Write a Decision-Making Framework
Create a framework to evaluate [decision]. Include criteria scoring, risk analysis, and opportunity cost assessment. Recommend a final process.
Opportunity cost is a foundational economic decision principle.
Making tough decisions at work or in your personal life can paralyze you with doubt. If you're searching for a way to think through complex choices more systematically, Claude's decision-making framework prompt is designed exactly for this problem. This prompt helps you structure any decision by breaking it down into measurable criteria, scoring options against those criteria, analyzing potential risks, and calculating what you're giving up by choosing one path over another. Whether you're deciding between job offers, evaluating a major business investment, choosing between competing projects, or deciding how to allocate your time, this framework transforms vague gut feelings into concrete analysis.
Using this prompt is straightforward. You simply replace the [decision] placeholder with whatever you're actually trying to decide. For example, if you're wondering whether to switch careers, you'd ask Claude to "Create a framework to evaluate switching from my current marketing role to a product management position." Claude will then generate a complete evaluation system with specific criteria like salary trajectory, skill development, industry growth, and personal fulfillment, assign weights to each criterion, score each option, and walk you through the opportunity costs of each choice.
When you run this prompt, expect Claude to deliver a structured analysis that includes a weighted scoring table showing how your options compare across different dimensions, a dedicated risk assessment section that identifies potential downsides you might have overlooked, and a clear opportunity cost analysis that shows what you're sacrificing by choosing one option over another. The final output includes Claude's recommended decision process, giving you a repeatable framework you can use for future decisions.
To get better results, provide Claude with as much context as possible about your constraints. Instead of just naming the decision, mention your budget limitations, timeline constraints, or non-negotiable requirements. This helps Claude suggest criteria that actually matter for your specific situation rather than generic evaluation dimensions.