Performance Autopsy

Understand why you underperformed — and how to prevent it next time.

A structured, forensic analysis of high-stakes performance failures

For exams, interviews, pitches, presentations, and competitions

Trusted by high-performing students, founders, and professionals
after high-stakes failures.

Request a Performance Autopsy


Intake required · Sessions by invitation only

What This Is

A Performance Autopsy is a 60–75 minute, structured forensic analysis that examines where cognition broke down and which systems failed under pressure.

  • What actually happened
  • Where cognition broke down
  • Which systems failed under pressure
  • How to redesign preparation and execution

Who This Is For

High-Achieving Students

After a disappointing exam or interview

Founders

After a failed pitch, demo, or launch

Speakers & Creators

After an unexpectedly weak performance

If you know "something went wrong" but can't explain what, this is for you.

This is not designed for casual coaching, ongoing therapy, or motivational support.

What You'll Receive

During the Session

  • Live 1:1 forensic analysis
  • Failure mode identification
  • Real-time strategy redesign

Within 48 Hours After

  • Written post-mortem summary (PDF)
  • Redesigned preparation framework
  • Concrete countermeasures

You leave with:

Clarity

Understand what went wrong

Control

Know how to fix it

A Concrete Plan

Actionable next steps

The Framework

Every session follows a fixed analytic sequence so nothing important is missed:

Event Reconstruction

Detailed timeline of what happened, moment by moment

Cognitive Load Analysis

Identify where mental resources were overwhelmed or misallocated

Failure Mode Identification

Pinpoint the specific breakdowns in thinking and execution

Example: time blindness, narrative collapse, over-rehearsal rigidity

System Weakness Diagnosis

Uncover gaps in preparation, sleep, framing, and information flow

Countermeasures & Redesign

Build concrete systems to prevent the same failures

This framework focuses on structure, not blame.

What People Are Saying

Real results from real sessions

Testimonials shared with permission. Some identifying details withheld for confidentiality.

📋

Case Studies

Anonymized examples from real Performance Autopsies

MCAT Underperformance Despite Strong Practice Scores

Context

Premed student averaging 516–518 on full-length practice exams scored significantly below expectation on test day, primarily in CARS and B/B.

What Went Wrong (Surface-Level View)

Student initially attributed the drop to "test-day nerves" and fatigue.

Autopsy Findings

  • Early passage misinterpretation triggered error fixation
  • Mental comparison to expected score created self-monitoring loop
  • Preparation optimized for accuracy vs. decision reliability under time compression

Novel Insight

Core issue: decision density mismatch - test-day conditions introduced more real-time judgment calls than practice environment trained for.

Redesign Implemented

  • Passage triage heuristics
  • Error containment rules
  • Practice simulations with deliberate ambiguity

Outcome

Test-execution model designed for stress robustness rather than score chasing.

BS/MD Interview Rejection Despite Strong Academic Profile

Context

High school applicant with near-perfect GPA rejected post-interview from BS/MD program.

What Went Wrong (Surface-Level View)

Believed responses were clear but didn't "stand out."

Autopsy Findings

  • Over-rehearsed answers produced rigidity
  • Narrative coherence degraded through the interview
  • Tracked interviewer reactions too closely

Novel Insight

Loss of narrative control under adaptive questioning.

Redesign Implemented

  • Modular response frameworks
  • Mid-answer anchoring techniques
  • Practice with interruption/redirection

Outcome

Understanding of why strong prep collapsed and how to rebuild strategy.

Organic Chemistry Exam Collapse After Early Mistakes

Context

Top-of-class student scored significantly below average despite full content mastery.

What Went Wrong (Surface-Level View)

"Panicked" after realizing early answers were incorrect.

Autopsy Findings

  • Initial errors triggered retrospective checking
  • Focus shifted to damage control
  • Strategy lacked segmentation rules

Novel Insight

Absence of cognitive compartmentalization under evaluative pressure.

Redesign Implemented

  • Exam segmentation protocol
  • Forward-only decision rules
  • Pacing checkpoints

Outcome

Preserved performance even after inevitable early errors.

Research Interview Breakdown for Lab Position

Context

College sophomore rejected despite strong research exposure.

What Went Wrong (Surface-Level View)

Answers were "too detailed" and time management was off.

Autopsy Findings

  • Over-indexing on technical accuracy
  • Failed to map experience to lab-relevant value
  • Cognitive narrowing when challenged

Novel Insight

Misalignment between explanation depth and listener decision model.

Redesign Implemented

  • Two-tier response model
  • Time-bounded templates
  • Interruption-resilient framing

Outcome

Tools to communicate expertise economically.

CASPer Test Underperformance

Context

Inconsistent performance across CASPer scenarios - answers "ethical but rushed."

What Went Wrong (Surface-Level View)

Speed was believed to be the primary limitation.

Autopsy Findings

  • Excessive moral framing slowed action planning
  • Time reallocation toward justification
  • Lack of default decision scaffolds

Novel Insight

Ethical narration overload, not values or empathy.

Redesign Implemented

  • Pre-loaded response structures
  • Clear reasoning vs. action separation
  • Decision shortcuts aligned with rubric

Outcome

Response system built for consistency under extreme time pressure.

Pricing

Performance Autopsy Session

$149

(intro pricing)
Rising as capacity fills

  • 60–75 minutes live analysis
  • Written summary included (PDF)
  • Redesigned preparation strategy
  • Complete failure mode analysis
✓ Confidential ✓ No long-term commitment ✓ Pay per session

Optional follow-up rebuild sessions available if needed.

What This Is Not

We analyze failure, because that's where leverage lives.

How It Works

1

Submit intake

5 minutes

2

We review for fit

Within 24 hours

3

You're invited to schedule

If appropriate



All sessions are confidential and client-controlled.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is this different from coaching?

Coaching optimizes what's working. Performance Autopsy forensically analyzes what failed. We don't motivate or set goals—we reconstruct failure, identify cognitive breakdowns, and redesign systems to prevent recurrence.

What if nothing "concrete" went wrong?

Most failures feel vague ("I just choked" or "my mind went blank"). That's exactly what we analyze. Vague feelings have precise causes—we find them.

Who gets the most value from this?

People who are competent but underperformed in a high-stakes moment. If preparation wasn't the issue, but execution was—this is for you.

Do you guarantee results?

No. We guarantee a structured analysis and concrete recommendations. Implementation and future performance are up to you.

Can you help me prepare for next time?

Yes, indirectly. The autopsy identifies what broke down, and we provide a redesigned preparation framework. Optional follow-up sessions are available for implementation support.