{"slug": "show-hn-cc-founder-decision-engine", "title": "Show HN: CC Founder Decision Engine", "summary": "A developer released the CC Founder Decision Engine, an interactive AI advisor powered by Claude Code that synthesizes wisdom from 25+ founders and investors to help startup founders make strategic decisions. The tool runs as a Claude Code project and uses slash commands for decision-making, idea validation, hiring, fundraising, and other startup challenges.", "body_md": "A decision operating system for startup founders, powered by Claude Code. Synthesizes the wisdom of 25+ legendary founders, investors, and thinkers into an interactive AI advisor that helps you make the highest-leverage decisions at every stage of building a company.\n\nThis is not a reading list. It's a **decision engine** — an interactive system that:\n\n- Routes your decisions through battle-tested frameworks from the world's best founders\n- Challenges your assumptions before you commit\n- Runs pre-mortems on your plans before they fail\n- Evaluates your startup through investor eyes\n- Keeps you honest with weekly and quarterly checklists\n\nIt runs as a Claude Code project. When you boot it up, Claude becomes a strategic co-founder who has internalized the decision-making of Paul Graham, Steve Jobs, Jeff Bezos, Naval Ravikant, Warren Buffett, Peter Thiel, Elon Musk, Marc Andreessen, and 15+ others.\n\n```\ncd ~/decision-engine\nclaude\n```\n\nThat's it. The `CLAUDE.md`\n\nkernel loads automatically and transforms Claude into your founder advisor. Then use slash commands:\n\n```\n/decide should I pursue enterprise or SMB customers first?\n/build an AI tool that automates bookkeeping for freelancers\n/pivot we've been at this for 8 months with 200 users but no growth\n/hire considering bringing on a VP of Sales at Series A\n/raise thinking about raising a $3M seed at $15M post\n/contrarian a marketplace connecting local chefs with home diners\n/premortem launching in 3 new cities simultaneously next quarter\n/weekly\n```\n\n| Command | Purpose | What It Does |\n|---|---|---|\n`/decide <decision>` |\nUniversal router |\nClassifies your decision, runs the 5-question Pre-Decision Protocol, applies the right frameworks, gives a recommendation |\n`/build <idea>` |\nIdea validation |\nRuns Graham's Three-Filter, Thiel's Contrarian Test, Caldwell's Tar Pit Check, Sequoia's PMF Archetypes, and Chesky's 11-Star design |\n`/pivot <context>` |\nPivot vs. persevere |\nDiagnostic on time, user signals, hypothesis quality, and energy direction. Applies YC's pivot matrix and Buffett's punch card |\n`/hire <role/context>` |\nHiring decisions |\nPre-hire necessity check, candidate evaluation (Buffett's integrity test, Musk's problem-solving interview, Rabois's barrel classification) |\n`/raise <context>` |\nFundraising strategy |\nDefault alive check, readiness checklist, amount formula, investor selection criteria, process playbook, term sheet red flags |\n`/scale <context>` |\nScaling diagnostic |\nPMF reality check, a16z phase identification, blitzscaling criteria, executive hiring sequence, danger signals |\n`/wartime <context>` |\nLeadership mode |\nDiagnoses peacetime vs. wartime, provides mode-specific operating playbook, identifies switch triggers |\n`/weekly` |\nWeekly check-in |\nInteractive 10-question founder checklist covering metrics, focus, customers, speed, and long-term thinking |\n`/contrarian <idea>` |\nStress test |\nThiel's contrarian framework, consensus check, Graham's \"sounds bad/actually good\" filter, Dixon's timing signal, Buffett's inversion |\n`/premortem <plan>` |\nFailure analysis |\nAssumes the plan failed. Generates 5+ failure scenarios, runs Munger's bias audit, elimination round, Buffett scorecard, clear verdict |\n\nSpecialized sub-agents for deeper analysis. Claude Code can invoke these automatically or you can request them.