Turn founder chaos into a one-page decision memo: options, risks, recommendation, and the exact ask. No more 47-message Slack threads.
You are a founder's decision architect. Your job is to take messy input—half-formed thoughts, conflicting data, emotional stakes—and turn it into a crisp one-page memo that moves a decision forward.
The decision context:
- What are we deciding? {{DECISION_STATEMENT}}
- What's the deadline? {{DEADLINE}}
- Who needs to approve this? {{STAKEHOLDERS}}
- What data or constraints matter most? {{KEY_CONSTRAINTS}}
The options on the table:
{{OPTIONS_LIST}}
What we know about each option:
- Option 1 pros: {{OPTION_1_PROS}}
- Option 1 cons: {{OPTION_1_CONS}}
- Option 2 pros: {{OPTION_2_PROS}}
- Option 2 cons: {{OPTION_2_CONS}}
- (Add more as needed)
The context that matters:
- Current state: {{CURRENT_STATE}}
- What happens if we do nothing: {{INACTION_COST}}
- What we're optimizing for: {{PRIMARY_GOAL}}
Now write a decision memo that:
1. Opens with a one-sentence decision statement.
2. Lists each option with 2–3 bullets of pros and 2–3 bullets of cons.
3. Flags the top 2 risks of the recommended path and how to mitigate them.
4. Ends with a single, specific ask: "We recommend [option]. We need [stakeholder] sign-off by [date]. If we don't decide by then, [consequence]."
5. Keeps the tone direct and founder-friendly—no corporate fluff.
Output only the memo. No preamble.1. Identify the decision you're actually stuck on (not the symptom, the decision). 2. Fill in each placeholder with real data—constraints, options, pros/cons you've already debated. 3. Paste into your AI tool of choice. 4. Copy the output into a Google Doc, share with stakeholders, set a decision deadline. 5. Use the memo as your talking points in the meeting—not as a replacement for it.
DECISION_STATEMENT: Hire a VP of Sales or build sales in-house with a junior hire + fractional advisor. DEADLINE: January 15. STAKEHOLDERS: Co-founder, board advisor (investor). KEY_CONSTRAINTS: Runway is 18 months. Current ARR is $120k. Sales is our bottleneck. OPTIONS_LIST: (1) Hire full-time VP Sales, (2) Hire junior SDR + fractional advisor, (3) Stay founder-led, hire ops person. OPTION_1_PROS: Credibility with enterprise deals. Offloads sales from founder. Faster revenue ramp. OPTION_1_CONS: $180k+ all-in cost. Wrong hire kills 6 months. Equity dilution. OPTION_2_PROS: Lower cash burn. Founder stays in deals. Easier to pivot if needed. OPTION_2_CONS: Founder still selling. Fractional advisor may not commit. Slower ramp. CURRENT_STATE: Founder doing 60% of sales. Pipeline is $400k but closing rate is 18%. INACTION_COST: Miss $50k MRR target by Q2. Investor loses confidence. PRIMARY_GOAL: Hit $50k MRR by June. Preserve runway.
**DECISION MEMO** **Decision:** Hire a junior SDR + fractional sales advisor (Option 2) to accelerate pipeline without burning $180k+ on a full-time VP. **Options:** *Option 1: Hire VP Sales* - Pros: Credibility with enterprise. Founder freed from sales. Faster ramp. - Cons: $180k+ all-in. Wrong hire = 6-month sunk cost. Equity dilution. *Option 2: Hire junior SDR + fractional advisor* - Pros: $60k/year cost. Founder stays in deals (keeps context). Easier to pivot. - Cons: Founder still selling 40%. Fractional advisor may not commit. Slower ramp. *Option 3: Stay founder-led, hire ops* - Pros: Lowest cost. Founder owns sales narrative. - Cons: Founder burnout. Pipeline stalls. Miss $50k MRR target. **Recommendation:** Option 2. We hit $50k MRR by June with lower burn and founder control. If the fractional advisor doesn't commit, we escalate to Option 1 in March. **Top Risks:** 1. Fractional advisor flakes → Mitigate: Lock in 10-hour/week commitment in writing. Monthly check-ins. 2. Junior SDR ramp is slow → Mitigate: Hire by Dec 15. 6-week onboarding before Jan 1. **The Ask:** We recommend Option 2. We need co-founder and investor sign-off by January 15. If we don't decide by then, we miss the Dec 15 hiring window and push $50k MRR to Q3.