100 lines
4.1 KiB
Markdown
100 lines
4.1 KiB
Markdown
---
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name: ck:problem-solving
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description: Apply systematic problem-solving techniques when stuck. Use for complexity spirals, innovation blocks, recurring patterns, assumption constraints, simplification cascades, scale uncertainty.
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argument-hint: "[problem description]"
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metadata:
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author: claudekit
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version: "2.0.0"
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---
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# Problem-Solving Techniques
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Systematic approaches for different types of stuck-ness. Each technique targets specific problem patterns.
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## When to Use
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Apply when encountering:
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- **Complexity spiraling** - Multiple implementations, growing special cases, excessive branching
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- **Innovation blocks** - Conventional solutions inadequate, need breakthrough thinking
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- **Recurring patterns** - Same issue across domains, reinventing solutions
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- **Assumption constraints** - Forced into "only way", can't question premise
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- **Scale uncertainty** - Production readiness unclear, edge cases unknown
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- **General stuck-ness** - Unsure which technique applies
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## Quick Dispatch
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**Match symptom to technique:**
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| Stuck Symptom | Technique | Reference |
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|---------------|-----------|-----------|
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| Same thing implemented 5+ ways, growing special cases | **Simplification Cascades** | `references/simplification-cascades.md` |
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| Conventional solutions inadequate, need breakthrough | **Collision-Zone Thinking** | `references/collision-zone-thinking.md` |
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| Same issue in different places, reinventing wheels | **Meta-Pattern Recognition** | `references/meta-pattern-recognition.md` |
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| Solution feels forced, "must be done this way" | **Inversion Exercise** | `references/inversion-exercise.md` |
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| Will this work at production? Edge cases unclear? | **Scale Game** | `references/scale-game.md` |
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| Unsure which technique to use | **When Stuck** | `references/when-stuck.md` |
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## Core Techniques
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### 1. Simplification Cascades
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Find one insight eliminating multiple components. "If this is true, we don't need X, Y, Z."
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**Key insight:** Everything is a special case of one general pattern.
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**Red flag:** "Just need to add one more case..." (repeating forever)
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### 2. Collision-Zone Thinking
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Force unrelated concepts together to discover emergent properties. "What if we treated X like Y?"
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**Key insight:** Revolutionary ideas from deliberate metaphor-mixing.
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**Red flag:** "I've tried everything in this domain"
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### 3. Meta-Pattern Recognition
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Spot patterns appearing in 3+ domains to find universal principles.
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**Key insight:** Patterns in how patterns emerge reveal reusable abstractions.
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**Red flag:** "This problem is unique" (probably not)
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### 4. Inversion Exercise
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Flip core assumptions to reveal hidden constraints. "What if the opposite were true?"
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**Key insight:** Valid inversions reveal context-dependence of "rules."
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**Red flag:** "There's only one way to do this"
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### 5. Scale Game
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Test at extremes (1000x bigger/smaller, instant/year-long) to expose fundamental truths.
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**Key insight:** What works at one scale fails at another.
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**Red flag:** "Should scale fine" (without testing)
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## Application Process
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1. **Identify stuck-type** - Match symptom to technique above
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2. **Load detailed reference** - Read specific technique from `references/`
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3. **Apply systematically** - Follow technique's process
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4. **Document insights** - Record what worked/failed
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5. **Combine if needed** - Some problems need multiple techniques
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## Combining Techniques
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Powerful combinations:
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- **Simplification + Meta-pattern** - Find pattern, then simplify all instances
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- **Collision + Inversion** - Force metaphor, then invert its assumptions
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- **Scale + Simplification** - Extremes reveal what to eliminate
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- **Meta-pattern + Scale** - Universal patterns tested at extremes
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## References
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Load detailed guides as needed:
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- `references/when-stuck.md` - Dispatch flowchart and decision tree
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- `references/simplification-cascades.md` - Cascade detection and extraction
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- `references/collision-zone-thinking.md` - Metaphor collision process
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- `references/meta-pattern-recognition.md` - Pattern abstraction techniques
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- `references/inversion-exercise.md` - Assumption flipping methodology
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- `references/scale-game.md` - Extreme testing procedures
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- `references/attribution.md` - Source and adaptation notes
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