// description
A decision matrix evaluates multiple options against a set of weighted criteria. The practitioner lists options as rows and criteria as columns, assigns a weight to each criterion reflecting its importance, then scores each option on each criterion. Multiplying scores by weights and summing the results produces a total score for each option. The method does not make the decision for you, but it makes the reasoning explicit and reveals where options trade off against each other.
// history
Stuart Pugh, a British design engineer and professor at the University of Strathclyde, developed the matrix as part of his Total Design methodology, published in his 1991 book Total Design: Integrated Methods for Successful Product Engineering. Pugh designed it specifically for concept selection in engineering, but it has since been applied to decisions of all kinds, from hiring to vendor selection to personal life choices.
// example
A creator is choosing a platform for their new online course: Kajabi, Teachable, or Gumroad. Weighted criteria: ease of use (weight 3), pricing at expected student volume (weight 5), email marketing integration (weight 4), design flexibility (weight 2), community features (weight 3). Each platform is scored 1-5 on each criterion, multiplied by weight, and summed. Kajabi wins on community and ease of use but loses on pricing for a small audience. Gumroad wins on price but loses on course structure features. The matrix makes the trade-off transparent: the creator chooses Kajabi because community features and email integration (her highest-weighted criteria) outweigh the price difference at her projected volume.
// katharyne's take
I use a decision matrix whenever I'm choosing between platforms, tools, or business directions, and the most important step is defining the criteria and weights before you evaluate the options. If you fill in the criteria while looking at the options, you'll unconsciously favour the option you already prefer. Define what matters most (and how much it matters relative to other things) with fresh eyes, then score. The scoring process almost always surfaces a factor you hadn't consciously weighted but which actually matters a great deal. That revelation is worth the 20 minutes it takes to build the matrix.
// creative uses
- Use a decision matrix to choose your next KDP niche. Criteria might include: Erank search volume (weight 5), competition score (weight 4), production time at your skill level (weight 3), seasonal vs. evergreen demand (weight 3), and your personal interest in the topic (weight 2). Score 5 niche candidates before you commit to any cover or interior work.
- Build a matrix for choosing between Midjourney style directions when you're developing a new product line. Criteria: alignment with your existing brand, uniqueness vs. competitors on Etsy, your ability to generate consistent outputs, and buyer demand signals from Pinterest trends. Score three visual directions before committing to a 50-image Midjourney session.
- Use it annually to evaluate your active sales channels — Etsy, KDP, your own Shopify, Gumroad, a newsletter — against criteria like revenue per hour invested, growth trajectory, platform risk, and audience ownership. The matrix will tell you where to push harder and what to quietly wind down.
// quick actions
- Open a Google Sheet and build a decision matrix for a choice you've been avoiding. List options as rows. In the first column, write your criteria. In the second column, assign each a weight (1–5). Score each option 1–5 on each criterion, multiply by weight, sum each row. Do this before you read another review or watch another comparison video.
- If you're choosing between Kajabi, Teachable, Podia, Gumroad, or Stan Store for a new product: define your top five criteria first (price, email integration, checkout conversion, community features, affiliate tools) and weight them before opening a single pricing page.
- Use the matrix result as a conversation starter, not a final answer. If the matrix produces a winner but your gut resists it, that resistance is information: identify which criterion you secretly weighted higher than you admitted, and rerun the matrix with honest weights.
// prompt ideas
Build a decision matrix to help me choose between these options: [list your options — e.g. Kajabi vs Teachable vs Gumroad for my course]. First ask me what criteria matter most to my situation, then help me assign weights and score each option. Present the results as a table and explain what the scores reveal about my real trade-offs.
I need to decide which KDP niche to pursue next from this shortlist: [list your niche ideas]. Help me define 5 weighted criteria relevant to KDP success — including search volume, competition, production time, and my personal interest — then score each niche against them. Warn me if my gut feeling conflicts with the matrix result.
I've been indecisive about [major creator business decision] for [timeframe]. Build a decision matrix for me by asking me 5 questions about what I actually value most in this decision. Then score my options and give me an honest interpretation of the result — including what the matrix might be missing.