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Run a pre-mortem on a launch with owners and early signs

  • For Product managers
  • You practice Asking for a format you can use
  • Time about 5 minutes

About this exercise

Run a pre-mortem for the new checkout launch: imagine it's 3 months later and the launch failed. Write exactly 5 numbered failure reasons in the form '1. Failure: ... | Early sign: ... | Owner: ...', each based on a risk in the notes. Owners must be people from the team list. Plain text, under 160 words. The payment certification is already done, so it is not a risk anymore.

Common mistakes when you ask AI for this

  • Generic failure list. The AI lists textbook launch risks instead of the ones in your notes. Try: Add: "Base each failure on a worry in my notes."
  • Old risks kept. The certification worry is still in the list, so the AI includes it. Try: Add: "The payment certification passed Oct 3. Leave it out."
  • No owners or signs. The AI names what could go wrong but not who watches for it or how you'd notice. Try: Show the shape: "1. Failure: ... | Early sign: ... | Owner: ..."
  • A long risk report. The AI writes headings, mitigations and paragraphs. Try: Add: "Exactly 5 numbered lines, plain text."
  • Trusting the AI to count words. AI is bad at counting words, so a total word cap usually lands over. Try: Cap each part: "each part under 10 words."

What a strong prompt includes

  • Frames it as a pre-mortem
  • Shows the line shape
  • Drops the solved risk
  • Sets the count
  • Caps the length

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