Problem Solving

July 23, 2012
Adam Savage (Myth Busters) on Problem Solving:
  1. Clearly state the problem that you are solving (make sure all party's are completely in sync)
  2. See the big picture: where does this fit in? How does it fit in? Can you see the whole picture?
  3. Deadlines can help you focus and thrive. And are a good mental zen when going repetitive work.
  4. How precise do I have to be? (time-quality tradeoff)
  5. "Once I am rolling, I want to keep on roling" : put all the tools you need for the task in hand reach so you can stay in the flow.
  6. "If I get to keep it, I'm more invested" : Ownership = motivation
  7. Location & surroundings ("the set designer from ideo)
  8. People: "Is the team too big?"
  9. Do I have the right skills for this problem? If not: do I have enough time to get good at it to finish it? Do I outsource to someone else?
  10. Am I missing something stupid: "Is there a simpler way?", "Am I being too clever?"
  11. What does the big picture look like now that I have solved this particular part?
  12. There is a point around 75% when you think: I have absolutely no idea what I am doing. That's normal. Non working prototypes are normal!
  13. There is always a next problem to solve!

Discussion, links, and tweets

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