---
title: "First: what is the decision, and when does it become expensive to reverse?"
slug: "next-steps/first-what-is-the-decision-and-when-does-it-become-expensive"
section: "Next steps"
description: "The founder owns the decision. A research desk should help define its evidence and the kind of specialist needed—not turn every question into a consulting "
internal_only: false
---

# First: what is the decision, and when does it become expensive to reverse?

The founder owns the decision. A research desk should help define its evidence and the kind of specialist needed—not turn every question into a consulting sale. The fastest path is to choose **one** live issue, identify the deadline and rule out any move requiring qualified legal or professional input before proceeding.