The 70% Rule: How to Reclaim Velocity Without Sacrificing Quality

In today’s environment, speed isn’t just an advantage—it needs to become the standard.

And yet, many teams are still operating from an outdated model:

waiting for more data, more certainty, more alignment… before moving.

The problem is: by the time you feel ready, the moment has already passed.

Jeff Bezos introduced what’s now known as the 70% Rule:

“Most decisions should probably be made with somewhere around 70% of the information you wish you had. If you wait for 90%, in most cases, you’re probably being slow.”

The Real Problem: Perfection Disguised as Productivity

Many high-performing leaders don’t see themselves as stuck.

They see themselves as:

• thorough

• thoughtful

• responsible

But underneath that is often:

• hesitation

• over-analysis

• fear of getting it wrong

Perfectionism shows up as:

“I just need a little more data”

“Let me think this through one more time”

“I want to get this right before I move”

And while that feels productive—it quietly delays action.

The Shift: From Certainty → Movement

The leaders who are moving faster today are not more informed.

They are:

• more decisive

• more comfortable adjusting

• more willing to act before everything is known

They’ve made a shift:

From - “I need to be sure”

To - “I have enough to move”

Use AI to get to 70% faster. Then stop gathering and start executing.

Why 70%?

• The Cost of Delay: In a competitive market, the "cost of being slow" often outweighs the "cost of being wrong."

• Course Correction: Bezos categorizes decisions into two types. Type 1 decisions are "one-way doors" (irreversible). Type 2 decisions are "two-way doors" (reversible). Most decisions are Type 2, meaning if you make a sub-optimal choice at 70% information, you can simply change course once you learn more.

This isn’t about lowering standards. It’s about recognizing that waiting for perfect information is often what slows progress the most.

The 70% Rule in Practice

Here’s how this looks in a modern environment:

The goal is not to eliminate thinking.

The goal is to stop confusing thinking with progress.

Not All Decisions Are Equal

A critical distinction Bezos makes:

• Type 1 decisions (one way doors) → irreversible → require more time

• Type 2 decisions (two way doors) → reversible → move quickly

Most decisions teams & leaders face daily are Type 2.

And yet—they’re often treated like Type 1.

That’s where momentum gets lost.

Action Over Perfection

If you’re feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or behind, it’s rarely because you don’t know enough.

It’s usually because you’re waiting for a level of certainty that isn’t required.

The shift is simple—but not easy:

Decide → act → adjust quickly

Not: plan → wait → perfect → then act

With real-time data, dashboards, and AI-driven insights, you don’t need a perfect plan—you need a responsive one.

A Practical Reflection

Before your next decision, pause and ask:

• Is this decision reversible?

• Am I stuck in thinking instead of acting?

• What am I trying to get perfect?

• What does “good enough to move” look like here?

And the one that cuts through everything:

• Which decision would I regret not making?

Coaching Note

You don’t build confidence before action. You build confidence through action.

Bezos was never just teaching decision-making. He was teaching velocity.

And in a world where change is exponential:

Waiting for 90% certainty isn’t just slow—it’s a risk as someone else has already acted.

The teams and leaders who move forward fastest are not the ones with the most certainty.

They are the ones willing to move with less of it.