Who this is for
Founders and leaders who make consequential non-technical decisions and want the reasoning preserved, so it can be defended or revisited later.
The moment this saves you
I make a hard business decision, the team forgets why three months later, someone relitigates the whole thing, and I can't fully reconstruct my own reasoning to defend it.
See it work
Messy spoken thought in. A clean, structured artifact out.
Recording a decision. We're going with the more expensive payroll provider instead of the cheaper one. The reasoning, the cheap one had terrible support reviews and payroll is the one thing you absolutely cannot get wrong, the cost of a screwed up payroll run is way higher than the price difference. What we're giving up is about 200 a month in savings. I considered the cheap one and a third middle option but the middle one didn't integrate with our accounting software. The thing that decided it was a reference call where someone described the cheap provider missing a tax filing. We can revisit in a year if the expensive one disappoints.
Decision: Payroll provider, June 5, 2026
- Decision: Go with the more expensive payroll provider over the cheaper option.
- Why: The cheap provider had terrible support reviews; payroll is the one thing you can't get wrong, and the cost of a botched run dwarfs the price difference.
- Tradeoff accepted: ~$200/month more.
- Alternatives considered: Cheap provider (rejected: support/risk); a middle option (rejected: no integration with our accounting software).
- What decided it: A reference call describing the cheap provider missing a tax filing.
- Revisit: In a year if the chosen provider disappoints.
The workflow
Record a voice note
Hit the hotkey and talk, no formatting, no typing.
Tag it with this context
Contextli shapes your words into the structured output above.
Find it later
Everything's searchable and organised by context.
Pull it into Claude or ChatGPT
Bring your contexts straight into your AI tools with the Contextli MCP.
Your raw recording and transcription stay on your device, so you can always go back to the original.
The prompt behind this context
I'm going to talk through a decision I'm making. Turn it into a dated decision record: a bold "Decision: [topic], [today's date]" heading, then labeled lines: Decision (what I'm doing), Why (the core reasoning), Tradeoff accepted (what I'm giving up), Alternatives considered (each option and why I rejected it, only ones I mention), What decided it (the deciding factor), and Revisit (any condition to reconsider). Keep my reasoning and any numbers exactly. Don't invent alternatives or tradeoffs I didn't raise. Output only the record.
Make it your own. This is a starting point. Once it's in Contextli, tweak the instructions so the output comes out exactly how you like it.
Use this context
One click copies it and shows you exactly how to drop it into Contextli.
Next, open Contextli, go to the Contexts page, click Import, choose From JSON, paste, then Import Context. It is ready to use.
Make it your own. This is a starting point. Once it's in Contextli, tweak the instructions so the output comes out exactly how you like it.
Your raw recording and transcription stay on your device, so you can always go back to the original.
Related contexts
Code Decision Log
Right after you make the call, while the tradeoffs are still fresh, talk through why you went this way and what you rejected. Three months from now when someone asks 'why a queue here?', the answer is already written down.
Purchase Decision Log
You've gone back and forth on this for a week. Talk through both sides out loud, the case for, the case against, where you land, so a month from now you remember exactly why, instead of re-litigating the whole thing.
Investment Thesis Note
You get conviction on a stock or deal, buy in, and months later forget why, so you can't tell if the thesis broke or you're just spooked. Talk it through now, the bet, the risks, what would prove you wrong. Future-you gets a record to check against.
Questions people ask
Questions founders ask about Decision Rationale Note
What is the best way to take meeting notes without missing anything?
The most effective approach is a two-step method: be fully present during the meeting, then speak a structured voice summary immediately afterward while the conversation is fresh. The Decision Rationale Note context converts your spoken debrief into a meeting note with attendees, decisions, and next steps. You get clean notes in under two minutes without having typed or recorded the live meeting.
How do I take meeting notes by voice without a recording bot?
After the meeting ends, open Contextli and select the Decision Rationale Note context. Speak a 60 to 90 second summary covering what was discussed, any decisions, and the agreed next steps. The context formats your words into a clean meeting note ready to share. No bot joins the call, nothing is recorded without consent, and no third-party service sees the conversation.
What should meeting notes include?
Good notes cover the date and attendees, a brief context statement, the key points discussed, any decisions made, and the action items with owners and due dates. The Decision Rationale Note context structures your spoken summary into exactly these sections, so you produce consistent notes every time without remembering the format.
How do I share meeting notes quickly after a call?
Dictate your summary into Contextli using the Decision Rationale Note context immediately after the call. The structured output is plain text you can paste into Slack, Notion, or email in one step. Most people go from "call ended" to "notes shared" in under three minutes.
How do I add this context to Contextli?
Copy the context on this page, then open Contextli and go to the Contexts page. Click Import, choose From JSON, paste it into the Import from Clipboard window, and click Import Context. It is ready to use in under 30 seconds. If you do not have Contextli yet, you can download it for free first.
Is my voice recording private? Does Contextli send it anywhere?
Your voice recording and the transcription are stored on your device only. Contextli processes your audio locally and does not send your recordings or transcription text to any server. The structured output it produces is text you control, and you decide where it goes.
Can I change what the output looks like?
Yes. Every context in Contextli is a starting point you can edit. Open the context in the app, change the instructions to adjust the structure, tone, or fields, and save. The next time you use it, the output reflects your changes. You are not locked into the default format.
Do I need to install an app to use this context?
Yes. Contextli is a free app. Download it, then copy this context and paste it into the Import from Clipboard window on the Contexts page. The whole process takes about 30 seconds.