A methodology of reasoning by inversion. Instead of defining what one wants to achieve, it defines the anti-objective — everything that would guarantee failure — and works backwards to eliminate the conditions for failure.
Inspired by Charlie Munger's inversion principle: "Tell me where I'm going to die so I'll never go there."
Context & Strategy
How it was born
Formalised as a framework from a reasoning pattern that António Martins already used in consulting: before recommending any strategy, systematically list what would make it fail. INVERT transforms that pattern into a replicable process.
What it does in practice
Used as a pre-mortem tool before important strategic decisions. It is one of the support instruments for DECIDE-X and RIA (Reverse Intent Analysis). It also functions as a teaching tool in critical thinking programmes.