User Guide

How to use DecisionsMatter.ai

A complete guide to both tools, credits & pricing, and account support.

On this page
Tool 1

The Decision Analyser

The Decision Analyser takes you through a structured 6-step process — the same framework that professional analysts use to evaluate high-stakes choices. Each step builds on the last, ending with a clear verdict and first action.

How to write your decision
I have been offered a senior role at a competitor for 30% more salary. I enjoy my current team but feel limited by lack of growth opportunities. ✓ Good — clear context, trade-offs, emotional stakes described.
Should I take the job? ✗ Too vague — the AI has nothing to work with. Add context, stakes, and what matters to you.
We are considering whether to expand our business to a second city. We have the capital but our current operations are still stabilising after a difficult year. ✓ Good — describes the decision, the enabling condition, and the risk context.
01
Capture

You describe your decision in plain language. The AI confirms what it has understood — who is affected, what the stakes are, and what you are actually deciding. This is where the framing happens.

Write at least 2–3 sentences. The more context you give here, the sharper everything that follows will be.
02
Frame

The AI generates four targeted questions designed to surface what you may have missed, assumed, or avoided. Answer them honestly — there are no right answers, only more complete ones.

Don't overthink the questions. Your first response is usually the most honest. Gut reactions are data too.
03
Model

Based on your answers, the AI selects the most relevant thinking framework from a library of 30 mental models — the lens best suited to your specific decision. You see the recommendation before the bias scan begins, so you know how your decision is about to be analysed.

The mental model is selected based on your prompt and your responses to the follow-up questions. If the framework does not feel right, you can go back and revise your answers to reconfirm the choice of framework.
04
Detect

From 40 known cognitive biases, the AI identifies the ones most likely to be distorting your thinking, then applies the framework selected in Step 03 to your situation. You get both the blind spots and the structured analysis in one view.

The biases detected here are not accusations — they are blind spots every human is prone to. Read them without defensiveness. They exist to protect your decision.
05
Stress-Test

You run a pre-mortem: imagining that you made this decision and things went badly, then working backwards to identify what caused the failure. This surfaces risks before they are real and tests the resilience of the decision.

Be ruthless here. The more honest you are about what could go wrong, the stronger your final recommendation will be.
06
Decide

You receive a final verdict — Proceed, Proceed with Conditions, or Reconsider — with a plain-language explanation of the reasoning behind it. A single, concrete first action is also recommended. You can then generate a full PDF report and have it emailed to you.

The verdict is a recommendation, not a command. You always decide. The tool is here to make sure you are deciding clearly — not deciding for you.
Understanding Results

What does your verdict mean?

After Step 06, you receive one of three verdicts. Each reflects the weight of evidence from all six steps — not a coin flip.

Proceed

The analysis found no major structural risks, unaddressed biases, or critical missing information. The balance of evidence supports moving forward.

Proceed with Conditions

Moving forward is viable, but specific risks or gaps need to be addressed first. The conditions identify what needs to be resolved before committing.

Reconsider

Significant risks, missing information, or strong cognitive distortions were found. This does not mean "do not do it" — it means slow down and revisit the framing before committing.

A Reconsider verdict is not a failure. Many of the best decisions start with a Reconsider — it simply means the decision, as currently framed, is not ready. Running the analysis again after gathering missing information or addressing the conditions often yields a Proceed.

Tool 2

Your Advisory Board

Your Advisory Board is a warm-up exercise — and a standalone thinking tool. Instead of one AI perspective, you get six simultaneously, each trained to approach any topic from a completely different angle. Ideal for exploring a decision before you formally analyse it, or for pressure-testing your thinking.

The Investigator
Facts & evidence

Demands data. Distinguishes what is known from what is assumed. Asks for sources, numbers, and evidence before forming any view.

The Empath
Emotions & intuition

Looks at how people — including you — will feel about this decision. Surfaces the human cost and emotional undercurrents that data alone cannot capture.

