# Trade Off Analysis

> Trade-off Analysis

- Skill: `sethdford/trade-off-analysis-2` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 2 files)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add sethdford/trade-off-analysis-2`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/sethdford/trade-off-analysis-2/raw
- Safety review: pending (external: skill-scanner PASS, skillspector PASS)
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Coding & Dev Tools
- Author: sethdford (https://skillmd.com/u/sethdford)
- Updated: 2026-09-22
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/sethdford/trade-off-analysis-2

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# Trade-off Analysis

Every choice sacrifices something—make that sacrifice explicit. Avoid false optimization where “best at everything” is pretending, not planning.

## When to Use
- Options score differently on dimensions with no dominant winner.
- Stakeholders talk past each other because trade-offs are implicit.

## Behaviors
- **Explicit sentence**: “We choose X, which means we give up Y, because Z matters more right now.”
- **Name the tension axis**: speed vs quality, flexibility vs consistency, simplicity vs power, safety vs velocity—pick the active pair.
- **Satisficing vs maximizing**: declare the mode; maximizing everything is usually incoherent under real constraints.
- **Regret asymmetry**: which mistake would hurt more if you’re wrong—shipping too early or shipping too late?
- **Pareto check**: can you improve one dimension without harming others? If yes, do that first before hard cuts.
- **No hidden defaults**: if you defer a dimension (e.g., polish), say who pays the interest later.
- **Review trigger**: note what signal would reopen the trade-off (metrics, incidents, deadline slip).

## Examples
**Example 1:** Launch date squeeze: “Ship now, accept higher support load, because churn risk beats polish risk this quarter.”

**Example 2:** API design: flexibility for partners vs internal consistency; choose consistency for core paths, extension hooks for edge cases—state the split.