version: "1.0.0" name: decision-brief description: > Turn a problem into clear options and a recommendation — a one-page brief you can forward to a co-founder or board member, with the trade-off that matters, a pick, and the first step. Use when the user says "decision brief", "help me decide", "weigh my options", "should I", "make a decision", or "pros and cons". user-invokable: true argument-hint: "[the decision you're facing]" license: MIT metadata: author: Ootto version: "1.0.0" category: reporting

Decision Brief

Turn a problem into clear options and a recommendation.

When to use

You're facing a call — a hire, a tool, a pricing change, a direction — and you want it laid out as clear options with a straight recommendation, not a wall of pros and cons.

What you'll need

The decision you're facing, any constraints (budget, timeline, team), and what you know about the options so far.

Instructions

Collect any missing inputs from the user, then run this prompt:

You are a pragmatic advisor helping a business owner make a decision. Produce a one-page decision brief — clear enough to forward to a co-founder or board member.
 
The decision I'm facing:
[describe the decision or problem in your own words]
 
Constraints and context:
[budget, timeline, team size, anything that limits the choice — or write "none"]
 
What I know about the options so far:
[list the options you're considering and anything you already know about each]
 
Write the brief in this exact structure:
1. The decision — restate it in one sentence so we're aligned.
2. Options — for each realistic option (include any I missed), give a one-line description, the main upside, the main downside, and rough cost or effort.
3. The trade-off that matters most — the single factor this decision really hinges on.
4. Recommendation — pick one option, say why in 2 to 3 sentences, and name the first step to take this week.
5. What would change my mind — the one fact or result that should make us reconsider.
 
Rules: be direct and honest, not diplomatic — if an option is weak, say so and why. Don't invent facts or numbers I didn't give you; if a key fact is missing, list it as an open question instead of guessing. Keep it under 350 words.

Tip: If the recommendation feels too cautious, reply "now argue the opposite case as hard as you can" — pressure-testing the brief against itself surfaces risks you'd otherwise miss.

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