How to Solve an Entirely New Problem?

When facing an entirely new problem, the most powerful tool I rely on is pattern matching, often called analogical reasoning. While research and reading are essential first steps, they are most effective when guided by the question: 'What does this remind me of?'

My approach involves three specific cognitive steps:

Abstraction: I strip the problem of its specific details (surface features) to reveal its underlying structure. Instead of seeing 'a broken supply chain for widgets,' I might see 'a bottleneck in a flow network.'
Association: I scan my mental library of past experiences for problems with a similar structure, even if the context is completely different. I ask, 'Where have I seen this dynamic before?' This is where cross-disciplinary thinking shines—a biological system might hold the clue to an engineering problem.
Adaptation: Once I identify a match, I adapt the known solution to the new context. I don't just copy; I translate the logic. This allows me to use a proven framework to begin generating a solution, rather than starting from zero."

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