Decision Fatigue Is Real- Here’s How to Fix It.

I want to confess that: 

I’ve spent hours, sometimes weeks, stuck between two options, endlessly toggling between pros and cons, thinking I’m being “strategic.” What was I doing?

Avoiding the discomfort of choosing. And if you’re a founder, you probably know exactly what I mean. Sometimes, decision-making is really hard. The more you think about things, the harder it keeps on getting to choose one.  

The Founder Fog

No one tells you that building a company often feels like walking through fog. There’s no roadmap. No obvious right answer. Just intuition, tension, and a terrifying amount of responsibility.

You tell yourself:

“I’ll decide once I’m more sure.”

But the truth is, clarity rarely arrives before action. We keep waiting for certainty, like it’s going to knock on our door one day with a cup of coffee. It won’t. You become a better decision-maker by making decisions, not by overthinking them. Honestly, not even 10% of founders are great decision-makers.

Let’s not sugarcoat it.

Most founders, especially in the early stage, suck at decision-making. Some overanalyze until every option looks bad. Some jump into things impulsively because it feels right. And others? They delay decisions so long that time chooses them, often the worst choice.

But if you study every founder who’s built something meaningful, not just flashy, you’ll notice something:

They make decisions fast. With clarity. And they stick to them.

Decision-making isn’t magic. It’s a skill. And it’s one anyone can learn.

Why Founders Struggle With Decisions

A few reasons why founders stay double-minded: 

1. Too Many Options: Ironically, freedom kills focus. When everything is possible, nothing feels right.

2. Fear of Regret: We’re terrified we’ll make the wrong choice and screw everything up. So we delay.

3. Ego Attachment: We don’t want to be seen as inconsistent, so we keep pushing a decision even when it no longer serves the business.

4. Information Overload: We keep reading, watching videos, talking to mentors, looking for one magical insight that will make the decision obvious. It never comes.

So we stay stuck.

But What If I Told You...

Most decisions don’t need more data. They need movement. Here’s what I’ve learned, after making some amazing decisions and some very painful ones:

The decision itself isn’t as important as what you do after you make it.

Practical Ways to Sharpen Your Decision-Making

Here are 7 things that have helped me and others break the loop of indecision:

1. Write It Out (Seriously, Just Do This)

Your brain is not a great place to hold competing thoughts. Write the options down. See them on paper or screen.

Then ask: 

1. What’s the upside of your decision?

2. What’s the worst result?

3. Is it reversible vs. irreversible?

You’ll be shocked how much lighter it feels when you externalize the chaos.

2. Use the 70% Rule

Jeff Bezos talks about this. You don’t need 100% of the info to decide. 70% is enough. Perfect information is a myth in startup land. By the time you get it, the window’s closed. Train yourself to decide with 70% confidence and correct the course later. Speed wins.

3. Play the “1-Year Regret” Game

This one’s powerful. Ask yourself:

“One year from now, if I didn’t take this option, would I regret it?”

This removes short-term emotions and zooms out your perspective. Most of the best decisions I’ve made came from leaning into what scared me but excited me. Regret is a sharper compass than logic sometimes.

4. Set a Decision Deadline

Indecision thrives in open-ended timelines. If you don’t set a timebox, your brain will keep looping endlessly.

For example:

• Minor decision? 15 minutes.

• Medium decision? 48 hours.

• Major decision? 7 days max.

Decide once and move on. Don’t reopen the case unless new data appears.

5. Talk to One or Two People, Not Ten

Founders often confuse getting feedback with outsourcing the decision. It’s tempting to post in founder groups or DM 7 mentors asking, “What would you do?” Don’t. Talk to 1–2 people whose judgment you deeply respect. Use them as mirrors, not oracles. The final call has to be yours. It’s your company, your consequences.

6. Build a Decision-Making Journal

Start documenting major decisions you make:

• What was the situation?

• What did you choose?

• Why did you choose it?

• What happened?

Over time, you’ll spot patterns. Maybe you’re too optimistic with hires. Or you avoid conflict in cofounder discussions. Awareness helps you improve. Your journal becomes your personal MBA in decision-making.

7. Accept That Wrong Decisions Will Happen

You’ll screw up. We all do. But here’s the beautiful part: Bad decisions are data. Delay is nothing. If you make a decision and it doesn’t work, great. Now you know what doesn’t work. If you delay for months and still don’t decide, you’ve wasted time and still have no data.

Real Talk From the Trenches

One of the toughest decisions I ever made was firing our first hire. He was a friend. Smart. But not the right fit. I knew it three weeks in. But I took three months to act. Why?

Because I was scared of the conversation. I didn’t want to look like I failed. That indecision cost us speed, morale, and money. But the moment I made the call, I felt lighter. And I learned: hard decisions only get harder the longer you wait.

If You’re Stuck Right Now…

Ask yourself:

• What’s the decision I’m avoiding?

• What fear is driving that avoidance?

• What would my future self thank me for doing today?

Then block 30 minutes, sit with it, and choose.

Not choosing is also a choice.

But it’s rarely a good one.

Final Words

Being a founder means making decisions without full context, every single day. You won’t always be right. But if you can build the muscle of deciding fast and learning faster, you will outpace those waiting for perfect clarity. Your job isn’t to always know. Your job is to move.

Decide. Act. Learn. Repeat.

That’s how you break the loop.