nguyenthienthanh AI-consumed reference. Optimized for Claude to read during execution. Human-readable explanation: see docs/architecture/HIERARCHICAL_PLANNING.md or docs/getting-started/ depending on topic.
Problem Solving Techniques
Use when stuck, need breakthrough, or evaluating approaches.
Decision Matrix
techniques[5]{symptom,technique,approach}:
"Tried everything / spiraling",Simplification Cascades,"Strip to minimal → rebuild one piece at a time → find breaking layer"
"Need creative idea",Collision-Zone Thinking,"Combine principles from unrelated domains into novel solution"
"Same issue keeps recurring",Meta-Pattern Recognition,"List all similar issues → find shared root → fix the pattern"
"Stuck in only-one-way thinking",Inversion Exercise,"State assumption → ask 'what if opposite?' → explore inverted approach"
"Will it scale?",Scale Game,"Test at 10x/100x/1000x → find breaking point → design for 10x actual need"
Simplification Cascades (Most Used)
- Remove ALL features except core
- Make it work with hardcoded values
- Add ONE thing back
- Repeat until issue appears
- Fix at that layer
Inversion Exercise
- State current assumption: "We must do X"
- Ask: "What if we never do X?" or "What if we do the opposite?"
- Explore — often reveals a better design
Scale Game
Test at 10x, 100x, 1000x current load. Find breaking point. Design for 10x actual need (not 1000x).
Quick Reference
Stuck → Simplify first. Creative block → Collision zones. Recurring → Meta-patterns. Tunnel vision → Invert. Scaling → Scale game.