/cs:post-mortem — Honest Retrospective
/cs:post-mortem <decision> — Honest retrospective on an executed decision, scored against original assumptions and dissent.
How to use it
Claude Code
- Run the line below. It pulls the whole folder into
~/.claude/skills/post-mortem, including the files SKILL.md points to. - Describe your job in plain words. Claude Code follows the skill from there.
Claude Code — installs the whole folder, not just SKILL.md
npx degit alirezarezvani/claude-skills/c-level-agents/skills/post-mortem#main ~/.claude/skills/post-mortemFor one project only, change the path to .claude/skills/post-mortem. This skill also uses company-context.md — copying SKILL.md alone won't be enough. See the folder on GitHub.
Claude (web or desktop app)
- On this page open ⋯ → Download .md.
- Save it as SKILL.md in a folder, zip the folder, then Customize → Skills → + → Create skill → Upload a skill.
- Pick the file and Save. Claude shows the name and description and runs a security scan.
- Check the skill is switched on.
- Start a new chat and describe your job in plain words. The AI follows the skill from there.
ChatGPT or another app
- ChatGPT: make a Project and paste it into Instructions.
- Neither? Paste it at the top of a new chat — it works for that chat.
Not working?
- Check which app you pasted it into — the steps above name the right one.
- Some skills need the paid tier of Claude or ChatGPT.
Paste into Claude, ChatGPT or Cursor.
Source of /cs:post-mortem — Honest Retrospective
Show the full text116 lines
| name | description |
|---|---|
| post-mortem | /cs:post-mortem <decision> — Honest retrospective on an executed decision, scored against original assumptions and dissent. Closes the strategic sprint loop. Use when a decision hits its 90-day review checkpoint or its kill criteria trigger — e.g. scoring last quarter's pricing change against its pre-committed success metrics. |
/cs:post-mortem — Honest Retrospective
Command: /cs:post-mortem <decision-path>
Closes the strategic sprint loop. Scores a decision against the success and kill criteria written before the decision (not retro-fitted) and revisits the preserved dissent. This is the rigor that compounds over time.
Pipeline Position
/cs:office-hours → /cs:brief → /cs:boardroom → /cs:decide → /cs:execute → /cs:post-mortem
↑ you are here
When to Run
- At the 90-day checkpoint (auto-scheduled by
/cs:decide) - When a kill criterion triggers
- After a major decision is reversed
- Quarterly on all decisions of the past quarter
Inputs
- The decision record (output of
/cs:decide) - The execution plan (output of
/cs:execute) - Actual outcomes (metrics, events, customer signals)
Output: Post-Mortem Record
Saved to ~/.claude/postmortems/YYYY-MM-DD-<slug>.md:
# Post-Mortem: <decision title>
**Decision date:** YYYY-MM-DD
**Post-mortem date:** YYYY-MM-DD
**Status:** WIN / PARTIAL / LOSS / MIXED
## Outcome Scoring (against pre-committed criteria)
| Success Criterion | Threshold | Actual | Met? |
|---|---|---|---|
| <metric 1> | <threshold> | <actual> | ✅ / ❌ |
| <metric 2> | <threshold> | <actual> | ✅ / ❌ |
| Kill Criterion | Threshold | Actual | Triggered? |
|---|---|---|---|
| <metric> | <threshold> | <actual> | ✅ / ❌ |
**Overall:** WIN / PARTIAL / LOSS / MIXED
## What We Got Right
- <factor 1>
- <factor 2>
## What We Got Wrong
- <factor 1>
- <factor 2>
## Preserved Dissent — Revisited
[Original dissent from the boardroom memo, scored:]
- **<dissenter>:** <original concern>
- **Did it materialize?** YES / NO / PARTIAL
- **Cost if YES:** <quantified impact>
- **Lesson:** <one sentence>
## Assumption Audit
[Original brief's assumptions, scored:]
- **Assumption 1:** <text>
- **Held?** YES / NO / PARTIAL
- **Why:** <explanation>
## Process Lessons
- **Phase 2 isolation worked?** YES / NO
- **Devil's advocate concerns played out?** YES / NO / PARTIAL
- **Cadence was right?** YES / TOO LOOSE / TOO TIGHT
## Forward Actions
- [ ] <change to operating system or routing logic>
- [ ] <new decision to make based on this learning>
- [ ] <update company-context.md>
## Status
- WIN → archive, log lesson
- LOSS → schedule follow-up boardroom: `/cs:brief` for the next call
Why Pre-Committed Criteria Matter
The biggest temptation in post-mortems is retroactive justification: "we always knew X, that's why we did Y." Pre-committed criteria, signed at /cs:decide time, eliminate that move. The numbers either matched or they didn't.
Why Revisit Dissent
The dissent column from /cs:boardroom is the single most useful piece of organizational memory. Most of the time, the dissenter was directionally right. Revisiting and scoring it builds calibration over years.
