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Business & Product ManagementIntermediateDocument

Write a Decision Memo

Lay out a business decision with options, trade-offs, risks and a recommendation that others can review.

When to use it: Use when a decision needs input or sign-off from others.

Works with: Any chat assistant

Customize this prompt

What you'll need

  • Decision (required)
  • Context (required)
  • Options (required)
  • Criteria (optional)
  • Stakeholders (optional)

The prompt

Help me write a decision memo.

The decision: [DECISION]
Background and why it matters now: [CONTEXT]
Options I'm considering: [OPTIONS]
What matters most (criteria): [CRITERIA]
Who decides and who is affected: [STAKEHOLDERS]

Structure:
1. Decision needed and deadline
2. Context (short)
3. Options, each with benefits, costs, risks and what we'd have to believe for it to be right
4. Comparison table against the criteria
5. Recommendation and reasoning
6. Risks of the recommendation and how we'll know early if it's wrong

Point out any option I may have missed and any criteria that conflict. Keep it to about one page.

Words in [BRACKETS] are placeholders. Fill them in below, or replace them yourself after copying.

Customize the prompt

Fields marked * are required. Leave optional fields empty to fill them in later.

What you'll get

A structured one-page memo with an options comparison and a recommendation.

How to use it

  1. Fill in the fields above (at least: Decision, Context, Options) and select Generate My Customized Prompt.
  2. Copy the result, or open it directly in ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini.
  3. Review the answer and ask follow-up questions to refine it.
  4. Edit the final result in your own words and check any facts before using it.

Open the original prompt in an assistant

We never ask for your AI account login. ChatGPT and Claude open with the prompt filled in when it's short enough for a link; Gemini always needs a paste.

Tips

  • Ask the AI to argue against its own recommendation to stress-test it.

Limitations

  • AI can make mistakes. Check names, facts and figures before you use the result.

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