The Two-Layer Decision Template
(Decisions fail when the reasoning disappears)
Most decisions look clear the day they’re made.
But weeks later, no one remembers why they were made.
And when the “why” disappears, the decision itself becomes fragile:
people reopen it
people misinterpret it
people assume it was arbitrary
people adapt incorrectly
future choices become inconsistent
Here’s the tool that prevents that.
⭐ THE TWO-LAYER DECISION TEMPLATE
Every time you document a decision, capture:
Layer 1 — The Decision
“What we are doing.”
Layer 2 — The Rationale
“Why we chose this option over the others.”
That’s it.
Two layers.
Five seconds.
Massive payoff.
⭐ Why It Works
Most decisions don’t fail because they were wrong.
They fail because the reasoning behind them evaporates.
The rationale is crucial because it contains:
assumptions
constraints
context
tradeoffs
intent
the condition under which the decision was valid
This keeps future you (and everyone else) from guessing.
⭐ When to Use It
Product decisions
Strategy choices
Resourcing
Prioritization
Process changes
“We’re doing X instead of Y” situations
Anything involving multiple stakeholders
⭐ Example
Decision:
We’re launching the MVP without feature B.
Rationale:
Feature B increases scope by 3 weeks; customer feedback will determine if it’s worth adding; timeline is the constraint, not completeness.
Now the decision makes sense — and continues making sense months later.
⭐ Try It Today
Take one recent decision and add the rationale beneath it.
You’ll immediately see why this tiny habit has huge returns.