Every founder makes the same decisions again and again, because nobody remembers the reasoning. A decision log is a short record of what was decided, why, and who owns it. It stops the same debate coming back and lets new people catch up quickly.
What goes in each entry
- Decision: one sentence, such as We do not offer refunds after thirty days.
- Date: when it was decided.
- Reason: the main reason, in a sentence or two.
- Owner: who carries it out and keeps it current.
- Revisit on: a date, or the condition that would change it.
What to log
Log decisions that other people will need to act on: pricing rules, hiring criteria, how you handle customer exceptions, tools you chose, and things you decided not to do. Do not log every small choice. If nobody will ever ask again, skip it.
Keep it short and in one place
Use a shared document or a simple table the team can search. Write entries within a day of the decision, while the reasoning is fresh. A log that is updated weekly is useful. One written once a quarter is not.
Use it to answer questions
When someone asks why or can we, link them to the entry. If there is no entry, decide and write it, so the next person finds it. Over a few months the questions that reach you shrink.
Review the log
Once a quarter, scan for entries past their revisit date. Confirm them, change them or retire them. Old decisions that are no longer true cause confusion.
Where an AI clone fits
A decision log is a good source of approved facts. An AI clone can use it to answer your team in your voice, and say when no decision exists. AskMyStartup is in private beta; join the waitlist from the buttons on this page.