pre-mortem

A pre-mortem analysis is a structured risk mitigation technique used during product launch planning to identify potential failure points before they occur. It assumes the launch failed and works backward to discover risks, classifying them to prioritize attention effectively.

To conduct a pre-mortem risk analysis, you review your product launch plan to identify potential failure points, classify these risks into specific categories, and then develop concrete mitigation strategies and action plans for the critical issues.

You need a pre-mortem during launch planning, stress testing, or risk mitigation processes. It is used when preparing for a major product rollout to ensure comprehensive risk classification and develop action plans for critical launch-blocking issues.

The best way to categorize pre-mortem risks is to classify them as Tigers, Paper Tigers, or Elephants. This specific risk categorization framework helps product teams prioritize attention and focus mitigation efforts on true launch-blocking threats.

Yes, you can use pre-mortem analysis for stress testing a launch plan. It facilitates structured risk identification by anticipating potential product launch failures and developing concrete mitigation strategies to ensure a smoother rollout.

A pre-mortem differs from standard risk mitigation by proactively assuming the product launch has already failed. This approach forces teams to uncover hidden failure points early and develop targeted action plans, rather than just reacting to identified standard risks.