Think Better – The Thinking Leader’s System
15 Mental Models to Make Sharper Decisions and Solve Harder Problems for leaders, designers, innovators and builders who are done thinking in circles.
A thinking system for leaders, designers, innovators, and builders who are done solving the same problems twice.
eBook + Notion Template — $29, one-time.
You don’t have a thinking problem.
You have a same-thinking problem.
Smart people don’t fail because they think badly. They fail because they think the same way — every time, in every situation, about every problem.
The Leader’s Loop
You make a call in the meeting. The room nods. Two weeks later, someone reframes it slightly — and suddenly it’s a great idea. You weren’t wrong. You were just thinking from the same chair you always sit in.
The Designer’s Déjà Vu
You do the research. You map the journey. You ship the redesign. Six months later, the same user complaint shows up — wearing different clothes. The problem wasn’t the design. It was the lens you used to see the problem.
The Builder’s Treadmill
You move fast, ship, iterate. The team’s working. The metrics are moving. But every quarter starts to feel like a slightly different version of the last one. You’re not stuck. You’re looping.
The problem isn’t how hard you think.
It’s that you’re always thinking with the same tools.
A mental model is a lens — a way of looking at a problem that changes what you see and what you do next.
Most people have three or four lenses they reach for automatically. The sharpest thinkers have fifteen. They don’t think harder. They think with the right tool for the problem in front of them.
That’s what Think Better gives you.
15 models. 5 thinking categories.One system you’ll actually use.
Curiosity → Deconstruct
First Principles Thinking
core of the product
Curiosity → Deconstruct
Steel-Manning
Build the strongest opposing argument
Curiosity → Deconstruct
Chesterton’s Fence
Understand why a constraint exists before removing it
Heuristics → Anticipate
Second-Order Thinking
what happens after what happens
Heuristics → Anticipate
Pre-Mortem
Imagine failure before it occurs
Heuristics → Anticipate
Regret Minimization
Fast-forward to judge a decision from your 80-year-old self
Imagination → Filter
Occam’s Razor
simplest explanation first
Imagination → Filter
Circle of Competence
know your genuine edge
Imagination → Filter
The Lindy Effect
Age is proof of robustness for non-perishables
Laconic → Audit
Confirmation Bias Avoidance
hunt for disconfirming data
Laconic → Audit
Counterfactual Thinking
Honest attribution by imagining the alternative
Laconic → Audit
Bayesian Updating
Update belief proportional to evidence, not narrative
Deductive → Build
Systems Thinking + Feedback Loops
find the hidden leverage points
Deductive → Build
Forcing Functions
Design constraints that make right behavior unavoidable
Deductive → Build
The Flywheel Effect
Reinforcing loops that create compounding momentum
Not just a PDF you read once. The Notion template turns all 15 models into a working system — searchable, filterable, and ready to apply the moment you hit a problem.
Open a model. Read the one-page brief. Apply the thinking prompt. Done.
Get Think Better — $29
I used the Inversion model before our next board meeting. First time I walked in knowing exactly what questions they’d ask.
Strategy Lead,Leading Fintech in India
The Map vs Territory model alone changed how I present research. My team stopped arguing about the data and started using it.
Product DesignerBangalore
Pre-Mortem saved us three months. We killed a feature before building it. That’s not pessimism — that’s leverage.
FounderSaaS startup
This is for you if…
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You make decisions that affect other people and want to be more confident in them. -
You lead a team or a product and feel like meetings move fast but thinking moves slow. -
You build things and keep noticing the same bottlenecks showing up in different shapes. -
You read a lot but want something you can actually apply the same week. -
You’ve heard of mental models but never had a system to use them consistently.
This isn’t for you if…
You’re looking for motivational quotes or a shortcut to looking smart. This is a working system, not a highlight reel.
Think Better — Complete System · $29
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Think Better V2 eBook — 15 mental models, A4 PDF, designed to read and reference -
Notion Template — all 15 models, searchable, with thinking prompts ready to use -
CHILD Framework bonus chapter — integrated creative thinking system -
Quick-reference flashcard set — one model per card, decision-ready -
Lifetime updates — every new model added goes straight to you
$59 value
$29
one-time · instant download
Instant PDF + Notion download · One-time payment, no subscription · Works with any Notion plan, including free · No-questions refund within 7 days
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Think Better:
The Thinking Leader’s Playbook
12 mental models for people who make decisions that matter. Subscribe free and get it instantly — plus one sharp idea in your inbox every week.
