Decision Distiller

Distill decision contexts, options, trade-offs, and outcomes into structured decision records. Use when the user is facing a choice, has made a decision they...

Overview

Decision Distiller helps capture, structure, and learn from decisions made during OpenClaw sessions. It transforms informal decision-making into documented, reviewable records that build organizational knowledge over time.

When to Use

Use this skill when:

• A user is weighing multiple options and needs clarity
• A decision has been made and should be documented
• Past decisions need review or analysis
• Decision patterns across sessions should be identified
• The user asks to "document this decision" or "record why we chose X"

Core Concepts

Decision Record

A structured document capturing:

• Context: Situation requiring a decision
• Options: Alternatives considered
• Criteria: How options were evaluated
• Decision: The choice made
• Rationale: Why this choice was made
• Trade-offs: What was gained/lost
• Outcome: Result of the decision (filled later)
• Lessons: What was learned

Decision Status

• pending: Decision not yet made
• decided: Decision made, awaiting outcome
• validated: Decision proven correct
• revised: Decision changed based on new information
• archived: Decision no longer relevant

Input

Accepts decision information in various forms:

• Conversation about options
• Pros/cons lists
• Direct statements of choice
• Retrospective analysis

Output

Produces:

• Dated decision records (Markdown)
• Decision summaries
• Pattern analysis across decisions
• Decision status reports

Workflow

Capturing a New Decision

1. Identify Context

   • What situation required a decision?
   • What was at stake?
   • Who was involved?

2. List Options

   • What alternatives were considered?
   • What was eliminated early?
   • What made it to final consideration?

3. Define Criteria

   • How were options evaluated?
   • What mattered most?
   • Were there constraints?

4. Record Decision

   • What was chosen?
   • When was it decided?
   • Who decided?

5. Document Rationale

   • Why was this option selected?
   • What tipped the balance?
   • What assumptions were made?

6. Note Trade-offs

   • What was sacrificed?
   • What risks were accepted?
   • What opportunities were passed?

Reviewing Past Decisions

1. Gather Records

   • Collect relevant decision records
   • Filter by topic, date, or status

2. Analyze Patterns

   • Common criteria used
   • Recurring trade-offs
   • Typical decision timelines

3. Extract Lessons

   • What worked well?
   • What would change?
   • What patterns emerge?

Output Format

Decision Record

# Decision: [Title] - YYYY-MM-DD

**ID**: DEC-2024-001
**Status**: decided
**Decided By**: [Name/Role]
**Date**: YYYY-MM-DD

## Context
[Description of the situation requiring a decision]

## Options Considered

### Option 1: [Name]
- **Description**: 
- **Pros**: 
- **Cons**: 
- **Estimated Impact**: 

### Option 2: [Name]
- **Description**: 
- **Pros**: 
- **Cons**: 
- **Estimated Impact**: 

## Decision Criteria
1. [Criterion 1] - Weight: High/Medium/Low
2. [Criterion 2] - Weight: High/Medium/Low

## Decision
**Chosen**: [Option X]

## Rationale
[Why this option was selected over others]

## Trade-offs
- **Accepted**: [What we gave up]
- **Mitigated**: [How we reduced risks]

## Expected Outcome
[What we expect to happen]

## Actual Outcome
[Filled in later - what actually happened]

## Lessons Learned
[Filled in later - insights from the outcome]

## Related Decisions
- [Link to related decision]

Commands

Create Decision Record

decision create "Decision title" --status pending

Update Decision

decision update DEC-2024-001 --status validated

List Decisions

decision list --status decided --since 2024-01-01

Analyze Patterns

decision analyze --topic architecture

Quality Rules

• Be specific: vague decisions teach no lessons
• Include alternatives: decisions without options aren't decisions
• Document rationale: future you needs to know why
• Review outcomes: a decision isn't complete until its outcome is known
• Link related decisions: build decision networks

Good Trigger Examples

• "Document this decision: we're going with X"
• "Help me decide between A and B"
• "What decisions have we made about architecture?"
• "Review our deployment decisions from last month"
• "I decided to use Y instead of Z, record that"

Resources

references/

• references/decision-templates.md: Variations for different decision types
• references/analysis-frameworks.md: Tools for analyzing decisions