Control · C73
Define initiative stop rules
Which evidence justifies continuing, correcting, reducing or stopping an initiative?
Direct answer
The grid combines economic threshold, maximum learning time, data quality and value of the remaining option.
01Continue, correct within a deadline, reduce exposure or stop.
02The rule, the evidence and the next review date stay visible.
How to use this
Move from the question to the deliverable.
Which evidence justifies continuing, correcting, reducing or stopping an initiative?
Continue, correct within a deadline, reduce exposure or stop.
Stop-rule grid
Decision grid · SQ-73
Decide to stop before sunk costs take over
The stop rule is written before the main investment. It combines a minimum result, a learning deadline, the quality of the evidence and the value of the remaining option.
Grid applied to four initiatives after six weeks of execution and €185k committed.
- 01Pre-commit
Fix thresholds, deadlines and exceptions before launch.
- 02Observe
Compare the evidence obtained with the minimum result and the expected deadline.
- 03Value the option
Estimate what can still be learned or recovered through a limited tranche.
- 04Decide
Continue, correct within a deadline, reduce or stop without renegotiating the criteria.
Four initiatives against their stop rules
A red threshold overrides the overall score. An exception requires new evidence and a capped budget.
| Initiative | Expected threshold | Observed | Evidence | Remaining option | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABM pilot | 8 activated accounts | 11 | Strong | Progressive scale | Continue |
| Webinars | 18% attendee→MQL | 9% | Reliable | Low | Stop |
| Onboarding | Activation ≥ 45% | 39% | Partial | €15k UX test | Correct within 3 weeks |
| Sponsorship | 120 qualified leads | 74 | Incomplete tracking | Audience recovery | Reduce |
01The webinars are stopped despite €48k already committed: the evidence is reliable and the remaining option is weak.
02Onboarding receives one further tranche of €15k with a three-week deadline.
03Sponsorship is reduced, because measurement uncertainty forbids a conclusion but does not justify the initial exposure.
Fictitious case. A stop rule must distinguish an absence of effect from an inability to measure the effect.
Coherence controls
Minimum conditions before validation.
The status, the evidence and the owner must be available for review.
The status, the evidence and the owner must be available for review.
The status, the evidence and the owner must be available for review.
The status, the evidence and the owner must be available for review.
Usable deliverable
Stop-rule grid
Explore the decision further with an interactive control, or start from a structured template to produce your deliverable.