The 70% Rule
Decide once you have enough information, then learn by moving
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time to result
- ~days to results
- Steps
- 5
- Confidence
- 94%
The 70% Rule replaces the pursuit of certainty with a practical threshold for action. First define the decision and isolate the information that could genuinely change it. Once roughly 70% of that useful information is available, make the call and take a concrete first step rather than continuing to research. The mechanism is speed to reality: action exposes the idea to customers, constraints, and consequences, creating better information than prolonged private analysis. The rule does not treat speed as recklessness. High-stakes, hard-to-reverse choices still warrant care, while reversible choices should move quickly and be corrected through feedback. Used repeatedly, the rule shortens the distance between an idea and evidence.
Origin
Codie Sanchez presents the rule while arguing that operators often lose opportunities by disguising delay as information gathering.
Core principles
- 01Waiting for certainty is often disguised stalling
- 02Action produces information that planning cannot
- 03Speed and quality are not opposites
- 04Reversible decisions deserve less deliberation
How to run it
- 1
Name the decision
Write the choice in one clear sentence so more research cannot hide an undefined problem.
Pro tip Include what happens if no decision is made.
- 2
Separate useful information from reassurance
List only the facts that could materially change the decision. Stop collecting information that merely makes delay feel productive.
Watch out More information is not automatically better information.
- 3
Check reversibility
Decide whether a poor choice can be changed cheaply. Move faster when the decision is reversible and slow down when consequences are difficult to undo.
Watch out Do not use the rule to excuse recklessness on irreversible decisions.
- 4
Move at 70%
Once roughly 70% of the material information is available, choose and take the smallest useful action.
Pro tip Set a decision deadline before starting more research.
- 5
Correct from reality
Observe what the action reveals and adjust quickly. Treat feedback as the remaining information that could not be obtained in advance.
Watch out Do not defend the first choice after evidence changes.
In the wild
A founder has enough evidence that a customer problem exists but is still refining the offer. At the 70% threshold, she offers a small paid pilot to five prospects, clearly treating it as a test. Their responses reveal which result matters most, and she revises the offer using actual buying behavior rather than more private planning.
→ The founder gets decision-quality evidence within days and avoids polishing the wrong offer.
Common mistakes
Calling fear research
Continuing to gather low-value information after the material questions are answered preserves comfort but delays contact with reality.
Applying the rule to irreversible risks
The rule supports fast, correctable action; it is not permission to ignore serious consequences.
Is it for you?
Best for
It is best for reversible business and career decisions where delay has a real opportunity cost.
Not ideal for
It is not ideal for irreversible decisions where failure could cause severe legal, financial, or safety harm.
From the transcript
“You keep telling yourself you're just like gathering information. You're not. You're stalling.”
“Speed is just compressing the distance between you and reality.”
From the episode
Stop Overthinking: The 70% Rule to Beat Procrastination