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4. Decide

Read the signal. Make a formal decision. Evidence replaces opinion.

Decide converts evidence into a structured decision and institutional memory. This mode prevents endless iteration without direction. It ensures that insight leads to explicit action.

AI tools may surface patterns and projections, but the decision remains human.

Learning without deciding is the most common failure mode in product teams. Every cycle ends with a recorded decision, not a meeting.

The four outcomes

  • Scale — Evidence is strong. Commit resources and move to production.
  • Refine — Evidence is promising but incomplete. Run another loop with a tighter hypothesis.
  • Pivot — Evidence points to a different opportunity. Reframe and re-enter the loop.
  • Stop — Evidence does not support the hypothesis. Document the learning and redirect effort.

Activities

  1. Insight deep dive — Review summaries, highlight reels, and patterns. Combine human observation with AI synthesis to surface themes, predictions, and anomalies. Identify key moments of value, risk, and opportunity.
  2. Decision facilitation — Review evidence against each outcome. Push back if rationale doesn't reference specific evidence, contradicts the data, or is political rather than evidence-based.
  3. Storytelling and packaging — Create shareable narrative deck. Update metrics dashboard.
  4. Review and retro — Team reflection on what worked and what to improve. Formal decision: Scale, Refine, Pivot, or Stop. Output: Loop Report + next-phase plan.

Outputs

  • Formal decision record (Scale / Refine / Pivot / Stop)
  • Learning summary linked directly to evidence
  • Updated roadmap or next-loop plan
  • Refined metrics and signal thresholds
  • Governance-ready documentation for stakeholders

The Loop Report is produced at the end of the Decide mode. It includes the question asked, what was built, what the evidence showed, the formal decision, and the concrete next step.

Signal: Decision Clarity

A loop is complete when:

  • A formal decision has been recorded.
  • Supporting evidence is documented and accessible.
  • The next action is clearly defined.

If no decision is made, the loop remains open.