Why Founders Struggle with Decision-Making and Focus
Entrepreneurs are bombarded with choices daily. From product development to marketing strategies, hiring decisions to new business opportunities, the sheer number of decisions can be overwhelming. Without a strong filtering system, founders often:
- Chase shiny objects instead of sticking to a strategy.
- Say yes to everything, spreading themselves too thin.
- Waste time on low-value tasks instead of high-impact work.
- Second-guess decisions, leading to paralysis and hesitation.
The key to making faster, smarter, and more confident decisions is having a strong filtering system—a mental framework to separate what truly matters from distractions.
What Are Filters?
Filters are mental decision-making frameworks that help you quickly assess:
- What’s worth your time and what’s not.
- What aligns with your long-term goals and what’s a distraction.
- What brings the highest return on effort and what’s just busywork.
A strong filter allows you to operate with clarity, confidence, and focus rather than feeling overwhelmed and reactive.
1. The “Give a Damn” Rule: What Truly Matters?
One of the fastest ways to reduce overwhelm is to separate what actually matters from what doesn’t. Too many founders stress over things that have little to no impact on their success.
How to Apply This Rule:
- List everything that’s demanding your time and attention.
- Ask yourself: “Does this significantly impact my long-term vision?”
- If the answer is no, eliminate or deprioritize it.
Journal Prompt:
“What am I currently giving too much attention to that doesn’t truly matter? What should I stop caring about?”
2. The 80/20 Rule: Focus on High-Impact Work
The Pareto Principle (80/20 Rule) states that 80% of results come from 20% of actions. The challenge is identifying which 20% of tasks, clients, or strategies are truly moving the needle.
How to Apply This Rule:
- Review your past month’s activities and results.
- Identify the tasks that created the most value (leads, sales, growth).
- Double down on those and eliminate or automate the rest.
Journal Prompt:
“What 20% of my work is creating 80% of my progress? How can I focus more on that?”
3. The “Hell Yes or No” Framework: Making Faster Decisions
Derek Sivers popularized the “Hell Yes or No” rule—if an opportunity, project, or decision doesn’t immediately excite you, the answer should be no.
How to Apply This Rule:
- When faced with a new opportunity, ask yourself: “Am I truly excited about this?”
- If it’s a lukewarm “maybe,” it’s probably a no.
- This keeps your energy focused on high-value opportunities.
Journal Prompt:
“What am I currently saying ‘yes’ to that I should actually say ‘no’ to?”
4. The Decision Matrix: Evaluating New Opportunities
When making a business decision, use a simple decision matrix to evaluate options based on:
- Alignment – Does it fit my long-term vision?
- Impact – Will it generate meaningful results?
- Effort – Is the effort required worth the reward?
- Leverage – Can I maximize results with minimal resources?
How to Apply This Rule:
- Before committing to a project or investment, score it on these four factors (1-10).
- If it scores low on alignment or impact, reconsider.
Journal Prompt:
“What big decision am I facing? How does it score in alignment, impact, effort, and leverage?”
5. The Not-To-Do List: Eliminating Low-Value Work
Many founders create endless to-do lists, but few take the time to create a not-to-do list—a list of tasks, habits, or commitments that drain time without delivering real value.
How to Apply This Rule:
- Write down tasks that consume time but don’t move the business forward.
- Identify things you’re doing just out of habit, obligation, or fear.
- Delegate, automate, or eliminate those activities.
Journal Prompt:
“What am I doing out of habit or obligation that I should remove from my schedule?”
6. Applying Filters to Everyday Decision-Making
Daily Habit: “The Focus Check”
Each morning, ask: “What’s the highest-impact thing I can work on today?”
Weekly Habit: “The Priority Review”
- List everything demanding your attention.
- Cut 20% of tasks that don’t align with your goals.
Monthly Habit: “The Energy Audit”
- Review what drained vs. energized you.
- Eliminate or delegate tasks that deplete energy without results.
Final Thoughts: The Power of Strong Filters
Entrepreneurs who build strong decision filters achieve more by doing less. By applying The Filters Framework, you will:
- Gain clarity by focusing only on high-impact work.
- Make faster, more confident decisions without second-guessing.
- Eliminate low-value distractions that slow you down.
Want to go deeper? Download the Startup Journal Decision-Making Guide to master the art of focus.