Problem Solving — Methodology for survival

How do we face problems?

Pattern 1

I don't say it

I have a problem → I stay silent → It becomes entrenched.

Fear, indecision, culture of silence.

Pattern 2

I verbalize it, nothing more

I say it → I only verbalize it, I don't start solving it.

Complaint, noise, not digging into the root.

Pattern 3

I fix it with the first idea

I have a problem → I fix it with the first idea that comes to mind.

Impulsiveness, no analysis, quick patches, no root cause.

What's more common in the team: not saying the problem or saying it without progressing?

Focused on: Design Methodology

'How are objects born?' — Bruno Munari

Project Methodology. A structured process applicable to any type of problem — from product design to engineering decisions.

Design Thinking. Understand the problem, generate alternatives, and test solutions. Not jumping to the first answer.

The romantic idea of creativity

"When we talk about solving problems, we usually think of intuition, experience or improvisation. But Bruno Munari reminds us that any process — from designing an object to developing software — improves when we abandon the romantic idea of 'genius' and adopt a clear method."

Is creativity only for art? No — it's a reproducible process, not a trait you either have or don't.

Munari applied to software

Demystify creativity. We're not looking for geniuses. We expect to achieve reproducible processes.

Design is an orderly way to solve problems. Just like writing a feature, refactoring, or fixing a bug.

Munari's basic method

1

Define the problem

2

Analyze context

3

Generate options → Transfer the doubt/need

4

Prototype

5

Evaluate

6

Select the simplest and most effective solution

"Method as an antidote to the drama of the problem."

From problem to method

Step 1 — Examples "I don't understand the acceptance criteria."
"There's friction between two teams."
"I don't have clarity on priorities."

Step 2 — Redefine What is the real problem?
What conditions surround it?
What would be a clear, neutral definition?

Step 3 — Generate paths Not complete solutions — only alternatives. Options that lead to options.

Munari insisted: creativity arises when there is variety, not when we look for the "perfect answer" at first.

Proactivity ≠ spontaneity

Initiative is not acting without thinking, but starting a conscious process.

In technology, where problems are constant, design as a method is an extremely powerful tool.

A problem begins to be solved when it stops being a drama and becomes a process.

We're not looking for heroes who solve problems, but teams that know how to design solutions.

Practical techniques

Root cause

5 Whys

Keep asking "why" until you reach the root cause.

Example:

"Why is the deployment failing?" → Missing dependency
"Why is it missing?" → Not in package.json
"Why wasn't it added?" → No checklist
"Why no checklist?" → No process docs
Root cause: no time allocated for process improvement

Unlock ideas

Worst Possible Solution

Think of the worst solution to unlock creative thinking — then reverse it.

Problem: Team communication is inefficient

10 daily meetings
5 different chat apps
Only communicate via email chains

Reversed: One async update, single tool, clear docs.

Inversion

Reverse Thinking

"How could we make this worse?" — then do the opposite.

Problem: Low code quality

No code reviews
No tests
Deploy on Fridays
Ignore linter warnings

Solution: Reviews, tests, safe deploys, linting.

These techniques help you avoid jumping to solutions and instead explore the problem space first.

Practical example

Scenario: "Our team is taking too long to deliver features."

1

Define — Instead of "we're slow", ask: what specifically is taking time? Is it planning, coding, testing, or deployment?

2

Analyze — Discovered: most time is spent in back-and-forth clarifications. Acceptance criteria are often unclear.

3

Generate — Template for clearer user stories · Pre-kickoff Q&A meeting · Definition of "ready" checklist · PM + developer sync.

4

Prototype — Test the "definition of ready" checklist with one team for two weeks.

5

Evaluate — Clarification time reduced 60%. Team reports clearer understanding before starting work.

6

Implement — Roll out the checklist to all teams. Simple, clear, measurable improvement.

From "we're slow" to a clear, tested process improvement. Method over drama.

Building culture

There's no magic formula. What matters is the intention: stop reacting to problems as emergencies and start treating them as opportunities to improve.

Culture

It's about culture

A team that asks "why" before jumping to solutions builds better products and grows together.

Iteration

It's about iteration

You won't get it right the first time. The method itself improves as you use it.

Consistency

It's about consistency

One methodical approach beats a hundred brilliant but chaotic ideas.

"Problems don't disappear. But a team that knows how to face them transforms problems into progress."

Start small. Pick one problem. Apply the method. See what happens. The best time to start was yesterday. The second best time is now.