Problem-Solving Techniques

Output style: Follow process/development-protocols/communication-standards.md, answer-first, plain language, no unexplained jargon, TL;DR on long responses.

Systematic approaches for different types of stuck-ness. Each technique targets specific problem patterns.

When to Use

Apply when encountering:

• Complexity spiraling - Multiple implementations, growing special cases, excessive branching
• Innovation blocks - Conventional solutions inadequate, need breakthrough thinking
• Recurring patterns - Same issue across domains, reinventing solutions
• Assumption constraints - Forced into "only way", can't question premise
• Scale uncertainty - Production readiness unclear, edge cases unknown
• General stuck-ness - Unsure which technique applies

Quick Dispatch

Match symptom to technique:

Stuck Symptom	Technique	Reference
Same thing implemented 5+ ways, growing special cases	Simplification Cascades	references/simplification-cascades.md
Conventional solutions inadequate, need breakthrough	Collision-Zone Thinking	references/collision-zone-thinking.md
Same issue in different places, reinventing wheels	Meta-Pattern Recognition	references/meta-pattern-recognition.md
Solution feels forced, "must be done this way"	Inversion Exercise	references/inversion-exercise.md
Will this work at production? Edge cases unclear?	Scale Game	references/scale-game.md
Unsure which technique to use	When Stuck	references/when-stuck.md

Core Techniques

1. Simplification Cascades

Find one insight eliminating multiple components. "If this is true, we don't need X, Y, Z."

Key insight: Everything is a special case of one general pattern.

Red flag: "Just need to add one more case..." (repeating forever)