73 lines
2.7 KiB
Markdown
73 lines
2.7 KiB
Markdown
# When Stuck - Problem-Solving Dispatch
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Different stuck-types need different techniques. Match stuck-symptom to technique.
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## Dispatch Flowchart
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```
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YOU'RE STUCK
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│
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├─ Complexity spiraling? Same thing 5+ ways? Growing special cases?
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│ └─→ USE: Simplification Cascades
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│
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├─ Can't find fitting approach? Conventional solutions inadequate?
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│ └─→ USE: Collision-Zone Thinking
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│
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├─ Same issue different places? Reinventing wheels? Feels familiar?
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│ └─→ USE: Meta-Pattern Recognition
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│
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├─ Solution feels forced? "Must be done this way"? Stuck on assumptions?
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│ └─→ USE: Inversion Exercise
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│
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├─ Will this work at production? Edge cases unclear? Unsure of limits?
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│ └─→ USE: Scale Game
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│
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└─ Code broken? Wrong behavior? Test failing?
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└─→ USE: Debugging skill (systematic-debugging)
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```
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## Stuck-Type → Technique Map
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| How You're Stuck | Symptom Details | Use This |
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|------------------|-----------------|----------|
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| **Complexity spiraling** | Same thing 5+ ways, growing special cases, excessive if/else | simplification-cascades.md |
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| **Need innovation** | Conventional inadequate, can't find fitting approach, need breakthrough | collision-zone-thinking.md |
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| **Recurring patterns** | Same issue different places, reinventing wheels, déjà vu feeling | meta-pattern-recognition.md |
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| **Forced by assumptions** | "Must be done this way", can't question premise, forced solution | inversion-exercise.md |
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| **Scale uncertainty** | Production unclear, edge cases unknown, unsure of limits | scale-game.md |
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| **Code broken** | Wrong behavior, test failing, unexpected output | debugging skill |
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## Process
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1. **Identify stuck-type** - What symptom matches above?
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2. **Load that technique** - Read the specific reference file
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3. **Apply technique** - Follow its process
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4. **Document attempt** - What worked/failed?
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5. **If still stuck** - Try different technique or combine
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## Combining Techniques
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Some problems need multiple techniques:
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- **Simplification + Meta-pattern** - Find pattern → simplify all instances
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- **Collision + Inversion** - Force metaphor → invert assumptions
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- **Scale + Simplification** - Test extremes → reveal what to eliminate
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- **Meta-pattern + Scale** - Universal pattern → test at extremes
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## When Nothing Works
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If no technique helps:
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1. **Reframe problem** - Are you solving the right problem?
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2. **Get fresh perspective** - Explain to someone else
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3. **Take break** - Distance often reveals solution
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4. **Simplify scope** - Solve smaller version first
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5. **Question constraints** - Are they real or assumed?
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## Remember
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- Match symptom to technique
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- One technique at a time
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- Combine if first doesn't work
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- Document what you tried
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- Not stuck forever, just temporarily
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