TL;DR

Thorsten Meyer AI published Outcome-First Decisions, an AGPL-3.0 open-source framework for reviewing initiatives by current outcomes and ongoing cost. Its Worth Filter produces three verdicts: keep, change or kill. The source material does not provide adoption data or independent results.

Thorsten Meyer AI has published Outcome-First Decisions, an open-source decision framework that classifies initiatives as keep, change or kill based on current outcomes and ongoing cost, according to source material from the site. The framework is presented for operators and teams managing multiple projects and is intended to formalize a review step for deciding whether work should continue, change or end.

The framework centers on what the source calls the Worth Filter. That filter asks whether the outcome an initiative is producing now is worth the cost of continuing it. The source says the filter rejects backward-looking inputs such as sunk cost, effort already spent and attachment to a project identity.

Outcome-First Decisions returns one of three verdicts. Keep means the outcome justifies continued cost. Change means the underlying project may still have value, but the current form is not working. Kill means the outcome does not justify the cost, and the initiative should end cleanly so attention, upkeep and capital can be redirected.

The source material says the project is open source under the AGPL-3.0 license, local-first and provider-agnostic. It is presented as Day 8 of a 19-part Built in Public series and as part of a broader operator portfolio described by Thorsten Meyer AI.

Built in Public · Day 8 / 19 ThorstenMeyerAI.com · the operator portfolio
The Decision Layer · Day 08 Dispatch

Outcome-First Decisions — keep, change, or kill

The hardest decision isn’t what to start — it’s what to stop. Judge every initiative by the outcome it produces now, not the effort already spent.

01 The Worth Filter
The Worth Filter
is the outcome worth the ongoing cost?
judged forward (outcome) — not backward. Ignored: sunk cost · effort spent · identity
✓ Keep
Affiliate cluster A
compounding revenue
Channel E
reach still growing
↻ Change
Product C
right problem, wrong shape
alter deliberately — don’t drift
✕ Kill
Experiment B
flat · high upkeep
Side project D
zero traction · sunk cost
3verdicts: keep · change · kill outcomesthe only input that counts AGPLopen source · local-first
02 Why stopping is the leverage
kill
the verdict everything in human nature avoids — made normal, not a failure.
forward
judge what it will produce next, not what you’ve already spent. Sunk cost is gone either way.
capacity
killing dead work reclaims the focus and capital trapped in it — the cheapest growth there is.
03 The thesis the whole series inherits
01
Local-first
Reviews run on owned compute — cheap enough to run as often as honesty requires.
02
Provider-agnostic
The reasoning isn’t welded to one model. Swap freely; no lock-in.
03
Non-developer build
A small, opinionated framework — AGPL-3.0, open so the method stays inspectable.
04
Edit by subtraction
The whole product is subtraction — killing what no longer earns its place.
04 The operator constellation
18 products · one foundation
Today: Outcome-First lit — the keep/change/kill review that closes the loop. The Decision layer is complete: validate → plan → review.
Content
DojoClaw
RoundupForge
Stenvrik
ChannelHelm
IdeaNavigator
Decision
IdeaClyst
Threlmark
Outcome-First
Platform
Grimfaste
Delvasta
Open / Reg
Glasspane
QAtrial
Markets
Polybot
TradingAgents
Defense / Intel
Argus
VigilSAR
VigilSAR-Bench
Diagnostic
World Model Readiness
Local-first · Provider-agnostic foundation

Independent commentary, produced with AI assistance under human editorial oversight. The views are the author’s own and may change. Outcome-First Decisions is open source under AGPL-3.0, provided “as is” without warranty; see the repository LICENSE. The framework’s verdicts are reasoning aids based on the inputs given and may be wrong — decision support, not decisions; verify independently before acting. Product and company names are trademarks of their respective owners; mention does not imply endorsement.

ThorstenMeyerAI.com · Built in Public · Day 8 of 19 · © 2026 Thorsten Meyer

Portfolio Review Use Case

The release is positioned as a tool for reviewing projects that continue despite unclear current results. Thorsten Meyer AI argues that stopping work can create capacity more cheaply than starting another initiative.

