About the desk
A desk for slow decisions about new things
Nought Orbit exists for the stretch between having an idea and committing to it. We write for people who are close to starting and want the decision to be clearer before it becomes expensive.
The name
Zero, or one
Nought is an old English word for zero. The domain reads 0r, which we take as a question with two answers. Most early decisions come down to a choice between waiting and taking one small, reversible step.
We try to make that step easy to see, easy to price and easy to undo. Nothing in the name promises a result. It names the two positions a person can actually take.
What the desk publishes
Three kinds of writing and one tool
- Guides Long-form teaching pieces Each guide explains one part of an early decision, defines the terms it relies on, and works one example through to the end, including the point where the example stops.
- Sketches Interactive pages for mapping choices The sketch pad is a drawing surface for decision trees and layouts. It runs in your browser and keeps nothing once you leave the page.
- Field notes Short, dated notes on a single idea Notes appear when they are finished, not on a timetable. Each one states the question, what was tried, and what was learned, including what did not work.
Four principles
The habits behind every page
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01
Name the assumption
Every plan rests on claims about customers, costs and timing. Name them in plain sentences before anything is tested, so they can be checked one at a time.
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02
Price the first step
Put a figure on the money, the time and the attention that the smallest version of the idea would take. An estimate written down is more useful than a feeling.
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03
Keep the exit visible
Write the stop condition before the work starts, while it can still be considered calmly. A condition written in advance is much harder to talk yourself out of later.
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04
Say what you do not know
An honest unknown is more useful than a confident guess presented as fact. Mark the gaps clearly, and decide which gap to close first.
What we decline to do
Limits we keep on purpose
A desk that teaches decisions has to be clear about where its job ends. These are the limits we keep, and we would rather lose a reader than blur them.
- We do not value companies, and we do not predict the price of any asset.
- We do not tell you whether to invest, buy, sell, borrow or start.
- We do not accept payment for coverage, and we do not publish testimonials.
- We do not review contracts or legal documents. A qualified professional should do that.
- We do not give personal medical advice of any kind.
Who it is for
Readers who are close to a first step
The desk is written for founders in the first months of an idea, for operators who have a plan and a salary and want to test the plan without quitting, and for students and researchers who want to understand how early decisions are framed.
If you are reading at the point where a decision feels urgent, the guide is the best place to slow it down. Start with the six questions.