Tan Mai
Decision Journal

Real decisions, in the open.

A running log of decisions I've made in my own companies. Situation, options, decision, reasoning, outcome. Written to show how experienced entrepreneurs decide under uncertainty.

Entry 01·Q2 · Recent
Situation
A long-tenured team member was blocking a change the business clearly needed. Removing them would cost institutional knowledge; keeping them would delay the change another quarter.
Options considered
  • Delay the change six months and coach
  • Reassign them to an isolated project
  • Make the change now and manage the departure
Decision
Made the change and offered a long, respectful transition.
Reasoning
The change was already six months late. Every month of delay compounded across three other teams downstream.
What happened afterwards
The change shipped in nine weeks. The departing team member landed well. In hindsight I should have moved a quarter earlier.
Entry 02·Q1 · Recent
Situation
Offered an acquisition of a competitor at a valuation that would have been dilutive but strategically clean.
Options considered
  • Accept and dilute
  • Counter with an earn-out
  • Pass and out-compete organically
Decision
Passed.
Reasoning
Our organic path was working. The acquirer's price implied a valuation we hadn't earned yet, and post-close integration would have cost 12 months of focus.
What happened afterwards
The competitor was acquired six months later by a strategic buyer at a lower multiple. We were still fine.
Entry 03·Last year
Situation
A key customer asked for a custom feature that would take one quarter of engineering time and had no obvious second buyer.
Options considered
  • Build it and charge for it
  • Refuse and risk losing them
  • Build a general version that solves the same underlying need
Decision
Built the general version.
Reasoning
The custom version was cheap-looking but expensive to maintain forever. The general version delayed the customer by four weeks but solved the same pain and became a real product line.
What happened afterwards
The customer accepted the delay. Two other customers bought the general feature within a year. Correct call.