Meet the subscription app pre-mortem: how to plan for failure before you ship

A pre-mortem is a strategic planning tool that involves envisioning potential failures before a project launch to identify and mitigate risks proactively. Unlike a post-mortem, which analyzes failures after they occur, a pre-mortem encourages teams to imagine a scenario where a project has already failed and to explore the reasons behind it. This method, developed by psychologist Gary Klein, helps teams surface risks that are often already known but unspoken, fostering a culture of openness and psychological safety. It enables teams to handle specific risks by creating action plans, thereby reducing panic and improving decision-making under pressure. Pre-mortems are now widely used across various industries, from startups to corporate boardrooms and even the military, as they help teams prepare for both potential failures and successes by understanding risks and planning responses in advance.