About the Reverse Brainstorming template
To build a successful product, sometimes you need to think about how it could fail. The Reverse Brainstorming template provides a structured and creative way to proactively identify and address potential weaknesses before they become real problems. Instead of just planning for success, this process gives your team permission to think critically and uncover the hidden risks that are easy to miss during typical planning sessions.
How to use the Reverse Brainstorming template
Define your goal. Start with a clear objective for your project or feature. What does success look like? For example, your goal might be to "Increase NPS" or "Decrease the percentage of customers who cancel their service."
Flip the goal. Turn your success statement into a failure scenario. For example, if your goal is "Increase NPS," the flipped goal becomes "Worsen NPS."
Brainstorm causes of failure. With the failure scenario in mind, your team can now list all the potential reasons it could happen. This could range from major issues like removing customer support and not fixing bugs to confusing copy or poor performance.
Generate solutions and plan your actions. For each potential cause of failure, brainstorm a preventative solution. This turns a list of abstract risks into a concrete action plan, complete with an owner and due date for each task, ensuring your team can build a more resilient and successful product.
Why use the Reverse Brainstorming template?
Uncover hidden risks and blind spots. By focusing on failure, your team can identify challenges that wouldn’t surface in a typical, positive-focused brainstorm.
Build more resilient products. This process allows you to address potential issues during the planning phase, saving time and resources that would be spent fixing problems after launch.
Turn risk into an actionable plan. You don’t just end with a list of worries; you end with a clear set of tasks to improve your product, grounded in tangible moments of the user experience.
