How I Decide Which Fires to Put Out First (and Which to Ignore)

Category: Decision-Making & Founder Mindset | Estimated read time: 5 minutes

If you're a founder, your day can feel like one big game of whack-a-mole. Everyone needs something. Everything is urgent. But if everything’s a fire, then nothing really is. The key isn’t to put them all out — it’s to know *which ones matter* and which ones you can ignore (for now).

As a virtual Chief of Staff, one of my unofficial roles is Chief Firefighter. But I don't just react to chaos — I triage it. Here’s how I help founders sort the noise, stay sane, and act like leaders instead of firefighters.

1. I Separate Signal from Noise

Not all fires are created equal. Some are emotional. Some are cosmetic. Some look big but have no real impact.

My first job is to ask: Does this actually move the business forward or protect it from serious harm? If not, we probably don’t need to drop everything to fix it.

2. I Look at Impact vs. Urgency

Here’s a quick decision matrix I use with clients:
- High Impact + High Urgency → DO IT NOW
- High Impact + Low Urgency → SCHEDULE IT
- Low Impact + High Urgency → DELEGATE OR PUSH BACK
- Low Impact + Low Urgency → IGNORE (for now)

This helps us stay clear-headed when everything feels equally loud.

3. I Consider Emotional Context

Some fires are just flare-ups — someone on the team is panicking, a client is frustrated, or you're personally triggered.

My job is to zoom out, ask a few clarifying questions, and act as a buffer so you don’t spiral or overreact. Not every fire needs your emotional energy.

4. I Ask “What Happens If We Do Nothing?”

Sometimes the most powerful move is no move. I always ask this question before jumping in:

→ Will this fire burn out on its own?
→ Will it still matter in 3 days? 3 weeks?
→ Is someone else already handling it?

Nine times out of ten, urgency fades when you stop feeding it.

5. I Train Your Team to Solve Without You

If you’re the only one solving problems, you’re the bottleneck.

My job isn’t just to solve fires — it’s to build systems, templates, and decision trees so your team can handle 80% of them before they even reach you.

Final Thoughts

You don’t need to be less reactive — you need better filters. As your CoS, I’m the first layer of defense against distraction, urgency addiction, and burnout.

If your days feel like chaos, it might be time to stop firefighting and start triaging.