---
name: problem-solving
description: Apply systematic problem-solving techniques for complexity spirals (simplification cascades), innovation blocks (collision-zone thinking), recurring patterns (meta-pattern recognition), assumption constraints (inversion exercise), scale uncertainty (scale game), and dispatch when stuck. Techniques derived from Microsoft Amplifier project patterns adapted for immediate application.
version: 2.0.0
---

# Problem-Solving Techniques

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)

### 2. Collision-Zone Thinking

Force unrelated concepts together to discover emergent properties. "What if we treated X like Y?"

**Key insight:** Revolutionary ideas from deliberate metaphor-mixing.

**Red flag:** "I've tried everything in this domain"

### 3. Meta-Pattern Recognition

Spot patterns appearing in 3+ domains to find universal principles.

**Key insight:** Patterns in how patterns emerge reveal reusable abstractions.

**Red flag:** "This problem is unique" (probably not)

### 4. Inversion Exercise

Flip core assumptions to reveal hidden constraints. "What if the opposite were true?"

**Key insight:** Valid inversions reveal context-dependence of "rules."

**Red flag:** "There's only one way to do this"

### 5. Scale Game

Test at extremes (1000x bigger/smaller, instant/year-long) to expose fundamental truths.

**Key insight:** What works at one scale fails at another.

**Red flag:** "Should scale fine" (without testing)

## Application Process

1. **Identify stuck-type** - Match symptom to technique above
2. **Load detailed reference** - Read specific technique from `references/`
3. **Apply systematically** - Follow technique's process
4. **Document insights** - Record what worked/failed
5. **Combine if needed** - Some problems need multiple techniques

## Combining Techniques

Powerful combinations:

- **Simplification + Meta-pattern** - Find pattern, then simplify all instances
- **Collision + Inversion** - Force metaphor, then invert its assumptions
- **Scale + Simplification** - Extremes reveal what to eliminate
- **Meta-pattern + Scale** - Universal patterns tested at extremes

## ⚠️ MUST READ References

**IMPORTANT: You MUST read the relevant reference guide before applying a technique. Do NOT skip.**

- **⚠️ MUST READ** `references/when-stuck.md` — Dispatch flowchart and decision tree
- **⚠️ MUST READ** `references/simplification-cascades.md` — Cascade detection and extraction
- **⚠️ MUST READ** `references/collision-zone-thinking.md` — Metaphor collision process
- **⚠️ MUST READ** `references/meta-pattern-recognition.md` — Pattern abstraction techniques
- **⚠️ MUST READ** `references/inversion-exercise.md` — Assumption flipping methodology
- **⚠️ MUST READ** `references/scale-game.md` — Extreme testing procedures
- **⚠️ MUST READ** `references/attribution.md` — Source and adaptation notes

## IMPORTANT Task Planning Notes

- Always plan and break many small todo tasks
- Always add a final review todo task to review the works done at the end to find any fix or enhancement needed