# How to Run a Pre-Mortem Risk Analysis Using the /pre-mortem Command

> Learn how to run a pre-mortem risk analysis using the /pre-mortem command. Generate a categorized risk report identifying Tigers, Paper Tigers, and Elephants before launch with this powerful tool.

- Repository: [Pawel Huryn/pm-skills](https://github.com/phuryn/pm-skills)
- Tags: how-to-guide
- Published: 2026-06-11

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**The `/pre-mortem` command loads the pre-mortem skill definition from the pm-execution plugin and processes your product requirements to generate a categorized risk report identifying Tigers, Paper Tigers, and Elephants before launch.**

The `/pre-mortem` command in the **phuryn/pm-skills** repository enables product teams to conduct proactive risk analysis by imagining a launch has already failed. As part of the **pm-execution** plugin, this command leverages a Markdown-based skill architecture to analyze your product requirements document (PRD), launch plan, or feature description without requiring custom code. This guide explains how to execute a pre-mortem risk analysis using the command structure defined in the pm-skills source code.

## What Is the /pre-mortem Command?

The `/pre-mortem` command is a thin wrapper defined in [`pm-execution/commands/pre-mortem.md`](https://github.com/phuryn/pm-skills/blob/main/pm-execution/commands/pre-mortem.md) that interfaces with the pm-toolkit runtime. According to the phuryn/pm-skills source code, the command parses its header block to expect a free-form argument (`<PRD, plan, or feature description>`). When invoked, the runtime automatically maps this command to the corresponding skill definition located at [`pm-execution/skills/pre-mortem/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/phuryn/pm-skills/blob/main/pm-execution/skills/pre-mortem/SKILL.md), injecting the `$ARGUMENTS` placeholder to pass your input to the AI.

## How the Pre-Mortem Workflow Executes

### 1. Command Dispatch and Argument Parsing

The command file [`pm-execution/commands/pre-mortem.md`](https://github.com/phuryn/pm-skills/blob/main/pm-execution/commands/pre-mortem.md) contains a YAML header block (delimited by `---`) that instructs the pm-toolkit runtime to expect a free-form text argument. This argument accepts raw text descriptions or uploaded documents via the `<upload: filename>` syntax.

### 2. Skill Loading and Execution

When triggered, the runtime searches for a skill matching the command name (`pre-mortem`) and loads [`pm-execution/skills/pre-mortem/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/phuryn/pm-skills/blob/main/pm-execution/skills/pre-mortem/SKILL.md). The skill's **Instructions** section directs the AI (Claude) to simulate a failed launch scenario, systematically enumerating potential risks from your input material.

### 3. Risk Classification and Ranking

The skill categorizes identified risks into three distinct types:

- **Tigers**: Real, launch-threatening risks requiring immediate mitigation
- **Paper Tigers**: Overblown concerns that appear dangerous but pose minimal actual threat  
- **Elephants**: Obvious, unaddressed issues that everyone sees but no one has documented

For Tigers, the system further ranks them by urgency into **launch-blocking**, **fast-follow**, and **track** categories.

### 4. Report Generation

The skill formats output as a structured Markdown report containing a risk table with columns for Likelihood, Impact, Mitigation strategy, Owner, and Deadline, plus a Go/No-Go checklist.

## Running a Pre-Mortem Analysis

### Basic Text Input

Invoke the command followed by your feature description:

```markdown
/pre-mortem We're launching a self-serve billing portal next month with Stripe integration and user onboarding flows

```

### Uploading a PRD Document

For comprehensive analysis of existing documentation:

```markdown
/pre-mortem <upload: MyProduct_PRD.pdf>

```

The pm-toolkit's file-ingestion layer extracts relevant sections from PDFs or other document formats before processing.

## Sample Output Structure

The generated report follows this exact structure:

```markdown

## Pre-Mortem: Billing Portal

### Tigers (Real Risks)

| # | Risk | Likelihood | Impact | Mitigation | Owner | Deadline |

|---|------|------------|--------|------------|-------|----------|
| 1 | Payment gateway downtime | High | High | Add fallback provider | Engineering | 2026-07-01 |
| 2 | Inadequate onboarding | Medium | Medium | Create step-by-step guide | UX Lead | 2026-06-25 |

### Paper Tigers (Overblown Concerns)

- "Customers will hate the UI" – usability testing shows 90% satisfaction.

### Elephants in the Room

- Cross-team hand-off for tax compliance is not documented; schedule a sync.

### Go/No-Go Checklist

- [ ] All launch-blocking Tigers mitigated
- [ ] Fast-follow plan documented
- [ ] Monitoring in place for Track Tigers

```

## Customizing the Analysis

Because both the command and skill are pure-Markdown specifications, you can modify behavior by editing [`pm-execution/skills/pre-mortem/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/phuryn/pm-skills/blob/main/pm-execution/skills/pre-mortem/SKILL.md). The underlying **pm-toolkit** automatically maps the command to the skill and returns the structured output, so no custom code compilation is required to adjust risk categories or output formats.

## Summary

- The `/pre-mortem` command in phuryn/pm-skills wraps the pre-mortem skill to analyze product documents for potential launch failures.
- The workflow involves command dispatch in [`pm-execution/commands/pre-mortem.md`](https://github.com/phuryn/pm-skills/blob/main/pm-execution/commands/pre-mortem.md), skill loading from [`pm-execution/skills/pre-mortem/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/phuryn/pm-skills/blob/main/pm-execution/skills/pre-mortem/SKILL.md), and AI-driven risk enumeration.
- Risks are classified as **Tigers** (real threats ranked by urgency), **Paper Tigers** (overblown concerns), and **Elephants** (unaddressed obvious issues).
- Input accepts free-form text or uploaded documents via the `<upload:>` syntax, with the runtime injecting content via the `$ARGUMENTS` placeholder.
- Output generates a structured Markdown report with mitigation tables and Go/No-Go checklists.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### What file types does the /pre-mortem command support?

The command accepts free-form text input directly or document uploads via the `<upload: filename>` syntax. According to the pm-toolkit architecture implemented in phuryn/pm-skills, the file-ingestion layer processes PDFs and other standard document formats to extract relevant sections for analysis.

### Where is the pre-mortem logic actually defined?

The core logic resides in [`pm-execution/skills/pre-mortem/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/phuryn/pm-skills/blob/main/pm-execution/skills/pre-mortem/SKILL.md), which contains the Instructions section that drives the AI analysis. The command wrapper in [`pm-execution/commands/pre-mortem.md`](https://github.com/phuryn/pm-skills/blob/main/pm-execution/commands/pre-mortem.md) simply defines the interface and maps user input to this skill.

### Can I modify the risk categories (Tigers, Paper Tigers, Elephants)?

Yes. Because the system uses Markdown-based skill definitions, you can edit [`pm-execution/skills/pre-mortem/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/phuryn/pm-skills/blob/main/pm-execution/skills/pre-mortem/SKILL.md) to adjust the classification criteria, add new risk categories, or modify the ranking system for Tigers without writing custom code.

### How does the command handle follow-up actions after the report?

The command definition optionally suggests next steps such as updating the PRD, creating test scenarios, or drafting a launch checklist based on the identified risks. These follow-up actions are defined in the skill specification and trigger based on the generated risk report output.