Inversion Skill for Claude

Apply Inversion to this goal:
[describe your goal]

What would GUARANTEE failure? What should I avoid at all costs?

Use Inversion to evaluate this decision:
[describe the choice you're facing]

If I wanted this to fail spectacularly, what would I do?

Invert this strategy to find weaknesses:
[describe your plan]

How could a competitor or circumstances destroy this plan?

## Forward Statement

**What I want to achieve:**
[Clear, specific goal]

**Current approach:**
[How I'm thinking about solving it]

**Why direct approach may be insufficient:**
[Complexity, uncertainty, blind spots]

## The Inversion

**Original Question:**
"How do I [achieve goal]?"

**Inverted Question:**
"How do I GUARANTEE [failure/opposite of goal]?"

**Reframe:**
Instead of: "How do I build a successful company?"
Ask: "How do I guarantee my company fails?"

Instead of: "How do I have a happy marriage?"
Ask: "How do I guarantee divorce?"

Instead of: "How do I get healthy?"
Ask: "How do I guarantee I stay unhealthy?"

## Failure Recipe

**If I wanted to GUARANTEE failure, I would:**

1. [Action/behavior that ensures failure]
2. [Action/behavior that ensures failure]
3. [Action/behavior that ensures failure]
4. [Action/behavior that ensures failure]
5. [Action/behavior that ensures failure]

**Attitudes that guarantee failure:**
-
-
-

**Decisions that guarantee failure:**
-
-
-

**Habits that guarantee failure:**
-
-
-

## Inversion to Success

| Guaranteed Failure | Therefore, I Must... |
|--------------------|---------------------|
| [Failure action 1] | [Avoid/do opposite] |
| [Failure action 2] | [Avoid/do opposite] |
| [Failure action 3] | [Avoid/do opposite] |

**Key Avoidances (Non-Negotiable):**
1. Never [failure behavior]
2. Never [failure behavior]
3. Never [failure behavior]

**Required Actions (Derived from Inversion):**
1. Always [opposite of failure]
2. Always [opposite of failure]
3. Always [opposite of failure]

## Anti-Goals

**Definition:** Things I commit to NEVER doing, regardless of circumstances.

### My Anti-Goals:

1. **I will NEVER:** [specific anti-goal]
   **Because it guarantees:** [failure outcome]

2. **I will NEVER:** [specific anti-goal]
   **Because it guarantees:** [failure outcome]

3. **I will NEVER:** [specific anti-goal]
   **Because it guarantees:** [failure outcome]

### Tripwires (Early Warning Signs)

If I notice any of these, STOP and reassess:
- [Warning sign that I'm heading toward failure]
- [Warning sign that I'm heading toward failure]
- [Warning sign that I'm heading toward failure]

## Inversion Canvas: [Goal/Problem]

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                         FORWARD VIEW                             │
│                                                                  │
│  GOAL: _________________________________________________        │
│                                                                  │
│  Current approach: ______________________________________       │
│                                                                  │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
                              │
                              ▼
                         INVERT IT
                              │
                              ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                       INVERTED VIEW                              │
│                                                                  │
│  "How do I GUARANTEE failure?"                                  │
│                                                                  │
│  1. ________________________________________________________    │
│  2. ________________________________________________________    │
│  3. ________________________________________________________    │
│  4. ________________________________________________________    │
│  5. ________________________________________________________    │
│                                                                  │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
                              │
                              ▼
                       INVERT BACK
                              │
                              ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                        ACTION VIEW                               │
│                                                                  │
│  ANTI-GOALS (Never do):                                         │
│  1. ________________________________________________________    │
│  2. ________________________________________________________    │
│  3. ________________________________________________________    │
│                                                                  │
│  MUST-DOS (Derived from inversion):                             │
│  1. ________________________________________________________    │
│  2. ________________________________________________________    │
│  3. ________________________________________________________    │
│                                                                  │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

## Quick Inversion (5 Minutes)

**Goal:** ________________________

**Invert:** "How do I guarantee failure?"
□ ________________________________
□ ________________________________
□ ________________________________

**Therefore, I must AVOID:**
□ ________________________________
□ ________________________________
□ ________________________________

**One Anti-Goal to commit to:**
"I will NEVER ________________________________"

## Decision Inversion Template

**Decision:** Should I [option A] or [option B]?

### Invert Option A:
"If I choose A and it fails catastrophically, why?"
-
-
-

### Invert Option B:
"If I choose B and it fails catastrophically, why?"
-
-
-

### Comparison:
| Failure Mode | Option A Risk | Option B Risk |
|--------------|---------------|---------------|
| [Mode 1] | High/Med/Low | High/Med/Low |
| [Mode 2] | High/Med/Low | High/Med/Low |
| [Mode 3] | High/Med/Low | High/Med/Low |

**Insight from Inversion:**
[What did reverse thinking reveal?]

**Decision:**
[Which option has more avoidable failure modes?]

## Charlie Munger's Inversion Questions

Apply these to any goal or decision:

1. "What could cause this to fail completely?"

2. "What would a competitor do to destroy us?"

3. "What's the most likely way I'm wrong?"

4. "What would make me look back and say 'how did I miss that'?"

5. "If this failed, what would the post-mortem say?"

6. "What am I not seeing because I don't want to see it?"

7. "How would a smart, well-resourced enemy attack this?"

8. "What would I have to believe for this to fail?"

## You MUST Apply Inversion When:

- [ ] Stakes are high (career, money, relationships)
- [ ] Decision is irreversible or hard to reverse
- [ ] You're feeling overconfident
- [ ] Everyone agrees (groupthink risk)
- [ ] You haven't considered failure modes
- [ ] The plan seems "foolproof"
- [ ] You're emotionally attached to the outcome

## Warning: Inversion Reveals Uncomfortable Truths

Be prepared to discover:
- Plans you love have fatal flaws
- "Sure things" aren't sure at all
- You've been avoiding obvious risks
- The easy path leads to failure

name: inversion
category: strategy
subcategory: decision-making
version: 1.0
author: MKTG Skills
source_expert: Carl Jacobi, Charlie Munger
source_work: Poor Charlie's Almanack, Seeking Wisdom
difficulty: beginner
estimated_value: $1,500 strategy consultation
tags: [decision-making, risk-analysis, Munger, problem-solving, mental-models]
created: 2026-01-25
updated: 2026-01-25