Understand the requirements

To solve a problem, you have to understand exactly what the problem is.

When you start solving a problem, be sure to understand the starting point, the end goal, and the obstacles in between. The worst possible thing is to produce a solution that actually doesn’t do what’s expected.

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A Systematic Approach to Solving Just About Any Problem

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Problems can be difficult to solve when we only know the issue and none of the steps to fix it. Sometimes it's even more daunting to figure out what those steps are at all. This guide will help you take just about any problem and figure out a plan to solve it and stay motivated when handling long-term issues.

Key Ideas

Basic steps to solving any problem

Understand the Problem, so you know you're actually focusing on the the real issue at hand.
Create a Plan, so you have a series of actionable steps to follow.
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Understand the Problem

Often the most difficult step, because it's easy to focus on the wrong part of the problem, or look at the problem too broadly.

The first thing you need to do is reduce it to its simplest and purest form so you know exactly what you're dealing with. While you're doing this, you need to ask yourself questions to make sure you're focusing on the right things.

Create a Plan

You need a plan with actionable steps. Ask yourself what's barring you from moving forward and make step one. Step one will open doors to other steps.

Consider which steps will open more doors, add them to the plan, and keep doing that until you get to your solution. Things will change as you act on the plan and you'll need to adapt, so it's best to keep your plan somewhat open-ended and try to include steps that involve preparing for trouble you can foresee.

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If You Want to Be Creative, Don't Be Data Driven

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If you are a designer, engineer, or in any role that creates things, you probably hear a lot about "big data" and being "data driven." The assumption is that data equals insight and direction. But does it? Data, any data, in any amount brings with it problems that make it very dangerous to rely on alone.

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"There is no inherent value in any piece of data because all information is meaningless in itself. Why? Because in..."

Beau Lotto

Data is Not Reality

We see organizations and the engineers who work in them steering towards big data, so it is commonly assumed that data means acumen and direction.
Any Data, by itself, does not bring clarity. Data is just information, not reality. It does not represent anything in the field of actuality.
Data is also, never complete. Getting more and more Data does not equate to getting more clarity.

Incomplete Data is Misleading

Our brains like to fill up incomplete information based on our prejudice and confirmation bias.

As all data is inherently incomplete, we use our minds to fill the missing information, based on the existing data we have, and that can go obverse.

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