Rigor
Systematic evaluation and analytical thinking
Rigor represents the disciplined application of logic, evidence, and systematic analysis. It demands that we test our assumptions, validate our reasoning, and ensure our conclusions can withstand scrutiny. This rune embodies the scientific method applied to decision-making—forming hypotheses, gathering data, and drawing conclusions based on evidence rather than intuition alone.
Core Question
"What can we prove, and what remains assumption?"
Beacons
Beacons are guiding principles that help you apply this rune to real decisions.
Epistemic Humility
What we don't know - acknowledging the limits of our knowledge and remaining open to being wrong.
Trust
Foundational confidence - establishing reliable assumptions and credible sources as the basis for analysis.
Constraints
Defining the boundaries - identifying hard limits, non-negotiables, and immovable parameters that shape the solution space.
Causality
Cause and effect - tracing relationships between actions and outcomes to understand what drives results.
Robustness
Enduring stress - testing how solutions perform under adverse conditions, edge cases, and unexpected challenges.
Practical Examples
Evaluating a new AI vendor for enterprise deployment
Apply Rigor to test vendor claims: request benchmark data, run pilot tests with real workloads, verify security certifications, and analyze failure modes. Map constraints (budget, timeline, compliance) and trade-offs (cost vs. performance vs. vendor lock-in).
Instead of accepting marketing promises, you build a falsifiable decision framework that reveals the vendor's actual capabilities and limitations, leading to a more informed choice.
Deciding whether to pivot a product strategy
Use Rigor to distinguish signal from noise: define success metrics, analyze user data for patterns, test alternative hypotheses, and model the financial impact of different paths.
The analysis reveals that what appeared to be product-market fit issues were actually onboarding friction—a solvable problem that doesn't require a full pivot.
When to Use Rigor
- When making high-stakes decisions with significant consequences
- When claims or assumptions need validation
- When designing systems that must perform reliably
- When evaluating competing options with complex trade-offs
- When building arguments that must withstand scrutiny
Related Runes
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