english/.opencode/skills/problem-solving/references/when-stuck.md

When Stuck - Problem-Solving Dispatch

Different stuck-types need different techniques. Match stuck-symptom to technique.

Dispatch Flowchart

YOU'RE STUCK
│
├─ Complexity spiraling? Same thing 5+ ways? Growing special cases?
│  └─→ USE: Simplification Cascades
│
├─ Can't find fitting approach? Conventional solutions inadequate?
│  └─→ USE: Collision-Zone Thinking
│
├─ Same issue different places? Reinventing wheels? Feels familiar?
│  └─→ USE: Meta-Pattern Recognition
│
├─ Solution feels forced? "Must be done this way"? Stuck on assumptions?
│  └─→ USE: Inversion Exercise
│
├─ Will this work at production? Edge cases unclear? Unsure of limits?
│  └─→ USE: Scale Game
│
└─ Code broken? Wrong behavior? Test failing?
   └─→ USE: Debugging skill (systematic-debugging)

Stuck-Type → Technique Map

How You're Stuck	Symptom Details	Use This
Complexity spiraling	Same thing 5+ ways, growing special cases, excessive if/else	simplification-cascades.md
Need innovation	Conventional inadequate, can't find fitting approach, need breakthrough	collision-zone-thinking.md
Recurring patterns	Same issue different places, reinventing wheels, déjà vu feeling	meta-pattern-recognition.md
Forced by assumptions	"Must be done this way", can't question premise, forced solution	inversion-exercise.md
Scale uncertainty	Production unclear, edge cases unknown, unsure of limits	scale-game.md
Code broken	Wrong behavior, test failing, unexpected output	debugging skill

Process

1. Identify stuck-type - What symptom matches above?
2. Load that technique - Read the specific reference file
3. Apply technique - Follow its process
4. Document attempt - What worked/failed?
5. If still stuck - Try different technique or combine

Combining Techniques

Some problems need multiple techniques:

• Simplification + Meta-pattern - Find pattern → simplify all instances
• Collision + Inversion - Force metaphor → invert assumptions
• Scale + Simplification - Test extremes → reveal what to eliminate
• Meta-pattern + Scale - Universal pattern → test at extremes

When Nothing Works

If no technique helps:

1. Reframe problem - Are you solving the right problem?
2. Get fresh perspective - Explain to someone else
3. Take break - Distance often reveals solution
4. Simplify scope - Solve smaller version first
5. Question constraints - Are they real or assumed?

Remember

• Match symptom to technique
• One technique at a time
• Combine if first doesn't work
• Document what you tried
• Not stuck forever, just temporarily