Deliberate Decisions
A Claude Code plugin for making high-stakes decisions through systematic research and structured analysis.
Origin Story
I discovered Superpowers by Jesse Vincent while looking for ways to improve my AI-assisted coding workflow. After using it, I was impressed by how it enforced discipline— test-driven development (TDD), debugging workflows, code review patterns—through structured skills rather than ad-hoc prompting.
I wanted to understand how it worked, so I forked it and walked through the architecture. The plugin system, the skill definitions, and the session hooks. I was expecting to find optimized prompts, but I found something much deeper - structure.
That exploration sparked an idea: what if I built something similar for decision-making? Not coding decisions, but the messy, high-stakes business decisions that keep founders up at night. Hiring. Strategy. Investment. The decisions where being wrong is expensive and the right answer isn't obvious.
I built Deliberate Decisions as an experiment in applying the same structured, skill-based approach to decision-making that Superpowers applies to coding. It incorporates Kahneman's System 1/System 2 framework, pre-mortem analysis, and reference class forecasting into a 7-gate process that forces slow, deliberate thinking. I was introduced to Kahneman in business school and I've found myself going back to his books time and time again (Thinking Fast & Slow).
I'm sharing it in case others find it useful.
Thanks!
-Matt
Philosophy
Decisions fail in the small assumptions, not the big choices.
This framework surfaces the hidden structure of decisions:
- Decision Points - Individual choices and assumptions that influence outcome
- Decision Intersections - How assumptions depend on or conflict with each other
- Facts vs Assumptions - Rigorous separation of verifiable from speculative
- Must-Be-True Conditions - What we're betting on
Built on Kahneman's System 1/System 2 framework, Deliberate Decisions enforces slow, deliberate thinking through mandatory gates.
Installation
# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/yourusername/deliberate-decisions.git
# Load as a Claude Code plugin
claude --plugin-dir /path/to/deliberate-decisions
Quick Start
> /deliberate-decisions:decide
I'm starting a new decision process using Deliberate Decisions.
What decision are you facing?
The Seven Gates
Every decision passes through seven mandatory gates:
| Gate | Name | Purpose |
|---|
| 1 | Thesis | Define what we're deciding and why |
| 2 | Landscape | Map alternatives, Decision Points, Knowns/Unknowns |
| 3 | Research | Gather evidence, find reference class |
| 4 | Calibration | Separate Facts from Assumptions |
| 5 | Contrarian | Pre-mortem, steel-man opposition, bias audit |
| 6 | Synthesis | Must-Be-True Conditions, Exit Criteria, recommendation |
| 7 | Decision | Human decides with full picture |
Decision Weight
Not all decisions need the same rigor. Choose your depth:
| Weight | Time | Best For |
|---|
| Light | <10 min | Reversible, domain expertise, lower stakes |
| Medium | 30-40 min | Moderate stakes, some uncertainty |
| Complete | 60-90 min | High stakes, irreversible, significant uncertainty |
Weight affects depth, not gates. All 7 gates always run.
/deliberate-decisions:decide # AI suggests weight after Thesis
/deliberate-decisions:decide --light # Start at Light
/deliberate-decisions:decide --medium # Start at Medium
/deliberate-decisions:decide --complete # Start at Complete
You can upgrade mid-process. The AI will also suggest upgrading if complexity emerges.
Commands
| Command | Action |
|---|
/deliberate-decisions:decide | Start a new decision |
/deliberate-decisions:advocate | Generate compelling case FOR |
/deliberate-decisions:detract | Generate compelling case AGAINST |
/deliberate-decisions:review-decision | Compare outcomes to predictions |
/deliberate-decisions:resume-decision | Continue a paused decision |
Documentation
Skills
