The Core Problem

We measure time. We measure output. We don't measure the cognitive cost of carrying unmade decisions.

That gap is expensive. Research from Harvard, Stanford, and Microsoft consistently shows that decision fragmentation reduces effective output by 20-40%. Not time lost to task-switching, but capacity lost to cognitive overhead.

CTE attempts to make that invisible burden visible.

Three Diagnostic Layers

1

Decision Load Index (DLI)

Your cognitive burden score

DLI quantifies the total weight of unmade decisions, open loops, and unclear next actions you're currently carrying.

Unlike task counts, DLI captures the hidden cost: the thing on your list that says "figure out the budget situation" isn't one task, it's 5-10 hidden decisions.

Open loops (commitments without clear next actions)
Unprocessed inputs (emails, messages, notes awaiting triage)
Ambiguous actions (tasks that need decomposition)
Overdue items (creating background cognitive load)

Output: A score from 0-100. Lower is better. Most knowledge workers score 40-70 without realizing it.

2

Friction Map

Where decisions cluster

Not all decisions are equal. Some create bottlenecks. The Friction Map identifies where decision load concentrates in your workflow.

Time-of-day patterns (when do decisions pile up?)
Category clusters (work vs. personal vs. creative)
Dependency chains (which decisions block others?)
Recurring friction points (weekly planning? email triage?)

Output: A visual map showing where cognitive load concentrates and where to intervene.

3

Context Switching Cost

The tax of fragmentation

Every context switch carries residue. Part of your attention stays on the previous task for up to 23 minutes (per Microsoft Research). This diagnostic measures that tax.

Switch frequency (how often do you change contexts?)
Recovery time (how long to reach full focus?)
Interruption patterns (external vs. self-interruption)
Deep work windows (protected focus time)

Output: A cost estimate showing how much effective capacity is lost to fragmentation.

What CTE Does NOT Do

Therapy or coaching (we measure, we don't counsel)
Prescribe specific productivity systems (GTD, time-blocking, etc.)
Access your task manager content (privacy-first design)
Guarantee outcomes (this is research, not a finished product)
Make claims about income or earnings (experimental only)

What You Get

Weekly DLI scores with trend analysis
Friction Map identifying your bottlenecks
Context switching cost estimate
Personalized tips based on your patterns
Aggregate cohort insights (how do you compare?)

Why the Founding Cohort?

We're not launching a finished product. We're running an experiment to validate whether these measurements actually predict and improve real work outcomes.

The founding cohort helps us answer three questions:

1. Does DLI behave like a real signal? (test-retest reliability)

2. Does awareness plus tooling change behavior? (measurable outcomes)

3. Is there external willingness to pay for this signal? (economic viability)

If the evidence doesn't support continuation, we'll publish what we learned and stop. That's the commitment.