Hypotheticals and Counterfactuals

Table of Contents

• Purpose
• When to Use
• What Is It?
• Workflow
• Common Patterns
• Guardrails
• Quick Reference

Purpose

Hypotheticals and Counterfactuals uses "what if" thinking to explore alternative scenarios, test assumptions, understand causal relationships, and prepare for uncertainty. This skill guides you through counterfactual reasoning (what would have happened differently?), scenario exploration (what could happen?), pre-mortem analysis (imagine failure, identify causes), and stress testing decisions against alternative futures.

When to Use

Use this skill when: