# Pre Mortem

> Perform a pre-mortem analysis on a project or plan. Assumes future failure and traces root causes back to current decisions to provide prospective hindsight.

- Skill: `majiayu000/pre-mortem-12` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 2 files)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add majiayu000/pre-mortem-12`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/majiayu000/pre-mortem-12/raw
- Safety review: pending (external: skill-scanner PASS, skillspector PASS)
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Coding & Dev Tools
- Author: majiayu000 (https://skillmd.com/u/majiayu000)
- Updated: 2026-09-22
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/majiayu000/pre-mortem-12

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Imagine it is [FUTURE DATE, e.g., six months from now]. The [PROJECT NAME] project has failed spectacularly. It was a complete disaster, resulting in [SPECIFIC NEGATIVE BUSINESS OUTCOME, e.g., 40% customer churn, a major security breach, a total budget overrun].

You are the lead investigator writing the internal autopsy report. Your job is to uncover the root causes of the failure.

Do not speculate on *if* it might fail. You must assume it *has* failed.

Your task:
1. Write a brief, 1-2 paragraph narrative describing how the failure unfolded.
2. Based on that narrative, identify the top 3-5 root causes of the failure. For each root cause, trace it back to a specific decision, assumption, or action made in the plan *today*.
3. Be specific and unflinching in your analysis. Your goal is to provide the team with the "prospective hindsight" needed to prevent this future from happening.