Solving Hard Problems

In my early career, I’ve had the privilege of tackling fascinating problems and bringing innovative solutions to the table. Through this journey, I’ve gained insights into my own problem-solving process, particularly how I generate my best ideas.

A recurring pattern has emerged: my best ideas often surface when I'm not actively pursuing them. They tend to materialize during mundane activities like showering, walking, or engaging in unrelated tasks.

The process typically unfolds like this:

Encounter a complex challenge
Dive deep into understanding the problem:
- Identify root causes
- Analyze constraints
- Explore potential solutions
Step back and rest
- Think about it in the shower
- Think about it while walking
- Think about it before you go to sleep
- Think about it when you wake up
- Become absolutely obsessed with the problem
Allow more time to pass
Wait for the “eureka” moment

It’s akin to using a slow cooker: you prepare the ingredients, set it aside, and let it simmer. Given enough time, the flavors blend, and a delicious solution emerges.

This phenomenon isn’t unique to me; I’ve observed it in colleagues as well. However, articulating this process has always been challenging.

That was until I revisited this interview with Andrej Karpathy and Lex Fridman. In the clip below, Andrej eloquently describes his approach to tackling the most difficult problems:

Now, while this is a great way to solve problems, it isn’t always great. I personally have to be careful not to make sure this doesn’t bleed into my personal life.

That’s all I have for now.