Why Aren't You Game

A framework for identifying business blind spots and risky assumptions through two key questioning games.

The "Cause of Death" Game

• Imagine meeting in 1 year and the business failed
• Ask "What went wrong?" to identify:
  • Riskiest assumptions being made
  • Most vulnerable parts of the business
  • Paths that leave no backup options
• More effective than directly asking "What's your biggest risk?"
• Forces visualization of specific failure scenarios

The "Why The F*** Aren't You" Game

• Look objectively at current operations
• Question obvious missing actions or questionable activities:
  • Why aren't you hiring someone for time-consuming tasks?
  • Why aren't you attending key industry events?
  • Why are you doing X when it seems inefficient?
• Helps identify:
  • Good ideas not being pursued
  • Bad ideas currently being executed
  • Obvious opportunities being missed
• Creates actionable list of corrections needed

Implementation

• Play both games regularly as self-assessment
• Create list of 3 key items to address
• Take immediate action on findings
• Use as executive coaching tool
• Apply to both personal and business decisions

Benefits

• Surfaces blind spots in strategy
• Forces objective analysis of operations
• Identifies resource allocation issues
• Prevents getting stuck in inefficient patterns
• Creates clear action items for improvement