That claim is the author’s interpretation, not an independently measured result. The source material does not show how teams should weight inputs, who should review the verdicts or how often recommendations are expected to be followed. The source also says the framework is decision support, not a substitute for human judgment.

Type Project Book, The: Typographic projects to sharpen your creative skills & diversify your portfolio

Type Project Book, The: Typographic projects to sharpen your creative skills & diversify your portfolio

As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.

As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.

Day Eight Decision Layer

Outcome-First Decisions is framed as the review component in a sequence described by the source as validate, plan and review. The Day 8 dispatch says the Decision layer is complete with the addition of this keep, change or kill review.

The source places the framework inside an 18-product operator portfolio that includes content, platform, market, defense and diagnostic projects. Only limited implementation detail is provided in the supplied material, but the source says the framework is available on GitHub and licensed under AGPL-3.0.

Monitoring, Supervisory and Evaluation Tools for Community-based Initiatives

Monitoring, Supervisory and Evaluation Tools for Community-based Initiatives

As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.

As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.

Adoption Data Is Missing

The source material does not provide adoption figures, GitHub activity counts, independent evaluations or case outcomes showing how the framework performs in practice. It also does not include detailed scoring rules beyond the Worth Filter and the three verdict categories. It remains unclear how much automation is included in the released repository.

Outcome-Based Performance Management for Hybrid Teams: The Manager’s Framework for OKRs, Continuous Feedback, Fair Reviews, and High-Impact Productivity

Outcome-Based Performance Management for Hybrid Teams: The Manager’s Framework for OKRs, Continuous Feedback, Fair Reviews, and High-Impact Productivity

As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.

As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.

Repository And Series Continue

Readers can inspect the GitHub repository, license and implementation details when evaluating the framework. The Built in Public series is scheduled to continue after Day 8, which may provide more detail on how Outcome-First Decisions connects to the rest of the operator portfolio.

SWOT Analysis Notebook: Strategic Planning and Personal Success: Master Your Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats with Expert Management Tools for Better Success

SWOT Analysis Notebook: Strategic Planning and Personal Success: Master Your Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats with Expert Management Tools for Better Success

As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.

As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.

Key Questions

What is Outcome-First Decisions?

It is an open-source framework from Thorsten Meyer AI for reviewing initiatives by asking whether their current outcome is worth their ongoing cost.

What are the three possible verdicts?

The framework assigns keep, change or kill. Keep means continue, change means alter the project deliberately and kill means stop the initiative.

What does the Worth Filter exclude?

According to the source, it excludes sunk cost, effort already spent and identity-based attachment. The filter focuses on forward-looking outcome and cost.

No. The source describes the framework as a reasoning aid. It says verdicts may be wrong and should be checked independently before action.

What is still unknown?

The source does not show adoption data, external validation or detailed performance results. It is also unclear from the supplied material how automated the GitHub release is.

Source: Thorsten Meyer AI

This content is for general information only and is not financial, tax or legal advice. Consult a qualified professional for decisions about your money.
You May Also Like

Applied Materials: Not Cheap Enough To Buy, Too Strong To Sell

Applied Materials faces a valuation dilemma: it’s not cheap enough to buy, yet too strong to sell, influencing investor decisions amid market volatility.

The Two States That Don’t Allow Hands-Free Gas Pump Clips, and Why

Rhode Island and New York remain the only U.S. states that prohibit gas station clips for hands-free fueling, citing fire safety concerns.

Boost Your Storage Game With These 9 Portable SSDs In 2026

A nine-drive comparison favors Samsung’s T9 2TB, while USB port limits, capacity and durability shape the best choice for each buyer.

Show HN: Edsger – A handwritten Clojure REPL for the reMarkable 2

A developer has introduced Edsger, a handwritten Clojure REPL designed for reMarkable 2, showcased on Show HN, enabling interactive programming on the e-ink tablet.