Thoughts For The Week - 2025.12.07
How to Instantly Decide Faster: The Hat–Haircut–Tattoo Framework
Speed is a competitive advantage, but only if you know when to move fast and when to slow down. One of the simplest decision making frameworks I’ve found is “Hat, Haircut, or Tattoo” by James Clear. I was reminded about this again after reading Jonathan Goodman’s post
Here’s the short version. Plus how I use it as a tech leader.
Hat Decisions —> Move Fast
Most decisions are hats.
You try one on, and if it doesn’t fit, you take it off.
Low cost. Low risk. Easy to reverse.
Action: Make the call immediately. Don’t overthink it.
In engineering teams, this is 90% of decisions: first drafts, prototypes, brain storming ideas, meeting formats, minor processes, early architectural sketches.
Haircut Decisions —> Move Fast (But Acknowledge Recovery Time)
A bad haircut grows back, but you might feel foolish for a while.
These decisions aren’t permanent, but they do have a recovery cost.
Action: Decide quickly, but with awareness. Optimising endlessly rarely changes the outcome.
Be upfront and open about recovery costs.
Examples: choosing a tool you can migrate away from, adjusting team structure, experimenting with workflow changes.
Tattoo Decisions —> Slow Down
Some decisions leave a mark. Once they’re made, you live with them for a long time.
These require deliberation, not speed.
Action: Pause. Consult. Challenge assumptions. Sleep on it.
Examples: hiring senior leaders, irreversible architectural choices, major budget commitments, decisions that shape culture.
How I Use This Framework as a CTO
When teams move too slowly, it’s often because they treat everything like a tattoo decision.
When teams move too fast, it’s because they assume nothing is a tattoo.
My rule:
Before deciding first ask: “Is this a hat, a haircut, or a tattoo?”
Once you name the category, the right speed becomes obvious.
The Meta-Question That Speeds Everything Up
Before your next decision today, ask yourself (and/or your team)
“What type of decision is this?”
If it’s a hat → ship it.
If it’s a haircut → choose and adjust later.
If it’s a tattoo → slow down.
This is not an excuse to be reckless. Watch out for the tattoo decisions, but most teams could double their decision velocity simply by labelling the decision first.
Happy decision making.
Have a great week!