Manuals / Problem Solving / Ch 7

C · SystemsAdvanced35 min read

7. Tradeoff tables & decision records

Problem Solving · 36 pages source format

Tradeoff tables beat opinions. Write down what you chose, what you rejected, and why. Future-you will thank you.

What you'll learn

  • Tradeoff tables
  • ADRs
  • Second-order effects

Tradeoff table

3 options × 4 criteria (speed, cost, risk, maintainability). Score 1–5.

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Table for Cypress vs Playwright vs Selenium (or any tool choice).

Clear?

ADR lite

Context, decision, consequences. 1 page max.

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Write one ADR for a recent tool or process choice.

Clear?

Checklist