Hormozi's team didn't just plan for success; they systematically identified every potential point of failure ("choke points") from ad platforms to payment processors. By asking "how would we fail?" and creating contingencies for each scenario, they proactively managed risk for a complex, high-stakes event.
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The 'burn the boats' strategy isn't about blind commitment. It requires first contemplating the worst-case scenario and building mitigation plans *within* your Plan A. Only then do you eliminate escape routes (Plan B) to ensure full commitment and motivation.
During product discovery, Amazon teams ask, "What would be our worst possible news headline?" This pre-mortem practice forces the team to identify and confront potential weak points, blind spots, and negative outcomes upfront. It's a powerful tool for looking around corners and ensuring all bases are covered before committing to build.
Before a major initiative, run a simple thought experiment: what are the best and worst possible news headlines? If the worst-case headline is indefensible from a process, intent, or PR perspective, the risk may be too high. This forces teams to confront potential negative outcomes early.
An agency launched its webinar program specifically for a major influencer collaboration. This meant navigating a new format, new technology, and their largest-ever promotional effort simultaneously, which amplified the risk of critical errors like failing to record the session.
Instead of creating a massive risk register, identify the core assumptions your product relies on. Prioritize testing the one that, if proven wrong, would cause your product to fail the fastest. This focuses effort on existential threats over minor issues.
The 'fake press release' is a useful vision-setting tool, but a 'pre-mortem' is more tactical. It involves writing out two scenarios before a project starts: one detailing exactly *why* it succeeded (e.g., team structure, metrics alignment) and another detailing *why* it failed. This forces a proactive discussion of process and risks, not just the desired outcome.
Owning a project launch means being accountable for its success, requiring more than execution. It involves proactively identifying all possible failure modes (technical, infrastructural, etc.) and systematically working backward to prevent them. This active risk mitigation is the essence of strong ownership.
To inject responsibility into a speed-obsessed culture, frame the conversation around specific risks. Create documented assumptions about what might break and, crucially, identify who bears the impact if things go wrong. This forces a deliberate consideration of consequences.
Before starting a project, ask the team to imagine it has failed and write a story explaining why. This exercise in 'time travel' bypasses optimism bias and surfaces critical operational risks, resource gaps, and flawed assumptions that would otherwise be missed until it's too late.
Hard Numbers agency launched during the COVID pandemic by creating a financial model assuming zero client wins for six months. This worst-case scenario planning provided the confidence to proceed during extreme market uncertainty, proving to be a critical risk mitigation strategy.