DocsFoundation
Decision-Making
DACI/RAPID, Amazon 6-pager, decision journal.
PART 3: DECISION-MAKING — Who Decides What, How
Authoritative Resources
| Resource | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
| Amazon's 6-Pager / PR/FAQ | Decision-making through written narratives |
| RAPID / DACI Frameworks | Industry standard decision matrices |
| Basecamp Shape Up: Betting Table | How to decide which projects get funded |
| First Round Review: Managing Up | Decision escalation patterns |
| Turn the Ship Around! (David Marquet) | Decentralized decision-making model |
Core Framework
Decision Levels (adopted from Amazon + GitLab):
| Level | Category | Timeframe | Process |
|---|---|---|---|
| L1 | Reversible, low cost | Instant | Individual autonomy, no approval |
| L2 | Reversible, high cost | Same day | Written options, shared with team, decider picks |
| L3 | Irreversible | 24-48h | Written doc with options, async review, decision meeting |
| L4 | Company-altering | 1-2 weeks | PR/FAQ doc, all-hands async review, board/founder vote |
Key SOPs:
- Decision Journal: Every significant decision gets: date, context, options considered, decision, expected outcome, actual outcome (revisited quarterly)
- Disagree and Commit: Once a decision is made, everyone commits regardless of prior disagreement (Amazon principle)
- Shape Up Betting Table: Every 6 weeks, leadership meets to "bet" on shaped projects. No scope creep during the cycle — focus on shipping.
AI Integration
- AI that drafts decision docs from conversation history
- AI that surfaces past similar decisions from the Decision Journal
- AI that tracks decision outcomes and flags when expected vs actual diverge
Last updated on