The Five Step Approach for Tackling Complex Problems

“The definition of genius is taking the complex and making it simple.”

The right questions are at the heart of discovery. And one of the very first questions you should be asking yourself is “What assumptions can I challenge?”

The mere act of trying to discover what assumptions you and others are making can give you a new perspective on the challenge you're facing.

Go beyond the basic features being asked for and get to the heart of the problem.

Ask questions like: Who cares about this problem? Why is it important to them?

If there are no good answers to these questions, is the problem even worth working on?

After you come up with a solution to your problem, take a close look at it.

Which pieces could be split into separate modules or components? Can any of those components provide value independently? If not, can any be tweaked so that they do provide independent value?

After spending time researching your problem,  you’ll probably find yourself also thinking about it in your spare time. 

This is when all the different pieces you’ve been studying for so long can suddenly click together in a new way, giving you fresh insight.

Think about what would make a good MVP (Minimum Viable Product) for your problem.

Get creative in what you consider an MVP. Maybe showing random strangers at Starbucks a napkin drawing of your app’s layout would be good enough for example.