How to use
A minimal guide to applying Outset Design responsibly
Use it upstream
Outset Design is most effective before commitments harden and before structures lock in. If you apply it only after failure, it becomes diagnostics rather than prevention.
Keep it lightweight
The Outset Analysis Case is intended to be short. A good first pass often fits on one page. Depth can be added only where risk or irreversibility warrants it.
Don’t replace domain expertise
Outset Design is a thin upstream layer. It improves the quality of beginnings, but it does not substitute for legal, technical, medical, or governance expertise.
Prefer clarity over consensus
The goal is not to eliminate disagreement. The goal is to make assumptions, asymmetries, and no-go conditions explicit before commitment.
When fairness is central
If fairness and power asymmetry are central to the outset, consider deepening the analysis using Fair Deal Policy (FDP).