Illustrative scenario
The launch plan that kept getting greener.
A cross-functional rollout appears on track because every workstream reports its own tasks as complete. The integrated launch dependency is never tested until the final week.
Famous failures. Practical project judgment.
Study failure. Rescue the project.
Project Autopsy turns documented project failures and near misses into the practical PM action you can take Monday morning.
Live learning, practical templates, and self-reportable education hours—without inflated claims.
The Post-Mortem Minute
What happened. The missed red flag. The Monday-morning fix.
Founder's lens
Clear-eyed analysis from someone who has led through the stakes.
Dr. Douglass Smith
Former CIO, PMP, educator, and PhD in Applied Management and Decision Sciences. The work stays focused on useful project judgment—not hindsight theater.
What a teardown looks like
One repeatable frame. Better questions the next morning.
Here is an illustrative example of the three-part format behind every Post-Mortem Minute and Rescue Room discussion.
01 · What happened
Local progress was mistaken for readiness across the whole project.
02 · Missed red flag
Status reports tracked activity, not a single end-to-end proof point.
03 · Monday-morning fix
Add an integration readiness review with one accountable owner and one visible decision date.
How the Rescue Room works
A practical rhythm, before pressure makes every choice harder.
- 01
Join the founding list
Share your email so you are first to receive the opening details.
- 02
Receive the opening-session details
The founding list receives the format and next steps as the first Rescue Room session takes shape.
- 03
Attend live or use the replay
Bring your questions live, or return to the replay when a similar warning sign appears at work.
- 04
Put the templates to work
Apply the recovery plans, escalation scripts, and risk tools to the project in front of you.
The Rescue Room
Get the opening details before enrollment begins.
There is no active membership product yet. Join the founding list for the launch details, then decide whether the Rescue Room is right for you when enrollment opens.
Live teardowns and replay access designed around real project constraints.
Recovery, escalation, and risk templates meant for immediate use.
A clean self-reportable education-hour record, not PMI pre-approved PDUs.
For teams
Make the next project conversation more honest.
Team plans start with your real operating context.
For PMOs, IT departments, and agencies that want shared language before trouble compounds—plus a private pre-mortem conversation about a live project.
Use the team inbox to ask about group access and a private quarterly pre-mortem. There is no self-serve team checkout on this page.
Questions, answered
A clear start is a better start.
Do I have to attend live?
No. Opening-session details will be shared with the founding list, and the Rescue Room is designed to make the replay useful when you cannot attend live.
Are these PMI pre-approved PDUs?
No. Project Autopsy describes sessions as self-reportable education hours only. It does not represent them as PMI pre-approved PDUs.
Who is the Rescue Room for?
It is for working project managers, PMP holders, emerging managers, and leaders who want a more practical way to spot, escalate, and recover from project risk.
Can my team explore a group plan?
Yes. PMOs, IT departments, and agencies can email the team inbox to start a conversation about a team plan and private pre-mortem work.
Catch the red flag before it becomes the post-mortem.
Join the founding list for the Rescue Room opening details, or start with a free teardown.