Problem-Solving Techniques

Systematic approaches for different types of stuck-ness. Each technique targets specific problem patterns.

When to Use

Apply when encountering:

• Complexity spiraling – Multiple implementations, growing special cases, excessive branching
• Innovation blocks – Conventional solutions inadequate, need breakthrough thinking
• Recurring patterns – Same issue across domains, reinventing solutions
• Assumption constraints – Forced into “only way”, can’t question premise
• Scale uncertainty – Production readiness unclear, edge cases unknown
• General stuck-ness – Unsure which technique applies

Quick Dispatch

Match symptom to technique:

Core Techniques

1. Simplification Cascades

Find one insight eliminating multiple components. “If this is true, we don’t need X, Y, Z.”

Key insight: Everything is a special case of one general pattern.

Red flag: “Just need to add one more case…” (repeating forever)

2. Collision-Zone Thinking

Force unrelated concepts together to discover emergent properties. “What if we treated X like Y?”

Key insight: Revolutionary ideas from deliberate metaphor-mixing.

Red flag: “I’ve tried everything in this domain”

3. Meta-Pattern Recognition

Spot patterns appearing in 3+ domains to find universal principles.

Key insight: Patterns in how patterns emerge reveal reusable abstractions.

Red flag: “This problem is unique” (probably not)

4. Inversion Exercise

Flip core assumptions to reveal hidden constraints. “What if the opposite were true?”

Key insight: Valid inversions reveal context-dependence of “rules.”

Red flag: “There’s only one way to do this”

5. Scale Game

Test at extremes (1000x bigger/smaller, instant/year-long) to expose fundamental truths.

Key insight: What works at one scale fails at another.

Red flag: “Should scale fine” (without testing)

Application Process

1. Identify stuck-type – Match symptom to technique above
2. Load detailed reference – Read specific technique from references/
3. Apply systematically – Follow technique’s process
4. Document insights – Record what worked/failed
5. Combine if needed – Some problems need multiple techniques

Combining Techniques

Powerful combinations:

• Simplification + Meta-pattern – Find pattern, then simplify all instances
• Collision + Inversion – Force metaphor, then invert its assumptions
• Scale + Simplification – Extremes reveal what to eliminate
• Meta-pattern + Scale – Universal patterns tested at extremes

References

Load detailed guides as needed:

• references/when-stuck.md – Dispatch flowchart and decision tree
• references/simplification-cascades.md – Cascade detection and extraction
• references/collision-zone-thinking.md – Metaphor collision process
• references/meta-pattern-recognition.md – Pattern abstraction techniques
• references/inversion-exercise.md – Assumption flipping methodology
• references/scale-game.md – Extreme testing procedures
• references/attribution.md – Source and adaptation notes