Have AI argue against your decision before finalizing…
Before finalizing significant decision records, have an AI argue against your reasoning and append the strongest objection to your record, preserving the full deliberation rather than only your preferred conclusion.
When This Fires
- Writing ADRs (Architecture Decision Records) for technical choices
- Documenting strategic decisions (market positioning, product direction, hiring philosophy)
- Finalizing any decision record that others will reference months or years later
- Any decision where "why didn't we do X instead?" is a likely future question
Common Failure Mode
Generating the AI counter-argument, reading it, refuting it in your head, and not appending it to the record. The whole point is preserving the objection — even if you've addressed it. Your future self needs to see both the objection and your response to it, because conditions may change in ways that make the objection valid even though it wasn't when you wrote it.
The Protocol
After drafting your decision record: (1) Paste your reasoning to AI with: "Argue against this decision. What is the strongest case that this is the wrong choice?" (2) Read the response. If it raises a point you hadn't considered, strengthen your reasoning or reconsider. (3) Append the strongest objection to your record under a "Strongest Counter-argument" heading. (4) Add your response to it. The record now preserves the deliberation, not just the conclusion.