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AI & technology
I’m Gaurav Yadav — designer, author of A Child in Us, and mentor at IIT Bombay. I built Think Better because the most expensive thing in any organisation isn’t the wrong decision. It’s the same wrong decision, made again.
You can keep thinking the way you always have. Or you can add 15 new lenses to every problem you face.
$59 value
$29
one-time · instant download · yours for life.
FAQs
What is Think Better?
Think Better is a mental models eBook and Notion template system by Gaurav Yadav, founder of idaete. It teaches 15 mental models across 5 thinking categories — Deconstruct, Anticipate, Filter, Audit, and Build — designed for leaders, designers, and founders who want to make sharper decisions.
Who is Think Better for?
Think Better is designed for corporate leaders, product designers, startup founders, and creative professionals who make high-stakes decisions and want a practical system for clearer thinking. It is used by 2,000+ readers including Fortune 500 teams.
What’s included in Think Better?
The Think Better bundle includes a 15-mental-models eBook in PDF format, a Notion template with all models pre-loaded and searchable, a bonus chapter on the CHILD Framework, a quick-reference flashcard set, and lifetime updates. The price is $29, one-time.
How is Think Better different from other mental models books?
Most mental models books are read once and forgotten. Think Better is a working system — the Notion template makes every model searchable and applicable in real decisions. It pairs theory with a tool you use daily, not just a book you finish.
Do I need a paid Notion account to use the template?
No. The Think Better Notion template works on Notion’s free plan. You duplicate it to your workspace and it’s ready to use in under two minutes.
Who wrote Think Better?
Think Better is written by Gaurav Yadav — bestselling author of A Child in Us, award-winning designer, innovation strategist, and mentor at IIT Bombay. He runs idaete.com, a structured knowledge platform on strategy, design, AI, and behavioural science.
What’s the difference between Think Better V1 and V2?
V1 is 12 models in eBook format — free on subscribe. V2 is 15 models plus the Notion template, flashcards, and the CHILD Framework chapter. V2 is the system; V1 is the starting point.
Do I need a paid Notion account?
No. The template works on Notion’s free plan. You duplicate it to your workspace and it’s ready to use in under two minutes.
I already know some of these models. Is this still worth it?
Knowing a model and having a system to apply it are different things. The Notion template is designed for people who’ve read about mental models but never made them a daily habit.
What format does it come in?
A4 PDF for the eBook — designed to read on screen or print. Notion template link — duplicate to your workspace. Both delivered instantly after purchase.
Think Better is a mental models eBook and Notion template system by Gaurav Yadav, founder of idaete. It teaches 15 mental models across 5 thinking categories — Deconstruct, Anticipate, Filter, Audit, and Build — designed for leaders, designers, and founders who want to make sharper decisions.
Think Better is designed for corporate leaders, product designers, startup founders, and creative professionals who make high-stakes decisions and want a practical system for clearer thinking. It is used by 2,000+ readers including Fortune 500 teams.
The Think Better bundle includes a 15-mental-models eBook in PDF format, a Notion template with all models pre-loaded and searchable, a bonus chapter on the CHILD Framework, a quick-reference flashcard set, and lifetime updates. The price is $29, one-time.
Most mental models books are read once and forgotten. Think Better is a working system — the Notion template makes every model searchable and applicable in real decisions. It pairs theory with a tool you use daily, not just a book you finish.
No. The Think Better Notion template works on Notion’s free plan. You duplicate it to your workspace and it’s ready to use in under two minutes.
Think Better is written by Gaurav Yadav — bestselling author of A Child in Us, award-winning designer, innovation strategist, and mentor at IIT Bombay. He runs idaete.com, a structured knowledge platform on strategy, design, AI, and behavioural science.
V1 is 12 models in eBook format — free on subscribe. V2 is 15 models plus the Notion template, flashcards, and the CHILD Framework chapter. V2 is the system; V1 is the starting point.
No. The template works on Notion’s free plan. You duplicate it to your workspace and it’s ready to use in under two minutes.
Knowing a model and having a system to apply it are different things. The Notion template is designed for people who’ve read about mental models but never made them a daily habit.
A4 PDF for the eBook — designed to read on screen or print. Notion template link — duplicate to your workspace. Both delivered instantly after purchase.