Pressure-test a roadmap
Stress-test a prioritisation before you commit — find the assumption that, if wrong, flips the whole order.
Prioritisation is a reasoning problem, not a writing problem. Reasoning-tier models are built for exactly this: trade-offs, sequencing, and "what are we missing." State the goal and constraints, then get out of the way.
Claude Fable 5
Why this variant: When the prioritisation rests on details — capacity numbers, dependency chains, dates — Fable 5 checks the arithmetic behind the argument, not just the argument. Give it everything in one complete brief rather than drip-feeding context across turns. Expensive; reserve it for the roadmap you're about to commit a quarter to.
<context>
We're committing next quarter to this order. Capacity, dependencies, and
the reasoning behind the ranking are all included below.
</context>
<roadmap>
{paste roadmap + capacity + dependencies + rationale}
</roadmap>
<task>
Pressure-test this at the detail level, not just the strategy level:
dependencies that break the sequence, capacity math that doesn't add up,
items whose rationale contradicts another item's, and the single
assumption that flips the order if it's wrong. For each: the evidence in
the doc, the impact, and what to check before we commit.
</task>GPT-5.6 Sol
Why this variant: Purpose-built for multi-step trade-off reasoning. Skip the step-by-step boilerplate — it adds tokens and verbosity without improving the answer.
Here is our roadmap and the reasoning behind the ranking:
{paste roadmap + rationale}
Find the weakest link in this prioritisation. What are we assuming that,
if false, would flip the order? Give me the single highest-leverage thing
to validate first and why.Claude Opus 5
Why this variant: Reach for it when the roadmap spans messy, multi-source context and you want a skeptic that holds nuance. The role + stakes framing sharpens the critique.
<role>You are a skeptical board member who has seen many roadmaps fail.</role>
<roadmap>
{paste roadmap + rationale}
</roadmap>
<task>
Name the three scenarios most likely to make this roadmap the wrong bet
over the next 12 months. For each, give the leading indicator we'd see
first. End with the one thing you'd cut today.
</task>