to do.
  3. Businesses also face preference uncertainty, which affects their decision-making, especially when weighing options like safety versus profit or investing in new ideas versus sticking with what works.

Should you take on a turnaround?

Probable Wisdom • 1 HN point • 18 Mar 24
💼 Business Leadership Decision-making Management Career Professional Growth
  1. Consider the level of commitment and urgency in a turnaround opportunity, as they shape the conditions and leadership needed.
  2. Evaluate if the turnaround opportunity aligns with your personal goals and capabilities to ensure a good fit.
  3. Different types of turnarounds require different leadership archetypes like Prophets, Heroes, Pathbreakers, and Maestros, based on varying levels of commitment and urgency.

The Crisis Decision-Making Quadrant

DruGroup • 19 implied HN points • 05 Oct 21
🚌 Education Leadership Crisis Management Decision-making Diagrams
  1. Diagrams can help make complex ideas easier to understand. They are simple, visual tools that stick with us and can be very effective for communication.
  2. In a crisis, leaders must balance what they want to do with what they need to do. Using a decision-making quadrant can help clarify priorities and actions in challenging times.
  3. There are different types of diagrams for different purposes, like synergy diagrams for exploring complex relationships or process diagrams for visualizing steps. Leaders can use these tools to enhance their decision-making skills.

Who Wouldn't Enjoy Torturing Lawyers?

Life Since the Baby Boom • 3 HN points • 05 Feb 24
💼 Business Technology Law Interviewing Patents Decision-making
  1. Google had a unique approach to interviewing potential employees, focusing on problem-solving and thinking on one's feet.
  2. The author shares their experience of transitioning from an engineer to a technical advisor in patent litigation, emphasizing the importance of creative thinking in legal roles.
  3. Interview questions for patent lawyers and patent acquisition specialists were tailored to test their ability to analyze, think critically, and make decisions under pressure.

Planning based on where the puck is gonna be

Joshua Gans' Newsletter • 19 implied HN points • 22 Feb 21
🚌 Education Planning Vaccination Pandemic Decision-making
  1. Universities should plan for a Fall reopening based on forecasts of the pandemic and vaccination progress.
  2. It is reasonable to expect that Canada will reach its Summer vaccine goals, indicating potential for substantial improvement in the situation.
  3. Planning for a Fall reopening offers benefits of being prepared for a favorable outlook and maintaining option value, as opposed to planning to remain closed.

Movie posters

world spirit sock stack • 2 implied HN points • 06 Mar 24
📖 Philosophy Imagination Decision-making Values
  1. Hopes and expectations can bring joy, but disappointment can also follow if they don't meet reality.
  2. Imagining the future is like looking at movie posters: the image is not the same as the actual experience.
  3. It's important to separate desires from actions and to be able to observe thoughts and feelings without feeling obligated to act on them.

Crime and Punishment

Economic Forces • 4 implied HN points • 24 Aug 23
🚌 Education Economics Legal system Decision-making Incentives
  1. Economic tools can be applied to both market and non-market activities to analyze decision-making involving costs and benefits.
  2. Designing the optimal punishment for crimes involves balancing the deterrence benefit with the enforcement costs.
  3. Consideration of incentives for law enforcement and decision-makers is crucial in designing effective systems to prevent over-enforcement and extortion.

So you want to be a manager - Part 3: The bad and the ugly

The Caring Techie Newsletter • 4 implied HN points • 09 Aug 23
💼 Business Management Leadership Decision-making Teamwork Stress management
  1. Transitioning to engineering management involves shifting from an individual mindset to a team mindset
  2. Embracing discomfort, making difficult decisions, and managing emotions are key challenges for managers
  3. Managers must adjust to reduced personal flexibility, increased meetings, and a focus on time management

Feynman's Obliquity | LSW#41

The Leading Sapiens Weekly • 2 HN points • 18 Jan 24
🚌 Education Goals Decision-making Problem Solving Philosophy Career development
  1. Richard Feynman's method of reframing goals from a positivist to a more playful perspective led to breakthroughs and ultimately, success.
  2. There's a difference between the direct approach and the oblique approach to decision-making and problem-solving, with obliquity often leading to innovative and effective solutions.
  3. It's important to consider incorporating obliquity into our goal-setting strategies, as over-reliance on direct approaches may limit potential for creativity and success.

#8: voluntary uncertainty

The Uncertainty Mindset (soon to become tbd) • 19 implied HN points • 25 Dec 19
📖 Philosophy Mindset Uncertainty Decision-making Self-Improvement Cognition
  1. People can get overwhelmed by uncertainty, especially when it's continuous, like through events such as Brexit. They might feel a sense of fatigue that makes it hard to deal with new uncertainties.
  2. Practicing 'voluntary uncertainty' means putting yourself in situations where you choose to not know the outcome. This could be trying new things or making changes in life, and it helps you become better at handling real uncertainties.
  3. Organizations and individuals who get used to managing uncertainty can adapt and innovate better. They learn that not knowing everything can be a normal part of life, which helps reduce fear around unexpected changes.

GRANTED: When to trust your gut and how to get people to embrace change

Granted • 19 implied HN points • 29 Nov 18
💼 Business Leadership Decision-making Company Culture Empathy Personal Development
  1. Hire based on motivation and ability to learn rather than talent or credentials to be future-ready.
  2. Trust your gut only in predictable environments with regular practice and immediate feedback; if not, gather evidence to test your intuition.
  3. Encourage employees to speak up by rewarding them for raising problems, concerns, suggestions, and solutions to foster a positive company culture.