Nikolaj K. Mandsberg
Decision Fluency & Systems Design · Physics PhD · TEDx Speaker · Reviewer @ Mercor & Outlier · Postdoc (KIT & DTU) · FindMyLab Founder
I'm Dr. Nikolaj K. Mandsberg, a physicist obsessed with decision quality—from lab benches to life choices.
My work spans 47 countries and roles as Royal Guard, Fulbright Fellow, and "PhD Thesis of the Year" recipient.
After postdocs at DTU's IDUN Centre and KIT's Levkin Group, I now review research for Mercor & Outlier and speak on decision fluency at TEDx.
Across products and research, I build systems that improve how people decide:
FindMyLab structures complex selection decisions in academia,
DecideBetterDaily trains everyday decision habits,
and Fishbowl turns intention into action by surfacing avoided tasks.
The Decision Fluency Framework
Great decisions are not a single moment of insight—they are a repeatable process.
The tools below are built around five stages of decision fluency:
- Clarify: Define the real problem and what "good" looks like.
- Explore: Surface options and relevant information without overload.
- Prioritize: Choose what matters now and what can wait.
- Act: Reduce friction between decision and execution.
- Learn: Capture feedback and improve the next decision.
Each product targets specific stages, so together they form an end-to-end decision support system for careers, research, and daily life.
629
Citations informing how I model complex decisions
25+
Publications on materials, systems, and structured thinking
13
h-index grounding my tools in peer-reviewed evidence
47
Countries shaping my perspective on how people decide
FindMyLab – High-Stakes Selection Decisions
Primary stages: Explore → Prioritize → Act
FindMyLab structures one of academia's messiest decisions:
which unsolicited applications to engage, and which future researchers to bet on.
It turns random inbox chaos into a transparent decision pipeline:
- Explore: Standardized candidate profiles make options comparable.
- Prioritize: Filters and structure highlight the highest-leverage applicants.
- Act: Labs can respond, shortlist, and follow up from a single dashboard.
Live now: Free for labs. Turn unsolicited student emails into organized application dashboards,
review standardized profiles, and discover self-funded PhD talent with €200k+ potential.
Try FindMyLab →
Full decision workflow →
DecideBetterDaily – Train Your Decision Muscle
Primary stages: Clarify → Choose → Learn
DecideBetterDaily is a micro-journal and framework that turns everyday choices into
a deliberate learning loop:
- Clarify: Define the decision, constraints, and success criteria in a few lines.
- Choose: Compare options quickly, without getting stuck in analysis paralysis.
- Learn: Reflect on outcomes, spot patterns, and refine future decisions.
The result: instant problem-solving gratification, and long-term clarity about
what actually works for you.
Start journaling now →
Discover the framework →
Fishbowl – Bridge the Gap Between Knowing and Doing
Primary stages: Prioritize → Act
Most people don't fail at deciding what to do—they fail at doing the thing they already chose.
Fishbowl is a minimal to-do system focused on follow-through:
- Prioritize: Surface the tasks you consistently avoid, not just the easy wins.
- Act: Commit to small, concrete steps that build momentum.
- Feedback: When you skip, you log a reason—turning procrastination into data.
Over time, you see why you stall and design better environments and strategies for execution.
Try Fishbowl live →
See how it closes the action gap →