Free & private

Regret Minimization Framework

Inspired by Jeff Bezos's approach to hard decisions: describe what you're weighing, answer a few guided prompts, and get a reflective summary back, not a rigid yes or no.

Your reflection will appear hereDescribe the decision you're weighing and answer as many prompts as you can, then select "Reflect on this."

Your reflection

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Reflective, not preachy

You get a summary of your own words back, plus one open question, never a rigid verdict.

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Autosaved locally

Your answers stay in this browser as you type, so a refresh will not lose your thinking.

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Private by design

Nothing you write is uploaded. Clear it anytime with one button.

How to use the regret minimization tool

Start by describing the decision you're weighing in plain language, then work through the guided prompts as honestly as you can. The more you fill in, the fuller the reflection you'll get back.

Describe the decisionWrite a sentence or two about what you're actually deciding.

Answer the guided promptsPicture your 80-year-old self, and weigh the realistic best and worst cases.

Read your reflectionGet a summary of your own answers plus one closing question to sit with.

What is the regret minimization framework?

The regret minimization framework is a decision-making approach popularized by Jeff Bezos, who used it to decide whether to leave a stable job and start Amazon. The idea is simple: imagine yourself at 80 years old, looking back on your life. Which choice would you regret more, trying and possibly failing, or never trying at all? This tool walks you through that same exercise with your own decision.

Long-term regret over short-term risk

Research on regret suggests people tend to regret inaction, the risks they did not take, more than actions that did not work out.

Realistic, not catastrophic

The worst-case prompt asks for a realistic downside, not a worst-of-all-worlds scenario, so you can weigh it fairly against the upside.

A nudge, not a verdict

The summary reflects your own words back to you and ends with a question, because only you know which future self you'd rather answer to.

Nothing is saved beyond your device

Your answers are stored only in your browser's local storage. Clear them anytime, or print or copy your reflection to keep elsewhere.

Regret minimization tool FAQ

Quick answers about the framework, how the reflection is built, and privacy.

Is this based on a real decision-making framework?

Yes. It's inspired by Jeff Bezos's regret minimization framework, the idea of imagining yourself at 80 looking back to weigh a decision.

Does the tool give me a yes or no answer?

No, on purpose. It reflects your own answers back to you as a summary and a closing question, rather than telling you what to do.

Is my decision saved anywhere?

Only in your own browser's local storage, so it's still there if you refresh the page. Nothing is uploaded, and you can clear it anytime.

Can I print or copy my reflection?

Yes. Use "Copy summary" to copy the text to your clipboard, or "Print" to print a clean copy of your reasoning.

Do I need to answer every prompt?

No, only the decision field is required. Answering more of the guided prompts gives you a fuller, more useful reflection.