Should You Build the App?
The classic product dilemma, run through the full judgment framework. Probability assessment, disconfirming evidence, context check, stakeholder map — and a clear decision with explicit reasoning.
Part 1: Should You Build the App?
+5 XP on completion
Everyone wants to build the app. But should you? Watch all 10 judgment principles applied to the most common product decision.
Probabilistic thinking first: 30% chance of success based on comparable products in this market. That's honest, not pessimistic.
Disconfirming evidence: your analytics show weak mobile demand. Context check: the market moved before mobile apps made sense here.
Sequence matters: improve mobile web first. Name what you're NOT doing — not building the app yet — that clarity frees your team to focus.
The pitfall: momentum bias. The team is excited about the app — but excitement isn't evidence. Calibrate your confidence against the data.
The best product decisions aren't the ones that feel boldest — they're the ones with the clearest reasoning behind them.
Part 2: The Product Decision Drill
+10 XP on completion
You watched the app decision get made with clarity. Now apply the same 10-principle framework to your own build-vs-don't-build question.
Today's exercise: take any build-vs-don't-build decision at any scale. Apply all 10 principles. Write your conclusion as one clear paragraph.
Your paragraph must include: your probability estimate, what you're NOT doing, and your kill criterion if you decide to build.
Read it aloud. Does it sound like a decision or a hope? Decisions have reasoning. Hopes have excitement. Edit until it sounds like a decision.
Now share it. Put it in a Slack message, email, or doc. Making your reasoning visible makes you accountable — and teaches others around you.
Your compass radiates warmth now — the amber glow of accumulated good judgment reaching outward, lighting the decisions around you.