Failure Autopsy Template
We learn more from losses than wins. Thank you for documenting this.
Campaign: [Campaign Name]
Context: [City/Region, Country] — [Year(s)]
Campaign Type: [Labor / Tenant / Climate / Electoral / Mutual Aid / Other]
Led by: [Organization name(s)]
Result: Loss (or partial loss)
What We Tried
The goal:
- What were you trying to achieve?
- What was the specific, measurable demand?
The strategy:
- What tactics did you use?
- How long did the campaign run?
- How many people were involved?
Resources:
- Budget (approximate)
- Staff/volunteer capacity
- Allied organizations
Why It Failed: Mapping to the 7-Step Protocol
Go through each step honestly. Which ones did you skip? Which ones did you attempt but execute poorly?
❌ / ⚠️ Step 6.1: Stop the Bleeding
What we did (or didn't do):
Why this was a problem:
What we should have done instead:
❌ / ⚠️ Step 6.2: Build the Megaphone
What we did (or didn't do):
Why this was a problem:
What we should have done instead:
❌ / ⚠️ Step 6.3: Heat the Water
What we did (or didn't do):
Why this was a problem:
What we should have done instead:
❌ / ⚠️ Step 6.4: Build the Slipway
What we did (or didn't do):
Why this was a problem:
What we should have done instead:
❌ / ⚠️ Step 6.5: Regulate for Combat
What we did (or didn't do):
Why this was a problem:
What we should have done instead:
❌ / ⚠️ Step 6.6: Ritualize the Grief
What we did (or didn't do):
Why this was a problem:
What we should have done instead:
❌ / ⚠️ Step 6.7: Send Trusted Swimmers
What we did (or didn't do):
Why this was a problem:
What we should have done instead:
Anti-Patterns We Fell Into
Which anti-patterns from Section 9 did we fall into?
Check all that apply and explain:
- The Therapist Fallacy
- The Purity Spiral
- Safe Spaces as Trauma Re-enactment Zones
- Symbolic Wins vs. Material Wins
- The Expert Class Trap
- Red-Phobia and the Missing Warrior
- Organizing as Performance
- The David vs. Goliath Trap
- Mobilizing While Dysregulated
- Other: [Describe]
Explanation:
External Factors (The Things We Couldn't Control)
What factors outside our control contributed to the loss?
Be honest here — but don't let this become an excuse. The question is: given those constraints, what could we have done differently?
Examples:
- Opponent had vastly more resources
- Media environment was hostile
- Political timing was bad
- Natural disaster / crisis disrupted campaign
- Internal organizational crisis
The Single Biggest Mistake
If you could go back and change ONE thing, what would it be?
Lessons for Others
If another organization is considering a similar campaign, what should they know?
Do's:
Don'ts:
What We Learned
How did this failure change your approach to organizing?
What did you try next? Did it work better?
Silver Linings (if any)
Even in failure, what was built?
- New relationships?
- Trained organizers?
- Raised consciousness?
- Organizational capacity?
(Be honest — these aren't victories, but they're not nothing either.)
Sources and Documentation
Where can people learn more about this campaign?
- News coverage
- Internal documents (if you're willing to share)
- Post-mortems by other participants
- Academic analysis
Contributor Information
Submitted by: [Your name]
Role in campaign: [Organizer / Leader / Participant / Observer]
What happened to you after? [Did you stay in organizing? Leave? Try a different approach?]
Contact: [Optional — if you're willing to answer follow-up questions]
Date submitted: [Date]
Thank you for the courage to document this. Every failure that gets documented is a lesson that doesn't have to be relearned.