The mental models
Thirteen thinking tools, trained with real drills — not just read about.
A mental model is a compact way of seeing how the world works — a lens like inversion or incentives that makes a confusing situation suddenly legible. Reading a list of them is easy; the hard part is having the right one fire in the middle of a real decision. That's what Too Hard Pile trains: each model below is explained with examples, and each links to drills that make you use it before anything is revealed.
Inversion
The starter move: find the bricks, walk around them.
Learn & practice →First principles
Melt it down. Rebuild from what is actually true.
Learn & practice →Second-order thinking
Every action has an echo. Hear it before you act.
Learn & practice →Root analysis
Every problem has roots. Find them and anything can be solved.
Learn & practice →Incentives
Show me the incentive and I will show you the outcome.
Learn & practice →Premortem
Attend the funeral before the launch.
Learn & practice →Risk and margin of safety
Plan for the average, die by the variance.
Learn & practice →Deciding in the fog
Perfect information never arrives. Decide well anyway.
Learn & practice →The complete picture
Do not judge the frame. See the whole film.
Learn & practice →Risk to reward
Every yes is a hundred quiet nos.
Learn & practice →Facing a decision right now instead? The free Decision Toolbox has premortem, 10/10/10, weighted pros & cons, and four more tools you can use this minute — no account needed.