# Postmortem Lite

## When to use

Use this template when a launch, project, feature rollout, experiment, or milestone has finished and you need a lightweight but useful review. It is designed to help PMs and product leaders learn from outcomes, explain gaps, and decide what should change next.

## Input needed

Prefer to gather the minimum useful context:

- what was shipped or completed
- original goal and expected outcome
- actual result
- major decisions made during execution
- what went well / poorly
- key evidence, metrics, or observed signals

If 1-2 critical facts are still missing and would materially change the review, clarify those first.

## Output goal

Produce a concise review artifact that explains what happened, why it happened, what was learned, and what should change next.

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# Postmortem Lite

## 1. What was reviewed

- What launch, project, experiment, or effort is this review about?
- What was the scope?
- What time period does it cover?

## 2. Original goal

- What were we trying to achieve?
- What did success look like at the start?
- What assumptions shaped the plan?

## 3. Outcome summary

- What actually happened?
- What result did we get?
- Was the outcome stronger, weaker, or different than expected?

## 4. Expected vs actual

### Expected

- What did we believe would happen?

### Actual

- What really happened?

### Gap

- Where was the biggest difference between plan and reality?

## 5. What worked

- Which decisions, actions, or conditions helped?
- What should be repeated in similar future work?

## 6. What did not work

- Which parts underperformed, failed, or created drag?
- Where did execution, scope, timing, alignment, or assumptions break down?

## 7. Root causes

- What were the deeper reasons behind the outcome?
- Separate surface symptoms from underlying causes.
- Avoid blame language; focus on mechanisms and decisions.

## 8. Key lessons

- What are the 3-5 most important learnings?
- What should future PM or cross-functional work do differently?

## 9. Action items

- What should change next?
- What should be fixed, tested, stopped, or standardized?
- Who should own follow-up if known?

## 10. Reusable takeaway

- What lesson from this review is likely to matter again beyond this specific case?

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## Optional short format

For a very lightweight review, compress into:

1. Goal
2. Outcome
3. What worked
4. What did not work
5. Key lesson
6. Next action

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## Notes for use

A strong postmortem should:

- compare expected vs actual clearly
- identify root causes, not just symptoms
- avoid blame-heavy wording
- produce specific lessons and follow-up actions
- help the next decision get better
