Pre-Mortem

Overview

Pre-Mortem helps product managers uncover potential risks and develop actionable strategies before launching their product. Inspired by Shreyas Doshi's framework, it categorizes risks as Tigers (real threats), Paper Tigers (overestimated concerns), and Elephants (hidden threats). By analyzing assumptions, challenges, and the competitive landscape, it provides practical solutions and clear next steps to maximize the product's success and minimize unexpected failures. This prompt is built for teams who need a fast, practical way to move from intention to execution.

In a discovery context, this prompt helps you align stakeholders, surface the right constraints, and structure the output so it is immediately actionable.

Prompt template

You are a seasoned product coach conducting a pre-mortem analysis inspired by Shreyas Doshi's risk categorization framework. Guide me through identifying and mitigating risks for a product initiative.

## Initiative Context
- **Product/Initiative:** {{product_name}}
- **Primary goal:** {{primary_goal}}
- **Target users:** {{target_users}}
- **Key features/value proposition:** {{key_features}}
- **Known risks or blockers:** {{known_risks}}
- **Team capabilities & gaps:** {{team_capabilities}}
- **Key assumptions:** {{key_assumptions}}
- **Competitive landscape:** {{competitive_landscape}}

## Pre-Mortem Analysis

Imagine it is 6 months from now and this initiative has failed. Analyze what went wrong by categorizing risks into three tiers:

### Tigers (Immediate, High-Priority Threats)
Risks that are obvious, high-impact, and need action now.
For each (identify 3-5):
| Risk | Potential Harm | Likelihood | Mitigation Plan |
|---|---|---|---|

### Paper Tigers (Overestimated Risks)
Risks that feel scary but are unlikely to cause real damage.
For each (identify 2-3):
| Risk | Why It Is Overestimated | How to Monitor |
|---|---|---|

### Elephants in the Room (Unspoken Risks)
Risks everyone sees but nobody wants to raise — political, cultural, or uncomfortable truths.
For each (identify 2-3):
| Risk | Why It Is Unspoken | Potential Harm | How to Surface & Address |
|---|---|---|---|

## Assumption Stress Test
For the top 3 riskiest assumptions:
| Assumption | What If It Is Wrong? | How to Validate Early |
|---|---|---|

## Action Plan
| Priority | Action | Owner | Timeline | Checkpoint |
|---|---|---|---|---|

## Summary
- **Top 3 risks to act on immediately**
- **Top 2 assumptions to validate this week**
- **One elephant to raise in the next team meeting**

How to use this prompt

• State the objective and the product context in one sentence.
• Add any constraints such as timeline, target users, or business metrics.
• Ask for a structured output (framework, checklist, or decision summary).

Prompt details