Why this is called Abilene
One scorching afternoon in Coleman, Texas, a family is sitting on the porch, perfectly content. Somebody says, "We could drive up to Abilene for dinner." It's fifty-odd miles in the heat, in a car with no air conditioning. Nobody really wants to go — but nobody wants to be the one to say so, so each of them shrugs and agrees, figuring the others are keen.
They drive the hundred-plus miles round trip. It's hot, the food is bad, and they come home wrung out. Back on the porch, somebody finally admits they only went along to keep everyone else happy. And then it comes out: not one person at that table had wanted to go. They'd all just talked themselves into a trip none of them wanted, each one sure they were the odd one out.
That's the trap this is built to catch: ending up somewhere neither of you actually wanted — not because you disagreed, but because you never said out loud what you felt.
So before you decide anything together, you'll each do a short exercise — on your own, honestly — that surfaces what genuinely weighs on you. Then you'll see both pictures side by side: where you line up, and where you quietly don't. About five minutes each.
Together · step one
Describe the decision in plain language — the way you'd say it to a friend. It doesn't have to be perfect. Once it's down, you can ask Claude to help sharpen it before you both agree on the wording.
Together · step two
Create seven things that factor into your decision — the considerations you'll weigh against each other. Make each one a single, distinct thing: not a bundle, and not an option ("move to LA" is a choice, not a consideration). Get a starting set from Claude or write your own. Then edit freely: tap any field to change its wording, tap × to remove one, and "+ Add a consideration" to add. Land on exactly seven, then you'll both confirm below before starting.
You'll make twenty-one quick comparisons — two of your considerations at a time. For each, choose which matters more to you, and how strongly. They come in mixed order on purpose: answer each one on its own, and don't try to keep them consistent with each other. Your first instinct is usually the honest one.
When you finish you'll see your own profile, then hand the device to .
Which matters more to you?
Two at a time, in mixed order. Answer each on its own.
What your comparisons revealed — highest to lowest. Keep this to yourself for now.
Now hand the device to .
Do this on your own — don't look at 's results before you finish. The whole point is that your two answers are independent; that's what makes the comparison at the end mean something. You'll see both profiles together once you're done.
What your comparisons revealed — highest to lowest.
Combined results
What this suggests
Reading your profiles…