The Contrarian
Risks & devil's advocate

Assumes your plan will fail. Actively argues against the prevailing view. Exposes weak assumptions and optimism you may not know you have.

The Optimist
Upside & opportunity

Looks for what could go remarkably right. Identifies the best-case scenario and the conditions needed to reach it — without ignoring risk.

The Maverick
Creativity & lateral thinking

Breaks the frame entirely. Proposes unexpected approaches, unconventional solutions, and options that a conventional analysis would never surface.

The Conductor
Process & overview

Brings structure and sequence to the room. Identifies what step should come next, what is missing, and how to move from discussion to action.

To consult an advisor, select them from the page, type any question or topic, and press Consult. Each advisor responds in their own voice — the Investigator will ask for your evidence; the Contrarian will challenge your assumptions; the Maverick will go off-script.

Advisory Board

Full Board Session

Instead of consulting one advisor at a time, a Full Board Session sends your question to all six simultaneously and displays their responses side by side. Most useful for complex, high-stakes decisions where you want every angle covered at once.

How to run a Full Board Session

On the Advisory Board page, scroll to the bottom of the advisor selector and choose "Full Board Session". Type your question and press Consult. All six advisors respond in parallel. The results appear in a grid — read them in any order, then look for where they converge and where they sharply disagree. The disagreements are where the insight is.

Takes 30–60 seconds. Works best with a specific question, not a general topic.
Example questions for the Advisory Board
Should I move from a stable salary to a freelance consulting model this year? Great for Full Board — the Optimist and Contrarian will surface the sharpest trade-offs.
What is the strongest argument against expanding into international markets right now? Use the Contrarian alone — targeted questions give more focused responses than the full board.
We keep making the same hiring mistake. What are we probably missing in our process? Use the Investigator + Conductor for a structured diagnostic with process steps.
Credits & Pricing

How credits work

DecisionsMatter.ai uses a simple credit system. The Advisory Board access is unlimited at no cost. The Decision Analyser uses 1 credit per completed report.

1

Your free credit

Every new registered user receives 1 free credit on their first sign-in. No credit card required. This credit gives you one complete Decision Analysis — all 6 steps, a written verdict with confidence score, and an emailed PDF report.

2

When is a credit used?

A credit is only deducted when your full report is successfully generated at Step 06. If you start a session but don't complete it, no credit is used. You can repeat earlier steps freely without losing credits.

3

Buying more credits

Top-up credit packs are available on the Pricing page. Credits never expire and are stored against your account. All purchases are processed securely by Razorpay — we never store your card details.

4

Advisory Board access is unlimited at no cost

The Advisory Board tool — including Full Board Sessions — is unlimited and at no cost for all users, whether or not you have credits. You do not need to sign in to use it.

Four credit packs are available on the Pricing page: Try it (1 credit), Small Pack (5 credits), Regular (15 credits), and Power User (50 credits). Paid users also get unlimited Advisory Board access.
No. Credits do not expire. Once purchased they remain in your account until you use them.
Credits are non-refundable once purchased, as stated in the Terms of Use accepted at checkout. If you have a genuine issue — for example, a credit was deducted but the report did not arrive — please contact us via the Support button and we will resolve it.
Make sure you are signed in — the credit check requires an active session. If you are signed in and still cannot proceed, use the Support button with your email address and we will investigate.
Account & Support

Account, Login & Payments

DecisionsMatter.ai uses passwordless sign-in — no password to remember. Here is everything you need to know about your account and resolving payment or login issues.

1

How sign-in works (magic link)

When you click Sign in, enter your email address and we send you a secure sign-in link. Click the link in that email to be signed in automatically — no password required. The link expires after 15 minutes and can only be used once. If it expires, simply request a new one.

2

The sign-in email didn't arrive

Check your spam or junk folder — it comes from noreply@decisionsmatter.ai. If it is not there after 2 minutes, try again — you can request up to 3 sign-in links per hour. Still not arriving? Contact support with your email address and we will help.

