Mental models give founders a repeatable lens to evaluate options without getting lost in complexity. A handful of simple models can improve decision quality during growth, when choices multiply and stakes rise. Instead of relying purely on instinct, you can use these lenses to stress-test ideas and spot risks.

Opportunity cost: Every yes is a no to something else. When considering a project, ask what you are giving up—another feature, a marketing push, hiring a critical role. If the alternative has higher leverage, pause before committing. This model keeps focus tight.

Leverage: Favor actions that produce outsized impact for the effort. Hiring a role that unlocks 20 hours of founder time weekly is higher leverage than tweaking a process that saves 30 minutes. Automations, partnerships, and templates are leverage multipliers.

Second-order effects: Look beyond the immediate outcome. A pricing change might raise revenue but also increase support volume. A new tool might speed one team but fragment data. Write down first-order effects (what happens now) and second-order effects (what that triggers next) before deciding.

Bottlenecks (Theory of Constraints): The system moves at the speed of its slowest step. Find the constraint—often a person, a process, or a tool—and fix that first. Improving non-constraints yields little benefit. Reassess regularly because constraints move.

Reversibility (two-way doors): If a decision is reversible, decide quickly and test. If it is hard to reverse—brand changes, key hires, major pricing shifts—slow down and gather more input. Matching speed to reversibility prevents over-analysis of small bets and under-analysis of big ones.

Marginal gains: Small improvements compound. A 5 percent boost in conversion, a 5 percent decrease in churn, and a 5 percent reduction in unit cost stack meaningfully. This model encourages continuous, low-risk tweaks instead of only chasing moonshots.

Apply these models deliberately. For any strategic decision, run through opportunity cost, leverage, second-order effects, and reversibility. For operational issues, identify bottlenecks and seek marginal gains. Over time, these habits produce clearer thinking, faster execution, and fewer surprises.