Gemini Decision-Making Framework Builder Prompt
You are a strategic advisor trained in decision science, using frameworks from Jeff Bezos, Ray Dalio, and Daniel Kahnema
Category
💼 Business
Difficulty
Intermediate
Models
3
Last Updated
2026-06-28
Works with
📄 Example output
⚠️ Common Mistakes
❓ FAQ
⚙️ Fill in your variables
📋 Prompt
You are a strategic advisor trained in decision science, using frameworks from Jeff Bezos, Ray Dalio, and Daniel Kahneman.
Decision: [decision to make]
Stakeholders: [stakeholders involved]
Criteria: [criteria that matter — ROI/speed/risk/alignment/reversibility]
Timeline: [timeline]
Task: Build a structured decision-making framework:
1. DECISION CLASSIFICATION:
- Type 1 (irreversible) vs. Type 2 (reversible) — changes the threshold for action
- Is this a convergent or divergent problem?
2. OPTIONS MATRIX: List 3–5 options including 'do nothing'
Rate each on your 5 criteria (1–5 scale) → weighted score
3. PRE-MORTEM: For each top option, imagine it failed in 12 months. What happened?
4. SECOND-ORDER EFFECTS: What does each option make easier/harder to do next?
5. BIAS CHECK: 5 cognitive biases most likely to distort this specific decision
6. RECOMMENDATION: Which option + why + what would change your mind
7. DECISION LOG: Template to record the decision and review it later
Decision: [decision to make]
Stakeholders: [stakeholders involved]
Criteria: [criteria that matter — ROI/speed/risk/alignment/reversibility]
Timeline: [timeline]
Task: Build a structured decision-making framework:
1. DECISION CLASSIFICATION:
- Type 1 (irreversible) vs. Type 2 (reversible) — changes the threshold for action
- Is this a convergent or divergent problem?
2. OPTIONS MATRIX: List 3–5 options including 'do nothing'
Rate each on your 5 criteria (1–5 scale) → weighted score
3. PRE-MORTEM: For each top option, imagine it failed in 12 months. What happened?
4. SECOND-ORDER EFFECTS: What does each option make easier/harder to do next?
5. BIAS CHECK: 5 cognitive biases most likely to distort this specific decision
6. RECOMMENDATION: Which option + why + what would change your mind
7. DECISION LOG: Template to record the decision and review it later
DECISION: Should ToolsNova add a premium subscription tier?
CLASSIFICATION: Type 2 — reversible (can remove pricing if it fails). Convergent problem (one right answer for this stage).
OPTIONS MATRIX:
| Option | Revenue | Risk | Speed | User impact | Weighted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free forever + ads | 3 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4.4 |
| Freemium ($9/mo) | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3.6 |
| API access only | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4.0 |
| Do nothing | 2 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4.0 |
PRE-MORTEM (Freemium option): 'We added a paywall on advanced features. 40% of new users hit the wall in their first session and didn't convert. Reviews started calling us 'bait and switch'. Trust score dropped. Free user growth stalled because word of mouth dried up.'
BIAS CHECK:
1. Optimism bias — assuming conversion rate will be higher than realistic
2. Commitment bias — we've discussed premium for 6 months; sunk cost in the idea
3. Anchoring — comparing to SaaS companies with different unit economics
4. FOMO — 'every tool eventually goes premium'
5. Recency bias — one big month of traffic makes premium feel more achievable
RECOMMENDATION: Free forever + ads. ToolsNova's value is volume and trust. Premiumising before reaching critical mass trades long-term network effects for short-term revenue. Revisit at 1M MAU.
CLASSIFICATION: Type 2 — reversible (can remove pricing if it fails). Convergent problem (one right answer for this stage).
OPTIONS MATRIX:
| Option | Revenue | Risk | Speed | User impact | Weighted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free forever + ads | 3 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4.4 |
| Freemium ($9/mo) | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3.6 |
| API access only | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4.0 |
| Do nothing | 2 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4.0 |
PRE-MORTEM (Freemium option): 'We added a paywall on advanced features. 40% of new users hit the wall in their first session and didn't convert. Reviews started calling us 'bait and switch'. Trust score dropped. Free user growth stalled because word of mouth dried up.'
BIAS CHECK:
1. Optimism bias — assuming conversion rate will be higher than realistic
2. Commitment bias — we've discussed premium for 6 months; sunk cost in the idea
3. Anchoring — comparing to SaaS companies with different unit economics
4. FOMO — 'every tool eventually goes premium'
5. Recency bias — one big month of traffic makes premium feel more achievable
RECOMMENDATION: Free forever + ads. ToolsNova's value is volume and trust. Premiumising before reaching critical mass trades long-term network effects for short-term revenue. Revisit at 1M MAU.
🏆
💡 Pro Tips
Best model for this prompt
Claude
Claude (Opus 4 / Sonnet 4)
'What would change your mind?' is the most important question in any decision — if nothing would change your mind, you've already decided and are just rationalising
For irreversible decisions (Type 1), be much more thorough — for reversible ones (Type 2), bias toward action and learn fast
The pre-mortem catches more problems than any other single step — spend as much time here as on the options analysis
Document your reasoning when you make the decision so you can review it honestly when the outcome is known
Skipping the 'do nothing' option — it's always a valid choice and its inclusion forces honest comparison
Evaluating options only on what's true now — second-order effects (what does this make possible/impossible next?) are often the most important consideration
Gathering more information past the point where it would change the decision — this is procrastination disguised as diligence
Not building in a review date — decisions should be revisited with actual outcome data
- What's the difference between Type 1 and Type 2 decisions?Jeff Bezos coined this framework. Type 1 decisions are largely irreversible — they require careful deliberation because mistakes are hard to fix. Type 2 decisions are reversible — they should be made quickly and corrected if needed. Most decisions are Type 2; most organisations treat them as Type 1.
- How do I handle group decision-making?Separate data gathering (everyone brings their best information) from evaluation (structured scoring to avoid groupthink) from debate (open discussion) from decision (one person decides with clear accountability). Never let all four stages blur into one meeting.
- Can I use this framework for personal decisions?Yes — the criteria change (personal values vs. business metrics) but the structure is identical. Career moves, major purchases, relationship decisions all benefit from explicit criteria weighting and pre-mortem analysis.
- Which AI model is best for decision frameworks?Claude is strongest for decision analysis — it maintains logical consistency across a complex multi-criteria framework, challenges assumptions naturally, and avoids the optimism bias that can creep into AI-generated business analysis.