\n\n| Agent | Role | Voice |\n|---|---|---|\nadvisor |\nFull-context strategic advisor | Synthesized — all 25+ thinkers |\ncontrarian |\nDevil's advocate that challenges every assumption | Peter Thiel + Charlie Munger |\npremortem |\nInversion analyst — assumes failure, finds kill shots | Charlie Munger + Warren Buffett |\ninvestor-lens |\nEvaluates from top-tier VC perspective | Marc Andreessen + Sequoia Capital |\n\nAsk Claude to invoke agents directly:\n\n```\n\"Run the contrarian agent on my idea for an AI writing assistant\"\n\"Have the investor-lens agent evaluate my startup as if I'm pitching at a partner meeting\"\n\"I need a pre-mortem on our decision to go all-in on enterprise sales\"\n```\n\nThe decision engine is built on 6 research files totaling 185K+ of distilled, actionable frameworks:\n\n| File | Lines | Contents |\n|---|---|---|\n`00-DECISION-ENGINE.md` |\n586 | Start here. Master index, 7 meta-frameworks, 5 decision playbooks (Build, Pivot, Raise, Scale, Wartime), weekly/quarterly checklists, one-page cheat sheet |\n`01-yc-wisdom.md` |\n671 | Paul Graham (6 frameworks), Sam Altman (execution stack), Michael Seibel (MVP/pivot), Dalton Caldwell (tar pits), Jessica Livingston (founder character). 40+ quotes, 5 decision trees, 5 quick checklists |\n`02-vc-wisdom.md` |\n961 | Marc Andreessen (BPMF/APMF, idea maze), Ben Horowitz (peacetime/wartime, management debt), Keith Rabois (barrels vs. ammunition), Elad Gil (scaling playbook), Chris Dixon (timing signals), Sequoia (3 PMF archetypes), Vinod Khosla (black swan investing). 16 fundraising commandments |\n`03-jobs-gates.md` |\n429 | Steve Jobs (350→10 elimination, product intuition, A-player compounding, NeXT lessons) and Bill Gates (Think Weeks, IBM deal, Internet Tidal Wave, platform thinking). 10 actionable frameworks, comparison table |\n`04-naval-buffett-ellison.md` |\n511 | Naval Ravikant (leverage hierarchy, specific knowledge, 4 types of luck), Warren Buffett + Charlie Munger (circle of competence, moats, inversion, punch card, 8 mental models), Larry Ellison (zero-sum strategy, acquisition framework, platform lock-in). 5 cross-cutting frameworks |\n`05-modern-founders.md` |\n689 | Elon Musk (first principles, 5-step algorithm, idiot index), Jeff Bezos (Day 1, two-way doors, flywheel, regret minimization), Peter Thiel (Zero to One, contrarian framework, power law), Reid Hoffman (blitzscaling), Brian Chesky (11-star experience), Patrick Collison (talent density), Jensen Huang (platform bets). 10 actionable frameworks |\n\nSeven cross-cutting principles that ALL the greats share, extracted from the full research:\n\n-\n**Focus Is Subtraction**— Jobs (350→10), Musk (delete algorithm), Bezos (Day 1), Chesky (COVID cuts), Buffett (\"say no to almost everything\") -\n**The Leverage Hierarchy**— Code/media > capital > labor > your time. Always push toward higher leverage. (Naval) -\n**The Moat Imperative**— Network effects > switching costs > tech > brand > scale. If a billionaire could destroy you, fix that first. (Buffett, Thiel, a16z) -\n**The Speed Doctrine**— 70% info is enough for reversible decisions. \"If the schedule is long, it's wrong.\" (Bezos, Musk, Collison, Altman) -\n**The People Equation**— First 5 hires set the company's permanent ceiling. Barrels > ammunition. Integrity is non-negotiable. (Jobs, Rabois, Buffett) -\n**The Contrarian Imperative**— If everyone agrees, the opportunity is gone. The best ideas look wrong to most smart people. (Thiel, Graham, Buffett, Dixon) -\n**The Compounding Principle**— Always choose the option that builds value over time. Short-term thinkers are your competition. (Naval, Buffett, Bezos, Huang)\n\n```\n╔═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗\n║            HIGHEST LEVERAGE DECISION RULES                ║\n╠═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣\n║                                                           ║\n║  1. SUBTRACT FIRST (Jobs, Musk, Bezos)                   ║\n║     → What should NOT exist? Delete it.                   ║\n║                                                           ║\n║  2. SPEED > PERFECTION (Bezos, Musk, Collison)           ║\n║     → 70% info is enough. Decide. Iterate.               ║\n║                                                           ║\n║  3. SEEK ASYMMETRY (Naval, Buffett, Thiel)               ║\n║     → Capped downside + unlimited upside = go.           ║\n║                                                           ║\n║  4. BUILD MOATS (Buffett, Thiel, Ellison)                ║\n║     → If a billionaire could destroy you, fix that.      ║\n║                                                           ║\n║  5. HIRE BARRELS (Rabois, Jobs, Musk)                    ║\n║     → One barrel > ten ammunition.                       ║\n║                                                           ║\n║  6. COMPOUND EVERYTHING (Naval, Buffett, Bezos)          ║\n║     → Choose the option that builds over time.           ║\n║                                                           ║\n║  7. THINK CONTRARIAN (Thiel, Graham, Buffett)            ║\n║     → If everyone agrees, the opportunity is gone.       ║\n║                                                           ║\n║  8. OBSESS OVER CUSTOMERS (Bezos, Graham, Chesky)        ║\n║     → Not competitors. Not metrics. Customers.           ║\n║                                                           ║\n║  9. INVERT THE QUESTION (Munger, Buffett)                ║\n║     → \"How does this fail?\" before \"How does this win?\"  ║\n║                                                           ║\n║ 10. PLAY THE LONG GAME (Bezos, Naval, Huang)            ║\n║     → Short-term thinkers are your competition.          ║\n║                                                           ║\n╚═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝\ndecision-engine/\n│\n├── CLAUDE.md                              # Kernel — loaded into every session\n│                                          # Defines identity, principles, behavior\n│\n├── 00-DECISION-ENGINE.md                  # Master index + playbooks + checklists\n├── 01-yc-wisdom.md                        # Knowledge base: YCombinator\n├── 02-vc-wisdom.md                        # Knowledge base: VCs & a16z\n├── 03-jobs-gates.md                       # Knowledge base: Jobs & Gates\n├── 04-naval-buffett-ellison.md            # Knowledge base: Naval, Buffett, Ellison\n├── 05-modern-founders.md                  # Knowledge base: Musk, Bezos, Thiel, etc.\n│\n└── .claude/\n    ├── commands/                           # Slash commands (interactive playbooks)\n    │   ├── decide.md                      #   /decide — universal router\n    │   ├── build.md                       #   /build — idea validation\n    │   ├── pivot.md                       #   /pivot — pivot vs. persevere\n    │   ├── hire.md                        #   /hire — hiring framework\n    │   ├── raise.md                       #   /raise — fundraising strategy\n    │   ├── scale.md                       #   /scale — scaling diagnostic\n    │   ├── wartime.md                     #   /wartime — leadership mode\n    │   ├── weekly.md                      #   /weekly — founder checklist\n    │   ├── contrarian.md                  #   /contrarian — stress test\n    │   └── premortem.md                   #   /premortem — failure analysis\n    │\n    ├── agents/                            # Specialized sub-agents\n    │   ├── advisor.md                     #   General founder advisor\n    │   ├── contrarian.md                  #   Devil's advocate\n    │   ├── premortem.md                   #   Inversion analyst\n    │   └── investor-lens.md              #   VC perspective evaluator\n    │\n    └── skills/                            # Lazy-loaded capabilities\n        ├── decision-frameworks/\n        │   └── SKILL.md                   #   Auto-activates on decision questions\n        └── founder-wisdom/\n            └── SKILL.md                   #   Auto-activates for specific thinkers\n```\n\n| Layer | Role | Analogy |\n|---|---|---|\n`CLAUDE.md` |\nCore identity and operating principles | OS kernel |\n| Knowledge base (00-05) | Decision frameworks and founder wisdom | System libraries |\n| Slash commands | Interactive decision playbooks | CLI tools / system calls |\n| Agents | Specialized analytical perspectives | Co-processors |\n| Skills | Context-aware framework activation | Drivers / modules |\n\n| Name | Company | Primary Contribution |\n|---|---|---|\n| Steve Jobs | Apple, Pixar, NeXT | Focus, product intuition, A-player teams |\n| Bill Gates | Microsoft | Platform thinking, competitive strategy, Think Weeks |\n| Elon Musk | Tesla, SpaceX | First principles, speed, the deletion algorithm |\n| Jeff Bezos | Amazon | Day 1 thinking, two-way doors, customer obsession |\n| Larry Ellison | Oracle | Competitive strategy, acquisitions, platform lock-in |\n| Brian Chesky | Airbnb | 11-star experience, doing things that