Strategy course Course 09 of 24

Use mental models on actual work decisions.

Use a mental model to expose an assumption in a work decision, then check it against the situation. Start with a bottleneck: improving one step will not necessarily increase total output if another step limits the flow.

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Type this when Cadence asks what you want to learn

I want mental models I can use to make better operating decisions at work.

Change any word so it fits your situation. The course is built from what you type and a few setup questions.

Game pieces positioned on a geometric decision board. — Judgment **Mental models for operators**
30 short lessons. Day 1 is ready.

Best for: Strategy & decisions
Prerequisites: No formal prerequisites
Course length: 30 daily lessons
Lesson pace: About 10 minutes a day
Total learning time: About 5 hours in total
Access: Available on the App Store and Google Play, with an optional early testing list

An original website exercise

Find the limiting step in a simple workflow.

Use an invented editing workflow with enough incoming work: a team can draft 10 pieces per day, review 4 and publish 8. Assume every piece needs one pass through each step and the capacities remain stable.

01

Trace the whole path

Write draft, review and publish in order. Count completed pieces at the end, not just activity at the first step.
02

Identify the constraint

Under these simplified assumptions, review limits sustained output to at most 4 pieces per day. More drafting alone creates a larger queue before review.
03

Test the model's limits

Ask whether rework, uneven demand, different task sizes or shared staff change the capacities. Measure the actual workflow before treating the toy model as a staffing recommendation.

Worked example, not a learner result

Raising drafting capacity from 10 to 12 does not raise this workflow's maximum daily output above 4. Raising review capacity from 4 to 6 could raise the limit to 6, provided the other assumptions still hold.

Check the arithmetic and identify which step would limit output next. These capacities are invented for explanation, not Cadence performance data or a prediction about your team.

Want a guided learning path? Start free in Cadence and look for Mental Models for Work Decisions, the in-app name for this course. This website exercise is an introduction, not an excerpt from an app lesson.

Right for now

If any of this sounds familiar, start here.

Every lesson connects to a conversation, decision, or habit you can change between lessons.

You make messy decisions

Use simple lenses to reduce confusion.

You lead operational work

See bottlenecks, incentives, and feedback loops earlier.

You read strategy advice

Turn ideas into specific questions for the current situation.

You want better judgment habits

Practice applying one model at a time.

Inside the course

Your first three days are already mapped.

The course follows a daily sequence, so the next practical move is waiting when you come back.

Incentive lens

Explain behavior through rewards, constraints, and risk.

Constraint lens

Find what limits throughput.

Second-order thinking

Look past the immediate win.

Reversibility

Choose how much certainty the decision deserves.

Course preview 30 short lessons

Mental Models for Work Decisions

Day 1 Name the Real Decision

Separate the actual choice from symptoms, noise, and urgency, then choose a useful way to examine it.

Day 2
Decide Who Actually Decides

Identify decision owners, required approvals, advisors, and informed roles for each linked call.
Day 3
Sort Hard Limits From Wishes

Distinguish hard limits from preferences, assumptions, and wishful thinking.

Course arc

From vague intention to repeatable moves.

Cadence turns the course into a returnable habit: short lesson, quick check, review, and the next useful step.

01 / 04

Use one model well

Apply a lens to a real decision.

Read the system

See incentives and bottlenecks.

Look downstream

Check second-order consequences.

Choose the decision type

Match process to reversibility and stakes.

Full syllabus

30 lessons, arranged as one clear path.

Build a practical toolkit of mental models for making better operating decisions at work. The course moves from defining the decision to testing tradeoffs, incentives, and uncertainty, then ends with a reusable playbook for real recurring choices.

Module 01

Frame Decisions and Select Models

Identify the real decision, owner, and constraints, then choose a model family that matches the mechanism or uncertainty involved.

Day 1 Name the Real Decision
Day 2 Decide Who Actually Decides
Day 3 Sort Hard Limits From Wishes
Day 4 Write a Decision Worth Acting On
Day 5 Match Your Effort to the Stakes
Day 6 Checkpoint: Frame It Cleanly

Module 02

Tradeoffs and Opportunity Cost

Compare options by what each one gives up, not just what it promises.

Day 7 Count What Saying Yes Costs You
Day 8 Weigh the Odds, Not Just the Upside
Day 9 Know When Good Enough Wins
Day 10 Compare Options Apples to Apples
Day 11 Defend Your Pick Without Faking It
Day 12 Checkpoint: Rank Your Options

Module 03

Uncertainty and Signals

Use base rates, evidence quality, belief updates, and reversibility to decide when to act.

Day 13 Tell a Strong Signal From Noise
Day 14 Build a Safer Path to Speed
Day 15 Test Cheaply Before You Commit
Day 16 Start With the Base Rate
Day 17 Update Your View With New Evidence

Module 04

Incentives and System Effects

Spot hidden incentives, metric failures, feedback loops, and downstream consequences.

Day 18 Read Incentives, Not Intentions
Day 19 Catch the Metric Becoming the Target
Day 20 Think One Consequence Further
Day 21 See the Feedback Loop and the Delay
Day 22 Invert the Plan Before It Fails

Module 05

Coordination and Execution

Use bottlenecks, margin of safety, and option value to improve execution and handoffs.

Day 23 Find the Bottleneck Before You Optimize
Day 24 Build a Margin of Safety
Day 25 Preserve Option Value
Day 26 Respect Compounding and Path Dependence
Day 27 Checkpoint: Combine Models Without Overfitting

Module 06

Decision Playbook Synthesis

Synthesize the models into a reusable rule set and operating memo.

Day 28 Build a Small Model Playbook
Day 29 Red-Team Your Favorite Lens
Day 30 Ship Your Decision Playbook

How learning works

Read, listen, check your understanding, then keep going.

Short daily lessons

Each lesson is designed around about 10 minutes of focused learning.

Reading and audio

Read the lesson or play its audio when listening fits your day better.

Checks when useful

Lessons can use quizzes, written responses, or guided practice. A lesson can also teach without adding a forced exercise.

Progress and support

Track completed lessons, keep a streak, set reminders, and ask the in-lesson coach for help.

Know the limits. Cadence supports guided self-learning. It does not award an accredited degree or professional certificate, and important AI-generated claims should be checked against reliable sources.

Free to read first

Guides on the same skill.

Course questions

What to know before you start.

Who is Mental Models for Work Decisions for?

Every lesson connects to a conversation, decision, or habit you can change between lessons. It is listed in the strategy & decisions part of the Cadence course library.

Do I need any prior experience?

No formal prerequisites are required. The course is designed for guided self-learning, and it is most useful when you bring a real situation or goal to the lessons.

How long does the course take?

Mental Models for Work Decisions contains 30 lessons designed around 10 minutes each. You open lessons in sequence and can move at your own pace.

What is the learning format?

Lessons can be read or played as audio. The course includes quizzes or practical checks where the lesson calls for them, plus progress tracking and Ask Coach inside lessons.

Does this course award a certificate or degree?

No. Cadence is for practical self-learning and does not award accredited degrees or professional certification.

Start today

Day 1: Name the Real Decision

Get Cadence and type the sentence above when it asks what you want to learn, or choose Mental Models for Work Decisions ready-made under Browse starter courses. Day 1 is already written.