The two modes of thinking: are you using the right one to make decisions?
Hint: If you're overthinking, then you're not.
This week, I posted on LinkedIn about why even brilliant founders make bad decisions — and it has nothing to do with how smart they are.
Most bad decisions happen when your emotional control is depleted and you can't resist the urge to "just get it done." My advice? Wait until you’ve filled your tank.
Then Matt asked:
Tricky, isn't it?
But one thing's for sure: when it comes to thinking, you don't want to be winging it. Without a system, your emotions will quietly run the show — and it’ll be easy to lose confidence in how you made the decision.
First, here are the two modes of thinking:
Functional thinking is about the mechanics of the decision — the facts, data and options: Our runway ends in March. We can raise a $500K bridge now for 8 months of certainty, or risk a $3M Series A and potentially run out of cash mid-fundraise. I'll start by pitching the bridge to existing investors by Friday and go from there.
Emotional thinking is the story around the decision — what you’re making it mean based on past (negative) experience: What if our existing investors think we're failing if we ask for just a bridge? What if we go for the Series A but we can't close it? What if VCs think our metrics aren't good enough for a real round?
Exact same situation, but one mode of thinking moves you forward, the other keeps you going around in circles of “what if.”
So, getting back to Matt’s question.
Taking a strategic pause — i.e. deferring a decision — comes out of functional thinking. You’re choosing to delay until you’ve regained some emotional bandwidth, waiting for a specific piece of data or aligning with a stakeholder — and you have a clear inflection point for when to take action.
Overthinking, almost by definition, is emotional thinking (and smart founders are particularly susceptible because their analytical minds can spin up infinite "what if" scenarios): You’re afraid of making the wrong move, waiting for perfect certainty or just caught up in worst-case scenarios — and there’s no defined point of action.
But of course, the difference between a strategic pause and overthinking isn't always going to be obvious in the moment. That's why you need a framework to check yourself.
These five questions will keep you anchored in functional thinking:
1️⃣ What's my level of conviction? Aim for 70–80% confidence — enough to make your case, without perfect certainty.
2️⃣ What information do I wish I had? Identify the gap and whether it’s worth it to get it. (And if it’s not available, then refer back to #1).
3️⃣ How much time do I want to spend on this? Most people just think about something for as long as they feel like thinking about it. Set a hard limit upfront — doesn't matter if it's 20 minutes or 2 days — just decide in advance.
4️⃣ What stories am I telling myself about this decision? Then test them:
"If I let this VP go, the leadership team will panic and leave." → Test: Is that true? How could I mitigate it?
"If I pivot, my investors will think I've lost confidence." → Test: What would I do if this fear wasn't driving the decision?
"If we say no to this client’s request for customization, we'll miss our only shot." → Test: Do I know that it’s truly the only shot?
5️⃣ Have I set a decision deadline? Without one, you're not going to be productive. Pick a specific date and time, not "by next week" or "later." Having a deadline forces clarity on what information you actually need versus what you're hoping might magically appear.
Bonus tip: Don’t try to do all of this in your head. Getting it down on paper makes it concrete. What felt like a never-ending swirl of thoughts becomes something tangible you can work with.
As a founder, you're going to be making lots of decisions. Having a system for functional thinking will help you calibrate how you make them — knowing exactly when to move ahead and when to pause strategically.
Which of these questions resonates most for you?
Love,
Renita
When you’re ready to level up as a leader, here’s how I can help:
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