inversion

Inversion attacks a goal from the back. Instead of asking "how do I achieve X?", it asks "what would guarantee I fail at X, or produce the opposite?", enumerates those failure paths, then systematically avoids or neutralizes them. The move follows Carl Jacobi's maxim "invert, always invert" and Charlie Munger's preference for avoiding stupidity over chasing brilliance. Catches the failure where forward planning chases clever optimization while an obvious, avoidable path to ruin sits in plain sight.

The framework, the two uses (a goal to reach, a quality to protect), and the avoid-rule logic live in references/inversion.md. Load that file before working and follow the inverted-question and avoid-list rules exactly.

When to use

The user has a goal, problem, or quality to protect and wants to find what would wreck it, so they can steer clear. Inversion is general and generative: it applies to any goal, including ones with no plan yet, and it returns a list of things to avoid and the constraints they imply. If there is already a specific, formed plan and the user wants that exact plan stress-tested, prefer pre-mortem, which assumes the plan failed and works backward to harden it. Inversion needs no plan; a pre-mortem needs one.

Language

Conduct the session and write the report in the language the user is writing in. The reference file is English; keep the framework keyed to it regardless of output language.

Inputs

• GOAL (required): the goal, problem, or quality to invert. Stated forward ("keep our best engineers", "launch a product users trust"). An inversion without a goal has nothing to invert, so if the user does not give one, ask for it before starting.
• CONTEXT (optional): constraints, the setting, who is involved, the time horizon, and what "the opposite outcome" concretely looks like. Sharpens both the failure generation and the avoid-list.