Decision memo for a high-stakes choice

Write a one-to-two-page decision memo that frames the choice, compares options honestly, states a recommendation and names the risks.

Change note: Initial version

Prompt

Write a decision memo for {{audience}} on this decision: {{decision}}.

Background and facts:
{{background}}

Options on the table: {{options}}
Decision criteria that matter most: {{criteria}}
Deadline for the decision: {{deadline}}

Structure the memo exactly like this:
1. **Decision required** (one sentence, including who decides and by when).
2. **Recommendation** (up front, two or three sentences with the main reason).
3. **Context** (no more than 5 sentences: only what the reader needs).
4. **Options** (each option: what it is, cost and effort, upside, downside, what must be true for it to be the right call).
5. **Comparison table** against my criteria, using plain words rather than scores where scores would be false precision.
6. **Risks and how to reduce them** for the recommended option.
7. **What would change my mind**: the specific facts or events that would flip the recommendation.
8. **Next steps** with owners if approved.

Style: plain, direct, short sentences. Include the strongest argument against the recommendation and answer it. Do not invent numbers; where a figure is unknown write "[need: ...]" so I can fill it in.

Variables

• {{audience}}Who will read ittextrequired

  Default: our executive team

• {{decision}}The decisiontextrequired

  Default: Whether to build our own mobile app or keep using a mobile-friendly website

• {{background}}Background and factslongrequired

  Default: 40% of traffic is mobile but mobile converts at half the rate. A native app would take about 6 months and 3 engineers. Competitors have apps. Our customers order about twice a month.

• {{options}}Optionstextrequired

  Default: Build a native app; improve the mobile web experience; do a progressive web app

  Comma-separated

• {{criteria}}What matters mosttextrequired

  Default: time to impact, cost, conversion lift, maintenance burden

• {{deadline}}Decide bytextrequired

  Default: end of this month

Example output

**Decision required:** The executive team to choose a mobile approach by 31 October.

**Recommendation:** Improve the mobile web experience and ship a progressive web app (PWA) in 8 weeks. It targets the real problem, the conversion gap, at roughly a fifth of the effort of a native app.

**Context:** Mobile is 40% of traffic but converts at half the desktop rate. Customers order about twice a month, so repeat access matters more than first-time discovery.

**Options**
- Native app: 6 months, 3 engineers. Upside: push notifications, loyalty. Downside: long delay, two platforms. Right call if repeat customers drive most revenue [need: share of revenue from repeat orders].
- Mobile web improvements: 4 to 6 weeks. Upside: fastest fix. Downside: no home-screen presence.
- PWA: 8 weeks. Upside: installable, offline basics.

**Comparison:** Native is slowest and costliest; PWA balances speed and reach; web fixes are cheapest but weakest on retention.

**Strongest counterargument:** competitors have apps. Reply: customers have not asked for one; test demand with the PWA install rate.

**What would change my mind:** an app-install waitlist above 15% of monthly customers.

**Next steps:** Eng scopes PWA in week 1; Design audits checkout in week 1.

Notes

Putting the recommendation first and requiring a counterargument forces clarity and makes the memo readable by busy executives. The placeholder rule avoids made-up figures.