NTPhat0322 When Stuck — Problem-Solving Dispatch
Overview
Different stuck-types need different techniques. This skill helps you quickly identify which problem-solving skill to use.
Core principle: Match stuck-symptom to technique.
Stuck-Type → Technique
| How You're Stuck | Use This Skill |
|---|---|
| Complexity spiraling — Same thing 5+ ways, growing special cases | simplification-cascades/SKILL.md |
| Need innovation — Conventional solutions inadequate, can't find fitting approach | collision-zone-thinking/SKILL.md |
| Recurring patterns — Same issue different places, reinventing wheels | meta-pattern-recognition/SKILL.md |
| Forced by assumptions — "Must be done this way", can't question premise | inversion-exercise/SKILL.md |
| Scale uncertainty — Will it work in production? Edge cases unclear? | scale-game/SKILL.md |
| Multiple independent problems — Can parallelize investigation | Use Agent tool with parallel subagents |
Process
- Identify stuck-type — What symptom matches above?
- Load that skill — Read the specific technique
- Apply technique — Follow its process
- If still stuck — Try different technique or combine
Combining Techniques
Some problems need multiple techniques:
- Simplification + Meta-pattern: Find pattern, then simplify all instances
- Collision + Inversion: Force metaphor, then invert its assumptions
- Scale + Simplification: Extremes reveal what to eliminate
Quick Dispatch
Same thing implemented 5+ ways? → simplification-cascades
Can't find fitting approach? → collision-zone-thinking
Same issue in 3+ different places? → meta-pattern-recognition
"This must be done this way"? → inversion-exercise
Will this survive production scale? → scale-game
Remember
- Match symptom to technique
- One technique at a time
- Combine if first doesn't work
- Document what you tried