Also known as: inverse thinking, pre-mortem

Inversion

ConceptualFrameworksStrategies

Definition

Inversion: Inversion is a mental model that approaches problems backward—instead of asking how to succeed, ask how to fail, then avoid those failure modes. Inversion reveals obstacles, blind spots, and risks that forward thinking might miss. It's particularly useful for risk management and strategy.

Example Usage

“Asking 'How could this launch fail?' revealed we'd neglected customer support scaling. We fixed it before launch instead of scrambling after.”

Common Misconceptions

Inversion is just pessimism. It's systematic risk identification, not negativity about success.

Only use at project start. Inversion works throughout projects; revisit as circumstances change.

Inversion replaces forward planning. Use both—forward planning for opportunity, inversion for risk.

Related Terms

First Principles Thinking

First principles thinking breaks problems down to their fundamental truths, then reasons up from there—rather than reasoning by analogy to how things...

TechnicalFrameworksStrategies