Why waste time make many decision when few principle do trick?" At my day job I need to make decisions all the time, and it’s hard to scale decision making. One technique I’ve had success with when encountering a new decision to be made is to: Step back to align on the principle we want to use when making that type of decision Transparently write down the principle, and share with everyone you made the decision with. …

When writing about a new feature, product, etc. the first two questions I want answered before anything else are what is it? and how can I play with it?. I first encountered this construction in one (or both?) of two books I had as a child, Explorabook and Earthsearch. What is it? One to two sentences, bolded. Written for a general audience, and appears “above the fold” Readers immediately can judge whether they care about your thing, and pass on it if not How do I play with it? …

With two kids, I often have to arbitrate between what they both want and make a decision. The choices range from which TV show to watch to which kind of oatmeal we’re going to eat. When handled poorly, making a choice can disappoint or anger anywhere from one to two children. Here are a few techniques I’ve employed and why they work or don’t: Everyone gets what they want Distribute devices for everyone to watch their own show, or make two separate breakfasts. …