1. Habit
  2. Skills
  3. Pre-mortem skill
phuryn · 10K installs

Pre-mortem skill
Runs by itself, when your launch plan changes.

Launch risks are found while you can still fix them.

Install the Pre-mortem skill and make it a habit: follow https://gethabit.dev/skills/phuryn/pre-mortem.md

  1. 1Copy
  2. 2Paste into Claude Code, Codex or Cursor
  3. 3It runs by itself

10K installs27K starsMIT licenceSource on GitHub ↗

Pre-mortem

by phuryn · 10K installs

The skill

Imagines your launch failed to find the risks.

Only when you ask.

Safer launches

Launch risks are found while you can still fix them. Fewer bad surprises.

↻ Runs by itselfwhen your launch plan changes

How the habit works.
You don't have to.

Three questionsWhen does it start? How does it check its work? What does it remember?

One run, step by step.
Then it stops.

Stop ruleStops after one plan per run and at most one retry.

  1. 01

    Read the plan

    Your agent reads the PRD or product plan and notes the market, assumptions and timeline.

  2. 02

    Imagine failure

    It pictures the launch two weeks out going badly and asks what was missed.

  3. 03

    Sort the risks

    Each risk becomes a Tiger, a Paper Tiger or an Elephant, with Tiger as the default when unsure.

  4. 04

    Rank the Tigers

    Tigers are marked Launch-Blocking, Fast-Follow or Track.

  5. 05

    Plan the fixes

    Every Launch-Blocking Tiger gets a mitigation, an owner role and a due date.

  6. 06

    Save the report

    The analysis is saved as PreMortem-[product-name]-[date].md and the board notes open blockers.

What it may do.
Nothing more.

Safe by defaultIt writes only in its own folder and asks you before anything goes out.

Is it for you?
Use it when it fits.

Quick checkRead both lists. If the left one sounds like you, the Pre-mortem skill helps.

Use it when

  • ✓ a launch is a few weeks away
  • ✓ a PRD needs a stress test
  • ✓ the team avoids hard questions

Skip it when

  • – there is no plan written yet
  • – you need a post-launch incident review

Questions

Pre-mortem skill, answered.

What is the difference between a Tiger and an Elephant?

A Tiger is a risk you can see clearly. An Elephant is a doubt nobody talks about and that needs checking before launch.

Why run it more than once?

The skill suggests a second look a few weeks before launch. As a loop, each plan change gets a fresh check against the last report.

How do I install the Pre-mortem skill?

Copy the prompt at the top into your agent. It installs the skill from phuryn/pm-skills and sets up the habit. Or run npx skills add phuryn/pm-skills --skill pre-mortem.

Is the Pre-mortem skill free?

Yes. It is published under MIT. Habit is free too.

Pre-mortem. Now as a habit.

Install the Pre-mortem skill and make it a habit: follow https://gethabit.dev/skills/phuryn/pre-mortem.md

  • Free
  • No account
  • Undo in one line

All phuryn skills →More planning skills →

Works in

  • Claude Code
  • Codex
  • Cursor
  • ChatGPT
  • Claude app

Made by phuryn, published under MIT. Habit links to the original and never changes it. Is this your skill?

Copying didn't work here. Select the line and copy it by hand.