Routing
/cs:brief— if the post-mortem surfaces a new decision/cs:freeze— if the post-mortem reveals a process gap that needs cooldown enforcement- Updates to company-context.md via
cs-onboard
Related
- Skill:
decision-logger - Agent:
cs-chief-of-staff - Sibling:
/em:postmortem— adversarial single-decision post-mortem
Version: 1.0.0
| 1 | |
| 2 | name "post-mortem" |
| 3 | description "/cs:post-mortem <decision> — Honest retrospective on an executed decision, scored against original assumptions and dissent. Closes the strategic sprint loop. Use when a decision hits its 90-day review checkpoint or its kill criteria trigger — e.g. scoring last quarter's pricing change against its pre-committed success metrics." |
| 4 | |
| 5 | |
| 6 | # /cs:post-mortem — Honest Retrospective |
| 7 | |
| 8 | **Command:** `/cs:post-mortem <decision-path>` |
| 9 | |
| 10 | Closes the strategic sprint loop. Scores a decision against the success and kill criteria written **before** the decision (not retro-fitted) and revisits the preserved dissent. This is the rigor that compounds over time. |
| 11 | |
| 12 | ## Pipeline Position |
| 13 | |
| 14 | |
| 15 | /cs:office-hours → /cs:brief → /cs:boardroom → /cs:decide → /cs:execute → /cs:post-mortem |
| 16 | ↑ you are here |
| 17 | |
| 18 | |
| 19 | ## When to Run |
| 20 | |
| 21 | At the 90-day checkpoint (auto-scheduled by `/cs:decide`) |
| 22 | When a kill criterion triggers |
| 23 | After a major decision is reversed |
| 24 | Quarterly on all decisions of the past quarter |
| 25 | |
| 26 | ## Inputs |
| 27 | |
| 28 | The decision record (output of `/cs:decide`) |
| 29 | The execution plan (output of `/cs:execute`) |
| 30 | Actual outcomes (metrics, events, customer signals) |
| 31 | |
| 32 | ## Output: Post-Mortem Record |
| 33 | |
| 34 | Saved to `~/.claude/postmortems/YYYY-MM-DD-<slug>.md`: |
| 35 | |
| 36 | |
| 37 | # Post-Mortem: <decision title> |
| 38 | **Decision date:** YYYY-MM-DD |
| 39 | **Post-mortem date:** YYYY-MM-DD |
| 40 | **Status:** WIN / PARTIAL / LOSS / MIXED |
| 41 | |
| 42 | ## Outcome Scoring (against pre-committed criteria) |
| 43 | |
| 44 | | Success Criterion | Threshold | Actual | Met? | |
| 45 | |---|---|---|---| |
| 46 | | <metric 1> | <threshold> | <actual> | ✅ / ❌ | |
| 47 | | <metric 2> | <threshold> | <actual> | ✅ / ❌ | |
| 48 | |
| 49 | | Kill Criterion | Threshold | Actual | Triggered? | |
| 50 | |---|---|---|---| |
| 51 | | <metric> | <threshold> | <actual> | ✅ / ❌ | |
| 52 | |
| 53 | **Overall:** WIN / PARTIAL / LOSS / MIXED |
| 54 | |
| 55 | ## What We Got Right |
| 56 | - <factor 1> |
| 57 | - <factor 2> |
| 58 | |
| 59 | ## What We Got Wrong |
| 60 | - <factor 1> |
| 61 | - <factor 2> |
| 62 | |
| 63 | ## Preserved Dissent — Revisited |
| 64 | [Original dissent from the boardroom memo, scored:] |
| 65 | |
| 66 | - **<dissenter>:** <original concern> |
| 67 | - **Did it materialize?** YES / NO / PARTIAL |
| 68 | - **Cost if YES:** <quantified impact> |
| 69 | - **Lesson:** <one sentence> |
| 70 | |
| 71 | ## Assumption Audit |
| 72 | [Original brief's assumptions, scored:] |
| 73 | |
| 74 | - **Assumption 1:** <text> |
| 75 | - **Held?** YES / NO / PARTIAL |
| 76 | - **Why:** <explanation> |
| 77 | |
| 78 | ## Process Lessons |
| 79 | - **Phase 2 isolation worked?** YES / NO |
| 80 | - **Devil's advocate concerns played out?** YES / NO / PARTIAL |
| 81 | - **Cadence was right?** YES / TOO LOOSE / TOO TIGHT |
| 82 | |
| 83 | ## Forward Actions |
| 84 | - [ ] <change to operating system or routing logic> |
| 85 | - [ ] <new decision to make based on this learning> |
| 86 | - [ ] <update company-context.md> |
| 87 | |
| 88 | ## Status |
| 89 | - WIN → archive, log lesson |
| 90 | - LOSS → schedule follow-up boardroom: `/cs:brief` for the next call |
| 91 | |
| 92 | |
| 93 | ## Why Pre-Committed Criteria Matter |
| 94 | |
| 95 | The biggest temptation in post-mortems is retroactive justification: "we always knew X, that's why we did Y." Pre-committed criteria, signed at `/cs:decide` time, eliminate that move. The numbers either matched or they didn't. |
| 96 | |
| 97 | ## Why Revisit Dissent |
| 98 | |
| 99 | The dissent column from `/cs:boardroom` is the single most useful piece of organizational memory. Most of the time, the dissenter was directionally right. Revisiting and scoring it builds calibration over years. |
| 100 | |
| 101 | ## Routing |
| 102 | |
| 103 | `/cs:brief` — if the post-mortem surfaces a new decision |
| 104 | `/cs:freeze` — if the post-mortem reveals a process gap that needs cooldown enforcement |
| 105 | Updates to company-context.md via `cs-onboard` |
| 106 | |
| 107 | ## Related |
| 108 | |
| 109 | Skill: [`decision-logger`] |
| 110 | Agent: [`cs-chief-of-staff`] |
| 111 | Sibling: [`/em:postmortem`] — adversarial single-decision post-mortem |
| 112 | |
| 113 | |
| 114 | |
| 115 | **Version:** 1.0.0 |
| 116 |
Discussion
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