problem-solving · diff
git:20260325.da398da to git:20260414.64964fd
16 added, 159 removed. Audit A to A.
---
name: problem-solving
description: "5 techniques for different problem types. Use when stuck or facing complex challenges."
autoInvoke: false
priority: high
model: sonnet
triggers:
- "stuck"
- "can't figure out"
- "need breakthrough"
- "multiple approaches"
---
# Problem Solving Techniques
- **Use When:** Stuck, need breakthrough, or evaluating approaches
-
- ---
+ Use when stuck, need breakthrough, or evaluating approaches.
- ## 5 Techniques
+ ## Decision Matrix
```toon
- techniques[5]{name,when,approach}:
- Simplification Cascades,Complexity spiraling / 5+ attempts failed,Strip to minimal → rebuild
- Collision-Zone Thinking,Innovation blocks / need breakthrough,Combine unrelated concepts
- Meta-Pattern Recognition,Same issue across domains,Find underlying pattern
- Inversion Exercise,Forced into "only way" thinking,Ask "what if opposite?"
- Scale Game,Production readiness unclear,Test at 10x / 100x / 1000x
+ techniques[5]{symptom,technique,approach}:
+ "Tried everything / spiraling",Simplification Cascades,"Strip to minimal → rebuild one piece at a time → find breaking layer"
+ "Need creative idea",Collision-Zone Thinking,"Combine principles from unrelated domains into novel solution"
+ "Same issue keeps recurring",Meta-Pattern Recognition,"List all similar issues → find shared root → fix the pattern"
+ "Stuck in only-one-way thinking",Inversion Exercise,"State assumption → ask 'what if opposite?' → explore inverted approach"
+ "Will it scale?",Scale Game,"Test at 10x/100x/1000x → find breaking point → design for 10x actual need"
```
- ---
-
- ## 1. Simplification Cascades
-
- **When:** Complexity spiraling, 5+ implementations tried
+ ## Simplification Cascades (Most Used)
- **Process:**
- ```
1. Remove ALL features except core
2. Make it work with hardcoded values
3. Add ONE thing back
4. Repeat until issue appears
5. Fix at that layer
- ```
- **Example:**
- ```
- Problem: Auth + caching + retry + logging all broken
-
- Simplify:
- 1. Remove retry, logging, caching → just auth
- 2. Auth works? Yes → add caching
- 3. Caching breaks it → found the issue
- 4. Fix caching layer
- 5. Re-add retry, logging
- ```
-
- ---
-
- ## 2. Collision-Zone Thinking
-
- **When:** Need creative breakthrough, conventional approaches failed
-
- **Process:**
- ```
- 1. List unrelated domains
- 2. Find principles from each
- 3. Combine into novel solution
- ```
-
- **Example:**
- ```
- Problem: Users abandoning checkout
-
- Domains: Gaming + Psychology + Logistics
-
- Collision:
- - Gaming: Progress bars, achievements
- - Psychology: Loss aversion
- - Logistics: Just-in-time delivery
-
- Solution: "Your items are reserved for 10 min" +
- progress indicator +
- "3 people viewing this item"
- ```
-
- ---
-
- ## 3. Meta-Pattern Recognition
-
- **When:** Same issue keeps appearing in different forms
-
- **Process:**
- ```
- 1. List all similar issues
- 2. Find what they share
- 3. Fix the meta-pattern
- ```
-
- **Example:**
- ```
- Issues:
- - Users table query slow
- - Orders table query slow
- - Products table query slow
-
- Meta-pattern: All queries filter by date without index
-
- Fix: Add date indexes to all tables
- ```
-
- ---
-
- ## 4. Inversion Exercise
-
- **When:** Stuck in "only way" thinking
-
- **Process:**
- ```
- 1. State current assumption
- 2. Ask: "What if the opposite?"
- 3. Explore inverted approach
- ```
-
- **Example:**
- ```
- Assumption: "We need to cache API responses"
-
- Inversion: "What if we never cache?"
- → Forces real-time design
- → Discovers: Most data doesn't change
- → Solution: Cache-first with invalidation
- (opposite of assumed API-first)
- ```
-
- ---
-
- ## 5. Scale Game
-
- **When:** Production readiness unclear
-
- **Process:**
- ```
- 1. Test at 10x current load
- 2. Test at 100x
- 3. Test at 1000x
- 4. Find breaking point
- 5. Design for 10x actual need
- ```
-
- **Example:**
- ```
- Current: 100 users/day
-
- Scale test:
- - 1,000: Works fine
- - 10,000: DB connection pool exhausted
- - 100,000: Memory OOM
-
- Breaking point: 10,000 users
- Design for: 1,000 (10x buffer)
- Fix: Connection pooling + memory optimization
- ```
-
- ---
+ ## Inversion Exercise
- ## Decision Matrix
+ 1. State current assumption: "We must do X"
+ 2. Ask: "What if we never do X?" or "What if we do the opposite?"
+ 3. Explore — often reveals a better design
- ```toon
- decision[5]{symptom,technique,model}:
- "Tried everything",Simplification Cascades,sonnet
- "Need creative idea",Collision-Zone Thinking,opus
- "Keeps happening",Meta-Pattern Recognition,sonnet
- "No other way",Inversion Exercise,sonnet
- "Will it scale?",Scale Game,sonnet
- ```
+ ## Scale Game
- ---
+ Test at 10x, 100x, 1000x current load. Find breaking point. Design for 10x actual need (not 1000x).
## Quick Reference
- ```
- Stuck → Simplify first
- Creative block → Collision zones
- Recurring issues → Meta-patterns
- Tunnel vision → Invert assumptions
- Scaling fears → Scale game
- ```
-
- ---
-
- **Invoke:** Use when conventional debugging fails or need breakthrough.
+ Stuck → Simplify first. Creative block → Collision zones. Recurring → Meta-patterns. Tunnel vision → Invert. Scaling → Scale game.