Decision‑Making Frameworks for Solos — Cheatsheet
Practical matrices, rubrics, and short checklists you can use immediately to make consistent, faster decisions about hiring, outsourcing, automation, experiments, growth choices, and pricing. Each section includes a quick worked example and a one‑minute action you can take now.
Decision‑Making Frameworks for Solos — Cheatsheet
When you run a business alone, decisions pile up. This cheatsheet gives compact, repeatable tools you can actually use under time pressure: a quick decision flow, a hire vs outsource vs automate matrix, an experiment investment checklist, a growth vs lifestyle tradeoff matrix, and a short rubric for raising prices. Each item has a short worked example and a one‑minute next step.
Quick decision flow (30–90 seconds)
- Clarify the outcome: What specific outcome would success look like in 30–90 days?
- Frequency & scale: Is this a one‑off, occasional, or frequent/repeatable task?
- Strategic importance: Does this materially affect revenue, risk, or customer experience?
- Choose: Keep / Hire / Outsource / Automate / Defer — then set a 7‑day follow‑up.
Hire vs Outsource vs Automate — Practical matrix
| Option | Use when | Good for | Tradeoffs | Quick rule |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hire (contractor or employee) | Core, recurring work that needs long‑term continuity or deep company knowledge | Quality, control, cultural fit | Higher cost and onboarding time | If task >10 hrs/wk and strategic → consider hire |
| Outsource | Specialized or occasional work where you don't want permanent oversight | Speed, expertise without benefits | Less control; need clear specs | If task <10 hrs/wk or specialized → outsource |
| Automate | Repetitive, high‑frequency tasks with predictable rules | Scales with no hour costs | Initial build cost; complexity may rise | If task runs daily/weekly and repeatable → automate |
Worked example: Invoicing that takes you 2 hrs/week and is identical each month → Automate (templates + invoicing tool). If client onboarding requires judgment and builds relationships → Outsource or Hire depending on frequency.
One‑minute action: List three tasks you do this week and classify them with the quick rule above.
Experiment Investment Checklist (use before you spend time or money)
Score each candidate experiment 1–5 (low→high).
- Impact (will it move a meaningful metric?)
- Ease (can you run it quickly with low setup?)
- Cost (money and hours required)
- Learning value (will results teach you something generalizable?)
Priority score = (Impact * 2) + (Ease * 1.25) + (Learning * 1) − (Cost * 1.5). Pick top 2 to run as quick experiments (1–3 week horizon).
Worked example: Landing page test — Impact 4, Ease 4, Cost 1, Learning 3 → Score = (8)+(5)+(3)−(1.5)=14.5. Run it.
One‑minute action: Pick one idea and fill the four scores on paper.
Growth vs Lifestyle tradeoff matrix
Axes: Revenue potential (low→high) and Time cost/complexity (low→high).
- High revenue / low time: Focus here (scaleable products, subscriptions).
- High revenue / high time: Growth with systems & hires (consider leverage).
- Low revenue / low time: Good for lifestyle—keep if it fits life goals.
- Low revenue / high time: Eliminate or rework—low ROI busywork.
Worked example: Hourly consulting = often high time, medium revenue → evaluate moving to packaged projects (reduce time per $).
One‑minute action: Put your three main offerings into the four quadrants.
Quick rubric for raising prices (4‑step)
- Evidence of value: Find one concrete outcome you deliver (time saved, revenue gained, risk avoided).
- Market check: Compare 3 alternatives (low, mid, high). Where do you sit?
- Test with anchor: Offer a slightly higher priced option alongside current offer to test willingness.
- Small steps + communication: Raise 10–20% for new clients or new packages; grandfather existing clients or give notice.
Worked example: You charge $75/hr. For a typical 20‑hr project you propose a packaged price of $1,900 (effective $95/hr) tied to a named outcome. Offer both options; if 2/3 choose the packaged price, raise baseline.
One‑minute action: Name one measurable outcome from your work and draft a packaged price for a single typical job.
Bias guardrails & decision hygiene
- Limit analysis time (e.g., 48 hours or two review cycles).
- Use experiments to convert guesses into evidence.
- Document decisions (what you chose, why, success criteria, review date).
- Apply the 10/10/10 test: How will this decision look in 10 days, 10 months, 10 years?
Where this cheatsheet fits
Use these tools to reduce paralysis and make consistent tradeoffs aligned with the life you want. If your top hunger is "How do I build a business that doesn't depend on me every minute?" prioritize automation and packaging decisions and score decisions by their leverage (time saved per dollar).
Next steps
Try one of the one‑minute actions now. If you want to make this repeatable, turn the Experiment Checklist and Hire/Outsource matrix into a short interactive form that stores your past decisions and outcomes (useful for learning and reducing repeated mistakes).
Discussion
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