How to Use

1. Write the decision.
2. Ask how you'll feel in 10 minutes.
3. Ask how you'll feel in 10 months.
4. Ask how you'll feel in 10 years.
5. Compare perspectives.
6. Adjust accordingly.

When to Use

When emotions are influencing your judgment.

Tip

Pay attention to where your answers shift—that's where bias lives

Use Cases

Career moves, conflict, financial decisions

How to Use

1. Define what you are testing.
2. Change one variable.
3. Create version A and B.
4. Define a success metric.
5. Split users randomly.
6. Run the test long enough.
7. Analyze results.
8. Decide based on data.

When to Use

When user behavior can resolve uncertainty.

Tip

Test one variable at a time to isolate cause and effect

Use Cases

UX design, onboarding, messaging, conversion optimization

How to Use

1. Define expected outcome.
2. Document actual outcome.
3. Identify gaps.
4. Analyze causes.
5. Capture lessons.
6. Update processes.

When to Use

After key events, decisions, or projects.

Tip

Focus on learning, not blame

Use Cases

Launches, campaigns, incidents, team retrospectives

How to Use

1. Define the type of situation.
2. Ask: 'What usually happens?'
3. Find average outcomes.
4. Compare your expectations.
5. Adjust your estimate.

When to Use

When forecasting outcomes or timelines.

Tip

Your case is rarely as unique as it feels

Use Cases

Planning, growth projections, hiring success rates

How to Use

1. Define a checklist of common biases.
2. Review it before finalizing a decision.
3. Ask one question per bias.
4. Flag any active bias.
5. Adjust if needed.

When to Use

Right before committing to a decision.

Tip

Keep it under 60 seconds—speed is what makes it usable

Use Cases

Design reviews, team decisions, performance evaluations

How to Use

1. Identify biasing signals (name, role, brand).
2. Remove them.
3. Present neutral material.
4. Evaluate using shared criteria.
5. Reveal identity later if needed.

When to Use

When fairness and objectivity are critical.

Tip

Even small signals (like company names) can skew judgment

Use Cases

Hiring, portfolio reviews, writing evaluation

How to Use

1. Define what qualifies as a high-stakes decision.
2. Set a delay rule (e.g., 24 hours).
3. Use the time to gather input or reflect.
4. Revisit the decision.
5. Compare initial vs. current thinking.

When to Use

When decisions feel urgent or emotionally charged.

Tip

Urgency is often a signal of bias, not importance

Use Cases

Negotiations, financial decisions, sensitive conversations

How to Use

1. Record the decision.
2. Write why you made it.
3. List key assumptions.
4. Predict outcomes.
5. Rate confidence.
6. Revisit later.
7. Compare expected vs. actual.
8. Identify patterns.

When to Use

For recurring or high-impact decisions.

Tip

The value comes from reviewing—not just recording

Use Cases

Leadership decisions, investing, product strategy

How to Use

1. List decision options.
2. Define 5–7 key criteria.
3. Assign weights based on importance.
4. Score each option against criteria.
5. Multiply scores by weights.
6. Sum totals and compare.
7. Sense-check the result.

When to Use

When choosing between multiple viable options.

Tip

If the result feels wrong, revisit your weights—not your instinct

Use Cases

Vendor selection, hiring, prioritization, tool selection

How to Use

1. Identify passive decisions users avoid.
2. Define the best default.
3. Set it as the starting state.
4. Keep opt-out easy.
5. Measure outcomes.

When to Use

When users tend not to actively choose.

Tip

Defaults are decisions—treat them with the same rigor

Use Cases

Product settings, privacy controls, workflows, forms

How to Use

1. Write your current belief or preferred option.
2. Ask: 'What would prove this wrong?'
3. Search for opposing evidence.
4. Identify assumptions behind your view.
5. Test those assumptions.
6. Update your position.

When to Use

When you feel confident or attached to a specific outcome.

Tip

Actively argue the opposite side as if you had to defend it

Use Cases

Strategy decisions, product direction, personal judgments

How to Use

1. Identify where first impressions bias outcomes.
2. Present raw data first.
3. Delay opinions.
4. Have independent evaluation first.
5. Compare results.

When to Use

In group decision-making contexts.

Tip

Who speaks first often shapes the outcome—design around that

Use Cases

Meetings, hiring, research reviews, critiques

How to Use

1. Clearly define the decision or plan.
2. Assume it failed 6–12 months from now.
3. Ask: 'What went wrong?'
4. Have individuals write answers independently.
5. Group and synthesize failure themes.
6. Identify preventable risks.
7. Turn top risks into actions and owners.

When to Use

Before major decisions, launches, or commitments.

Tip

Do silent idea generation first—this avoids anchoring on the loudest voice

Use Cases

Product launches, roadmap bets, hiring decisions, partnerships

How to Use

1. Assign one group to present the plan.
2. Assign another to challenge it.
3. Make critique safe and expected.
4. Identify assumptions and risks.
5. Revise the plan.
6. Decide based on the improved version.

When to Use

For high-stakes or high-uncertainty decisions.

Tip

Rotate the challenger role to normalize constructive conflict

Use Cases

Strategy, pricing, product direction, policy decisions

How to Use

1. Define your project type.
2. Gather similar past examples.
3. Analyze actual outcomes.
4. Identify ranges and averages.
5. Place your case within that range.
6. Adjust expectations.

When to Use

For detailed forecasting and planning.

Tip

Use real outcomes—not initial projections from past cases

Use Cases

Project timelines, budgeting, product launches