Negative Visualisation
Pre-mortem thinking as a cultural reflex.
TL;DR
Before we ship, we simulate failure. We ask:
What breaks? What erodes trust? What silently fails?
This is not pessimism — this is operational foresight.
What is Negative Visualisation?
Negative visualisation is a mental model borrowed from Stoicism and upgraded for modern execution. At its core, it means thinking vividly and precisely about how things might go wrong — not to dwell, but to design better systemsthat avoid those outcomes.
Unlike a retrospective post-mortem (where the damage is done), a pre-mortem is a simulation.
It asks:
“Assume this fails. How did it happen?”
The aim is not to catastrophise, but to anticipate entropy — because entropy is coming. Our job is to intercept it before it lands.
Why Use It?
We operate in a high-trust, high-autonomy culture. That means more freedom — and more fragility.
One unforced error can erode a client’s confidence, damage internal trust, or break a growth engine in ways that compound silently.
Pre-mortems help us:
• Surface hidden risks before they surface themselves
• Pre-wire escalation paths before we need them
• Design for resilience, not just speed
• Catch silent breakages — the ones that do not explode, just erode
How to Run a Pre-Mortem
Use this before launch, delivery, or final sign-off — especially for projects with external exposure or multi-variable complexity.
Step 1: Set the frame
“It is six weeks after launch. This project failed. It failed badly.”
Step 2: Ask hard questions
• What failed — and why?
• Where was trust lost?
• What were we blind to?
• What failed silently, but fatally?
• Where were we overconfident?
• What did we assume that turned out false?
Step 3: Build pre-emptive responses
• What can we do now to prevent that scenario?
• What safeguards would make that failure impossible?
• If it does happen, how will we know fast?
Step 4: Document one change or checkpoint as a result
If no system changes, you did not run a pre-mortem. You had a daydream.
Examples in Practice
Campaign delivery:
“Assume the client says this feels low quality. What made them feel that? How did we let that happen?”
Investor outreach:
“Assume no warm intros converted. What went wrong — narrative, targeting, formatting, timing?”
System design:
“Assume adoption of this tool fails internally. Why? Is it friction? Is it unclear ownership? Too much complexity?”
This Is Not Anxiety
Negative visualisation is not worry disguised as strategy.
It is agency over entropy.
We do not run pre-mortems to protect feelings. We run them to protect trust, reputation, momentum, and outcomes.
We want robust outputs, not just fast ones.
In a world of move fast and break things, our edge is moving fast without breaking what matters.
Ready to swap polish for action?
Not just another agency—we use antifragile strategies to drive massive growth.
Our results-driven approach means every penny drives real, measurable performance.
About Rogue Divisions
Rogue Divisions empowers brands and startups by merging cutting-edge storytelling with innovative strategies to amplify narratives and drive meaningful engagement. Specialising in impactful content marketing and innovative, marketing-driven capital raising strategies, we deliver media that not only captivates audiences but also fosters understanding and inspires action. Leveraging our expertise in marketing, psychology, and design, we provide a comprehensive, hassle-free service. Our technology-driven approach ensures not just quality content but measurable results, helping you achieve your goals—whether it’s brand elevation, audience growth, or capital raising. We are redefining the future of media production—offering a simple, cost-effective solution that scales with your ambitions.
Contact
Sage Dillon
Founder & Creative Director
sage@roguedivisions.com
General Enquires
contact@roguedivisions.com
0800 009 6613