3

Staying signed in

Tick the Keep me signed in checkbox on the sign-in screen to stay logged in for 30 days on that device. To sign out, click the Sign out button in the navigation bar.

4

After paying, my credits haven't appeared

Credits are added automatically once your payment is confirmed by Razorpay (usually within 30 seconds). If you paid and your credit balance has not updated after 5 minutes: (1) sign out and sign back in to refresh your session, (2) check the Account page. If credits are still missing, contact support with your Razorpay payment ID from your payment confirmation email.

5

My payment failed or was declined

Payment processing is handled by Razorpay. If your card was declined, try a different card or UPI. Your credits will not be added if payment did not complete. Check your bank statement to confirm whether the charge went through before contacting support.

This is rare but can happen if a webhook is delayed. Wait 5 minutes, then sign out and sign back in. If credits are still missing, contact Support with your registered email address and the Razorpay payment ID from your bank/email confirmation. We will manually verify and credit your account within one working day.
Yes. Your credits are tied to your email address, not your device. Sign in with the same email on any device or browser to access your balance.
Go to your Account page (link in the navigation bar when signed in). It shows your current credit balance, your full purchase history, and a credit ledger of every credit added or used.
Contact us via the Support button with the subject "Delete my account" and your registered email address. We will remove all your data within 5 working days.
Best Practice

Tips for better results

The quality of your analysis is directly proportional to the quality of what you put in. These principles make a significant difference.

✍️
Write more, not less

A one-line decision description produces a shallow analysis. Three to five sentences — including what you have already tried, who is affected, and what you are worried about — produces a significantly more accurate result.

Match effort to stakes

Not every decision needs a full 6-step analysis. Reserve the structured tool for decisions that are high-stakes, irreversible, or ones you keep returning to without resolution. Use the Advisory Board for lower-stakes exploration.

🧘
Use it from a calm state

If you are in the middle of an emotional reaction to the situation, pause before you start the analysis. The tool works best when you can describe your situation with some distance. If you are too close to it, write down the facts before opening the app.

🔄
Run it more than once

If you receive a Reconsider verdict, use the reasons given to reframe the decision and run the analysis again. The second run — after addressing what was missing — often produces a clearer verdict. The tool rewards iteration.

📋
Use the Advisory Board first

If you are unsure how to frame your decision, run a Full Board Session on the Advisory Board page first. The six responses will often surface the dimension you should focus the formal analysis on.

📄
Save your report

After reaching your verdict, generate the PDF report and email it to yourself. Having a written record of your reasoning at the time of the decision is valuable — especially for business decisions you may need to account for later.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Yes. Your decision text and AI analysis responses are never stored — they exist only in your browser session. If you sign in, we store only your email address, credit balance, and transaction history (required to run the service). We do not store your decision content or analysis on any server. IP addresses are stored only as anonymised hashes for abuse prevention.
No. DecisionsMatter.ai is a structured thinking tool, not a professional advisor. If your decision involves medical treatment or financial investment, the AI will decline to give specific advice in those areas and will recommend you speak with a qualified professional. It will still help you think through the decision as a framework exercise.
The DecisionsMatter.ai advisors and decision engine are powered by a trained agent developed by the DecisionsMatter.ai team. The tool does not disclose the underlying technology stack.
Your first decision analysis is covered by the 1 free credit you receive on registration. Beyond that, affordable credit packs are available — see the Pricing page for all options.
Check your spam or junk folder first — the report comes from noreply@decisionsmatter.ai. If it is not there after 10 minutes, use the Support button to contact us and include the email address you used and the approximate time of your session.
Yes — and it is particularly well-suited to business decisions. The mental model library and the pre-mortem step are widely used in professional strategy and product contexts. Many of the example prompts in this guide are business-framed for this reason.
Yes. Both the Decision Analyser and Advisory Board are mobile-responsive and work in any modern browser. For extended sessions involving longer text input, a desktop or tablet is recommended for comfort.
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