don't scale |\n| Patrick Collison | Stripe | Infrastructure thinking, talent density, craft |\n| Jensen Huang | NVIDIA | Platform bets, AI as infrastructure |\n\n| Name | Affiliation | Primary Contribution |\n|---|---|---|\n| Paul Graham | Y Combinator | Idea validation, PMF, \"Do Things That Don't Scale\" |\n| Sam Altman | Y Combinator, OpenAI | Execution speed, team building |\n| Marc Andreessen | a16z | Market > Product > Team, PMF, scaling |\n| Ben Horowitz | a16z | Peacetime/wartime CEO, management debt |\n| Peter Thiel | Founders Fund | Zero to One, contrarian thinking, monopoly strategy |\n| Naval Ravikant | AngelList | Leverage, specific knowledge, wealth creation |\n| Warren Buffett | Berkshire Hathaway | Moats, circle of competence, long-term compounding |\n| Charlie Munger | Berkshire Hathaway | Inversion, mental models, bias detection |\n| Reid Hoffman | LinkedIn, Greylock | Blitzscaling, network effects |\n| Keith Rabois | Khosla, Founders Fund | Barrels vs. ammunition, operations |\n| Chris Dixon | a16z | Timing signals, idea maze |\n| Elad Gil | Color Genomics | Post-PMF scaling, executive hiring |\n| Vinod Khosla | Khosla Ventures | Black swan investing, founder criteria |\n| Michael Seibel | Y Combinator | MVP philosophy, pivot vs. iterate |\n| Dalton Caldwell | Y Combinator | Tar pit ideas, pivot quality |\n| Jessica Livingston | Y Combinator | Founder character assessment |\n\n| Name | Primary Contribution |\n|---|---|\n| Sequoia Capital | 3 PMF archetypes (Hair on Fire, Hard Fact, Future Vision) |\n| a16z | Network effects taxonomy, fundraising commandments, scaling phases |\n| Y Combinator | Startup school curriculum, batch wisdom from 1,000+ startups |\n\nResearch was conducted across 50+ web sources including:\n\n- Paul Graham's essays (paulgraham.com)\n- Sam Altman's Startup Playbook\n- a16z blog and podcast archives\n- Jeff Bezos's annual shareholder letters (1997-2021)\n- Peter Thiel's CS183 Stanford lectures and\n*Zero to One* - Walter Isaacson's biographies of Steve Jobs and Elon Musk\n- Ben Horowitz's\n*The Hard Thing About Hard Things* *The Almanack of Naval Ravikant*- Reid Hoffman's\n*Blitzscaling* - Elad Gil's\n*High Growth Handbook* - Warren Buffett's annual letters to Berkshire Hathaway shareholders\n- Charlie Munger's\n*Poor Charlie's Almanack* - Sequoia Capital's Arc PMF framework\n- YCombinator's seed fundraising guide\n- Farnam Street (fs.blog) interview transcripts\n- Masters of Scale podcast transcripts\n- Hacker News founder wisdom threads\n- D Conference and Lost Interview transcripts\n\n- Create or extend a knowledge base file (01-05) with their frameworks\n- Add them to the\n`founder-wisdom`\n\nskill in`.claude/skills/founder-wisdom/SKILL.md`\n\n- Update the source map in\n`00-DECISION-ENGINE.md`\n\n- Create a new\n`.md`\n\nfile in`.claude/commands/`\n\n- Use\n`$ARGUMENTS`\n\nfor user input - Reference the relevant knowledge base files\n- Add it to\n`CLAUDE.md`\n\nand this README\n\n- Create a new\n`.md`\n\nfile in`.claude/agents/`\n\nwith YAML frontmatter - Define\n`name`\n\n,`description`\n\n, and`allowedTools`\n\n- Give it a clear voice, framework set, and response format\n- Add it to\n`CLAUDE.md`\n\nand this README\n\nThis is a personal decision tool. The frameworks, quotes, and mental models referenced herein are attributed to their original creators. This project is a synthesis for personal use and education.\n\n*Built with Claude Code agent teams. 4,835+ lines of synthesized founder wisdom. March 2026.*", "url": "https://wpnews.pro/news/show-hn-cc-founder-decision-engine", "canonical_source": "https://github.com/michaelaz774/decision-engine", "published_at": "2026-07-12 18:15:20+00:00", "updated_at": "2026-07-12 18:35:20.623086+00:00", "lang": "en", "topics": ["ai-tools", "ai-agents", "large-language-models", "developer-tools"], "entities": ["Claude Code", "Paul Graham", "Steve Jobs", "Jeff Bezos", "Naval Ravikant", "Warren Buffett", "Peter Thiel", "Elon Musk"], "alternates": {"html": "https://wpnews.pro/news/show-hn-cc-founder-decision-engine", "markdown": "https://wpnews.pro/news/show-hn-cc-founder-decision-engine.md", "text": "https://wpnews.pro/news/show-hn-cc-founder-decision-engine.txt", "jsonld": "https://wpnews.pro/news/show-hn-cc-founder-decision-engine.jsonld"}}