Code Your Year: The 8 Decisions to Make Before You Plan

Published: 2027-01-01 • Author: Ivan Turatti

Most yearly planning starts with targets, and targets are numbers attached to nothing. Before setting goals, write down the eight foundational decisions.

The 8 Decisions

  1. Why this exists: The reason for operating beyond revenue.
  2. Where you compete: Category, primary audience, and who you refuse.
  3. Customer journey: What happens at noticing, deciding, starting, and recommending.
  4. Network: Partners, referrers, and boundaries.
  5. Voice: Executable tone rules and banned words.
  6. Design logic: Fixed elements, flexible elements, prohibitions.
  7. Channel architecture: 2–3 platforms with distinct roles, and stated exclusions.
  8. Action path: The offer ladder and explicit next steps.
Written and wrong beats unwritten and vague, because only one of the two can be corrected.

Codifying these eight decisions into files you own is the core work at openidea.biz. Measure your foundation with the Brand Foundation Check.


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