---
user-invocable: true
name: regret-minimization
description: Bezos's framework for big life decisions - minimize regret at age 80
tokens: ~250
cloud-ok: true
---

# Regret Minimization Framework
#claudeai

## The Framework

For big life decisions, project yourself to age 80 and ask:

**"Which choice will I regret less?"**

This is how Jeff Bezos decided to leave a lucrative Wall Street job to start Amazon.

## How to Use

### Step 1: Define the decision
"Should I [option A] or [option B]?"

### Step 2: Project to age 80
Imagine yourself looking back on your life.

### Step 3: Ask the regret question
"Will I regret NOT doing this?"
"Will I regret trying and failing more than not trying?"

### Step 4: Notice asymmetry
Usually, we regret inaction more than action.
We regret not trying more than trying and failing.

## The Bezos Version

"I knew that when I was 80, I was not going to regret having tried this. I was not going to regret trying to participate in this thing called the Internet that I thought was going to be a really big deal. I knew that if I failed, I wouldn't regret that. But I knew the one thing I might regret is not ever having tried."

## Output Format

```
## Regret Minimization: [Decision]

**The choice:**
A: [Option A]
B: [Option B]

**At age 80, looking back:**

If I choose A and it works:
[How I'd feel]

If I choose A and it fails:
[How I'd feel]

If I choose B and it works:
[How I'd feel]

If I choose B and it fails:
[How I'd feel]

**The regret question:**
Which failure would I regret more?
Which path not taken would haunt me?

**Answer:** [The path with less regret]

**Why:** [Your reasoning]
```

## Best For

- Career decisions (job, starting company, big pivot)
- Life decisions (moves, relationships, adventures)
- Anything with a "window" that might close
- Decisions where fear is the main blocker

## The Insight

**Regret from inaction tends to grow over time.**
"I wish I had..."

**Regret from action tends to shrink over time.**
Even failures become "at least I tried" and learning experiences.

When in doubt, bias toward action.

---

*"In the end, we only regret the chances we didn't take."* — Lewis Carroll