Record the Decision, the Evidence Behind It, and the Dissent
Acceptance Decision Log template
Companion to The Product Manager’s New Job Is Acceptance · Updated 2026-09-30
The chapter “Keep an Acceptance Evidence Record for Every Test That Informs a Decision” explains when to write an entry.
| Field | Your entry |
|---|---|
| Decision and date | |
| Outcome (choose one) | Proceed; narrow the ICP; change something (the promise, onboarding, the workflow, the price or package, the product, sales behavior, or implementation); gather more evidence; or stop |
| Evidence used (record IDs) | |
| Evidence missing | |
| Dissent, and who dissented | |
| Decision owner | |
| Re-evaluation trigger: the event or date that reopens this |
Two rules
- Write the dissent in the dissenter’s words. A log that shows the engineering lead thought the pilot was unrepresentative is worth more in six months than one where everyone agreed.
- Set the re-evaluation trigger when you decide. A decision with no trigger will be treated as permanent.