Lessons from the Workshop
Say no in writing.
Verbal noes get relitigated. Written noes compound into a strategy you can actually point at.
By Michael O'Callaghan ·
Most founders say no constantly and can't produce evidence of a single one. The no happened in a meeting, was softened for comfort, and reappeared six weeks later as a feature request from the same person.
Write it down. One line: what was asked, what we chose instead, and why. Not a policy document — a note.
Two things happen. The team stops rediscovering the same argument, and you accumulate a record of your reasoning that is far more honest than any strategy deck.
After a year, that list of noes describes the company better than the roadmap does. It's the only artefact I've found that reliably shows whether a founder actually has a position or is just responding to whoever asked most recently.