Inversion Process Checklist

Problem Definition

I have clearly articulated the problem I’m trying to solve

I have identified my current approach or intended solution

I have stated what success would look like

Goal Inversion

I have asked: “What would guarantee failure in this situation?”

I have listed specific actions that would make the problem worse

I have identified conditions that would prevent success

I have considered both obvious and non-obvious failure modes

Assumption Inversion

I have listed key assumptions underlying my current approach

I have deliberately reversed each major assumption

I have explored the implications of these reversed assumptions

I have identified which reversed assumptions reveal interesting insights

Pre-Mortem Analysis

I have imagined the project/solution has completely failed

I have written a detailed “history” of what went wrong

I have identified the most likely causes of this hypothetical failure

I have developed preventative measures for each potential cause

Negative Visualization

I have visualized specific obstacles that might arise

I have imagined worst-case scenarios in detail

I have considered how I would respond to each scenario

I have identified which risks are most important to mitigate

“Not To-Do” List Development

I have identified actions to avoid based on inversion insights

I have listed behaviors that would waste resources or increase risk

I have noted common mistakes in this domain to avoid

I have created clear boundaries for the solution approach

Solution Inversion

I have taken my “how to fail” insights and inverted them into success strategies

I have converted each “what not to do” into a positive action

I have prioritized the most important preventative measures

I have incorporated these insights into my solution approach

Regret Minimization

I have projected myself into the future (e.g., 1, 5, 10 years)

I have considered which decision I would most regret not taking

I have evaluated long-term consequences rather than just immediate outcomes

I have used this future perspective to inform my current decision

Documentation

I have documented my inversion analysis process

I have recorded both the “how to fail” insights and their inverted solutions

I have noted which inversions provided the most valuable insights

I have integrated inversion insights with other problem-solving approaches

inversion_process_checklist