# Decision Making

> Tradeoffs under uncertainty.

Canonical: https://learn.significanthobbies.com/curriculum/concepts/problem-solving-and-decision-making

Tradeoffs under uncertainty.

- Difficulty: core
- Tracks: Behavioral & Communication, Behavioral & Communication

## Mental model

Decisions are bets you make with incomplete information. Judge them by the reasoning at the time, not the outcome. Good decisions name in advance what evidence would tell you you are wrong.



## Primary sources

- [Decision-making (Wikipedia)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decision-making) (doc)
- [STAR interview method (Wikipedia)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Situation,_task,_action,_result) (doc)

## Practice

### STAR: tough decision

Write a STAR about a hard call you made with incomplete information. Show your reasoning and what you tracked to know if you were wrong.

**Expected evidence:** starStory() returns { situation, task, action, result, metric: { name, unit, before, after }, earlyWarningSignal (how you would have known sooner) }. The checker enforces structure only: four distinct sections of 20+ words, action the longest, 150+ words total, before ≠ after, and the result section must name the metric and state its after value. Aim for 250-350 words — that is the interview bar, not the checker’s.

## Review prompts

- What separates a bad decision from a bad outcome, and what do you have to write down to tell them apart later?


## Prerequisites

- None assigned.

## Related concepts

- None assigned.

## Learning paths

- [Behavioral Practice](https://learn.significanthobbies.com/curriculum/roadmaps/behavioral-practice)