Turn Over Another Card

A decision-making framework inspired by poker that focuses on gathering information incrementally before making major commitments. The approach emphasizes making smaller decisions to gain clarity before larger commitments.

Core Concept

• "Turn over another card" - gather more information before making final decisions
• Inspired by poker where players see cards incrementally
• Focus on getting specific information needed rather than general exploration
• Separates confidence in next step from certainty in final outcome

Key Implementation Points

• Break decisions into smaller incremental steps
  • Take initial meetings
  • Create prototypes
  • Draft initial plans
  • Do reference checks
• Be explicit about what information you're seeking
  • Define exactly what data/insights would help decision
  • Avoid vague "let's look into it more" approaches
  • Question what specific uncertainties exist

Communication Framework

• Clearly communicate level of commitment
  • Committed to next step but not entire journey
  • Use "let's see the flop" for initial exploration
  • "Turn over another card" for next milestone
• Helps team understand:
  • Current commitment level
  • Next evaluation points
  • That changes in direction are part of process

Benefits

• Reduces decision paralysis
• Creates clear evaluation points
• Prevents over-commitment before validation
• Forces clarity on what information is actually needed
• Helps separate confidence in process from certainty in outcome

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

• Not defining specific information needed
• Exploring without clear questions to answer
• Confusing confidence in process with certainty in outcome
• Poor communication about commitment levels
• Lack of clear evaluation points