Reverse Brainstorm ✨

When forward brainstorming gets stuck, go backwards. Instead of asking “how do we succeed at X?”, ask “how would we guarantee failure at X?” The answers are often darkly funny — and when you flip them, you get genuinely non-obvious ideas.

The Recipe

Step 1 — The Reverse

I'm trying to [your goal or challenge].

First, help me brainstorm the opposite: how would I guarantee failure at this? What are all the ways this could go terribly wrong? What would I do if I *wanted* this to fail? Be creative — the more specific the failure modes, the better.

Give me 10–15 ways to guarantee failure.

Step 2 — The Flip

Now flip each of those failure modes into a positive action or insight. Some of these flips will be obvious. Some will be surprisingly useful. Some won't make sense when inverted — that's fine, just note it.

Example — Marketing a new course

Step 1 — Reverse:

I'm launching an online course on sourdough baking. How would I guarantee it fails? What are all the ways to make sure no one buys it and everyone who does regrets it?

Step 2 — Flip: “The failure: ‘Price it so it feels too cheap to be credible’” → Flip: “Test a price point that signals expertise — £197 instead of £29”

“The failure: ‘Make the title sound like every other baking course’” → Flip: “Name it specifically — ‘Sourdough for people who’ve failed three times already’”

🔁 Leftover Remixes

🌶️ Spicy: “Now pick the 3 most interesting flips. For each one, give me a specific, actionable version I could test this week.”

🧊 Mild: “Skip the flipping — just give me the 5 most surprising failure modes. I’ll do my own flipping.”

💰 Budget: “What’s the one failure mode that, if I avoid it, gives me the best chance of success?”