Is Your Portfolio Full of Zombie Projects?

Get the Worksheet

In 5 minutes, uncover where your portfolio is stuck and how to free up resources, speed up innovation, and boost ROI.

In under 5 minutes, you’ll:

Spot hidden risks and stalled initiatives
Identify projects worth saving, and which to sunset
Learn how to restore portfolio health using Precoil’s proven EMT System (Extract, Map, Test)

Stop funding ideas that refuse to die.

The Zombie Projects Assessment by Precoil is a fast, evidence-based diagnostic for product and strategy leaders who want to make smarter portfolio decisions.

This assessment is built for:

VPs and Heads of Product
Chief Product Officers (CPOs)
Strategy & Transformation Leaders
Innovation Sponsors
Anyone responsible for funding, scaling, or killing new initiatives

What you’ll get:

10 question diagnostic to uncover portfolio stagnation
Instant scoring guide + interpretation
Recommended next steps
Option to review your results with David J. Bland

All delivered instantly in a downloadable, self-contained PDF.

DuPont Saved $12 Million by Killing Zombie Projects

“We saved over $12 million dollars by killing off zombie projects at DuPont over the last 3 years.”

— David J. Bland’s Keynote at DuPont’s Experimental Station

FAQs

A zombie project is an initiative that continues to consume time, resources, and funding without producing meaningful outcomes. These projects are neither clearly alive (delivering value) nor officially dead (shut down), and often persist due to vague success criteria, internal momentum, or leadership reluctance to admit failure.
These projects are neither clearly alive (delivering value) nor officially dead (shut down) and they quietly drain momentum, morale, and money.
This assessment is designed for product and project leaders, strategy executives, transformation teams, and business unit heads responsible for portfolios of new initiatives. If you’re responsible for funding, scaling, or killing early-stage ideas, this tool is for you.
The Zombie Projects Assessment takes less than 5 minutes to complete. It’s a quick, strategic health check designed to surface portfolio risks without requiring deep data or documentation.
You’ll calculate your total score and receive a risk diagnosis across four tiers—from Healthy Portfolio to Zombie Outbreak. From there, you can schedule a Portfolio Risk Consultation to explore next steps using the EMT System (Extract, Map, Test).
Precoil’s EMT System stands for Extract, Map, and Test. It’s a structured approach to identifying assumptions, mapping risks, and testing new ideas with evidence. It helps leaders de-risk portfolios by deciding which projects to pivot, scale, or sunset.
No, while product and R&D teams often benefit, the assessment is equally valuable for digital, business model, internal transformation, and strategic growth portfolios across functions.
No. The assessment is self-scored and confidential unless you choose to share your score during a consultation. We do not collect or store assessment answers unless you opt in for a follow-up.
Absolutely. Many leaders use this tool during portfolio reviews, off sites, or strategy planning sessions. It’s a fast way to build alignment around what’s working and what’s not.
After completing the assessment, you can book a free Portfolio Risk Consultation using our Calendly link. During this session, we’ll review your score, identify risk clusters, and explore how the EMT System can help.