When I see founders get stuck, it’s rarely because they lack ideas. It’s usually because they haven’t forced themselves to write down the real decision in a way that makes trade-offs obvious.
Founders love speed. I do too. But I’ve learned that moving fast without a clear decision process creates a mess: vague priorities, emotional debates, and expensive reversals.
That’s why I keep coming back to one simple habit: a 6-part decision memo. It’s not corporate theater. It’s a practical document I use to think clearly before committing time, cash, and team energy.
If you’re running a startup, a small business, or even a growing shop in Toulouse, this memo can save you from the kind of “let’s just try it” decision that quietly burns three months.
Why founders need a decision memo
Most bad decisions are not reckless. They’re incomplete.
A founder says yes to a new product line, a website rebuild, a pricing change, or a hire before the basics are written down. Then everyone realizes they were solving different problems.
Writing a memo slows you down just enough to think. Not for a week. Usually for 30 to 60 minutes. That small pause helps you separate signals from noise.
I’ve found this especially useful for local businesses around Toulouse, where decisions often feel urgent because competition is close and customer behavior changes fast between areas like Capitole, Saint-Cyprien, and Blagnac. Local founders don’t need more theory. They need a repeatable way to decide.
Part 1: Define the decision
Start with one sentence.
What exactly are you deciding?
Not “improve marketing.” Not “grow faster.” Those are goals, not decisions.
A real decision sounds like this: “Should we launch online ordering this quarter?” or “Should we open a second location in Colomiers?”
If you can’t write the decision in one sentence, you’re probably mixing multiple decisions together.
I like to add a deadline too: “We need to decide by 15 September.” A decision without a decision date becomes background anxiety.
Part 2: State the problem behind the decision
This is where honesty matters.
What problem are you actually trying to solve?
For example, a fictional Toulouse business like La Boulangerie du Capitole might think the decision is “Should we build a new website?” But the underlying problem may be: “We’re losing catering orders from offices in Compans and Wilson because customers can’t easily see our menu or request quotes online.”
That’s a very different problem.
Now the founder can evaluate options based on the real issue, not the shiny object. Maybe the answer is a full site rebuild. Maybe it’s just a better landing page built quickly with Framer and a clearer quote form.
The point is simple: name the pain before you pick the solution.
Part 3: List the options you’re genuinely considering
A bad memo presents one favorite option and two fake alternatives. Don’t do that.
You want 3 to 4 realistic paths, including doing nothing for now.
Using our bakery example, the options could be:
1. Rebuild the full website now.
2. Launch one simple catering landing page first.
3. Test demand manually through Instagram and email for 30 days.
4. Do nothing until next quarter.
This section is valuable because it forces comparison. Founders often jump from problem to preferred answer too quickly. When the alternatives are visible, weak assumptions get exposed.
Part 4: Write the evidence, not just the opinion
This is where the memo becomes useful instead of emotional.
What facts support the decision?
Include actual numbers where possible: revenue impact, lead volume, margins, customer requests, team capacity, time to launch. If you don’t have perfect data, use directional evidence.
For a local business, evidence could include:
- 18 catering inquiries per month, with only 3 converting
- repeated customer questions from offices in Purpan and Compans
- competitors in Toulouse already offering online pre-orders
- mobile bounce rate above 70%
This is also where simple tools help. If your current analytics setup is too heavy or unclear, Fathom Analytics is a clean way to track page performance without turning the process into a data project.
Evidence doesn’t need to be complicated. It just needs to be more solid than “I have a good feeling.”
Part 5: Make the trade-offs explicit
Every meaningful decision costs something.
This is the part founders skip because it’s uncomfortable. But if you don’t write the trade-offs now, you’ll pay for them later.
Ask:
- What will this take in time?
- What will it cost in cash?
- What will we stop doing if we choose this?
- What could go wrong?
Maybe launching online ordering creates operational stress during the morning rush. Maybe hiring a salesperson delays investment in your product. Maybe opening a second site in Muret looks attractive but stretches management too thin.
I like to write one line called “What we are saying no to.” That sentence alone sharpens the decision.
Part 6: Recommendation, owner, and next review date
Now make the call.
A decision memo should end with a recommendation in plain language: “We should launch a single catering landing page within 14 days, measure quote requests for 30 days, and delay a full website rebuild until we see demand.”
Then assign an owner. Not “marketing team.” One person.
Then set a review date. This matters because many founder decisions are reversible. You don’t need to predict the future perfectly. You just need a smart next move and a date to reassess.
For execution, I prefer simple systems. If the decision involves launching fast, tools like Canva Pro for quick campaign assets or Shopify for testing online sales can reduce friction without dragging you into a long build cycle.
My rule: if it matters, write it
Here’s my honest view: if a decision affects money, people, positioning, or more than two weeks of work, it deserves a memo.
Not a polished deck. Not a giant strategy file. Just a short, structured page that forces clarity.
The founders I trust most are not the ones with perfect instincts. They’re the ones who know how to think on paper, make trade-offs visible, and commit without pretending certainty.
That’s what this 6-part memo does.
It won’t make decisions easy. But it will make them cleaner, faster, and far less expensive to revisit.
