The Reverse Brief: Write the Failure Memo Before You Commit

Core insight: many costly executive mistakes are predictable in form; writing the failure memo before you commit forces you to name the single credible scenario that would make you regret the move and to encode the exact trigger and mitigation you’ll use if it arrives. In ten minutes you’ll get a rigid Reverse Brief template (one-sentence failure headline, three root causes, one early indicator, one immediate mitigation, owner + rollback), three high-leverage prompts to run the brief solo or with an assistant/AI, and three operational patterns to convert the memo into action: pre-authorized rollback language, a monitoring probe, and a 72-hour sanity check. The ritual fits your existing decision cadence, costs under two minutes, preserves optionality, and materially lowers surprise. Fast action: write a Reverse Brief for one imminent decision and attach the monitoring probe to the owner’s daily brief. CTA: subscribe. Signature cue: Stay agentic.