How You Can Solve Any Problem Strategically by Using the 3 Steps of a Developer's Mindset

Solving problems follows a simple 3 steps guide.

Feeling stuck is only one way to say: I didn't make a plan and don't know where to go next. Take a look at successful people: Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerburg, Bill Gates, all of them had a goal to revolutionize the world. I can write their names here without further explanation, which means this is the evidence that it worked out for all of them.

Having a goal is great, but you need to tackle upcoming problems the right way to reach your destination, here are the three steps that can help you solve any problem you have to deal with.

1. Analyze the Problem in Depth Before You Think About a Solution

Rushing for a solution brings you nowhere.

Imagine you want to build a house and follow your first instinct. Do you think this will work out?

Your house would be far from being habitable. You will probably forget about the electrics, the pipes, maybe even the cellar. The same goes for developing software, where almost any problem I solve is like building a tiny house. I have to be aware of hundreds of different things at once, wildly if others rush for a solution. To analyze your problem reveals the whole range, which a rapid solution can't. Therefore, having the entire situation analyzed shows you all the spots you have to take care of to solve this problem once for all.

Most problems are greater than they might seem, and rushing for a solution is the worst choice. For a software developer, as I am, this knowledge is crucial to surviving because applications are like houses with lots of little things you can't see at first glance. Since you can't see through the walls of your home, analyzing your problem in depth is the best approach you have to find a successful solution.

Analyzing a problem means spotting knowledge gaps, looking over the edge, and working out a solution on paper first.

2. Make Yourself a Plan Before You Start and Execute It Step by Step

A plan is like directions to a destination.

It guides you through all the windy roads and complex intersections on your way to your destination. Without a plan, you will face a situation leaving you with no clue where to go next.

Imagine working very concentrated, and another problem that seems urgent occurs - which one do you give attention to? I face this exact problem every day, where anybody wants to have their code problems fixed first. Without the plan I've made for the day, I would fall for the trap and jump between problems. Follow your plan to get to your destination. You've made it to reach your goal, it would be horrendously stupid and a waste of time not to follow.

A problem can be solved by making a guide of instructions to tackle it. Developing software is like being a city planner and finding the best way to build a new shopping mall in the old town center. If you don't have an in-depth guide, you accept collateral damage.

Facing a problem means tackling it with pre thoughts written on paper, a manual -  so to say - that explains this specific problem you are facing and how to solve it.

3. Ask for Help Early and Don't Feel Ashamed About It

Four eyes see more than two eyes.

Being stuck is a normal human being occurrence that does not mean you are dumb. You are too involved to find a solution, another pair of eyes has a fresh POV about the problem.

The scales fell from my eyes. - I bet 100$ you know this situation. It also happened to me when I tried to solve a source code bug for hours and went down the rabbit hole. I couldn't come up with the right solution, and I decided to ask a colleague, and only five minutes later, we both solved the problem. Ask someone for help is the best way to get yourself out of the thinking cage. You wouldn't say "no" to someone who offers you support and can save you time, so why would you intentionally waste your own time? - That makes no sense.

Asking for help has nothing in common with being incompetent. Instead, it is an invitation to collaborate, to achieve a goal together, cumulatively having a jolly cooperation time. Instead of struggling, invite another person to be your hero. 

If you were the master in your field, you wouldn't hang on to one problem, but you'll never know what others can show you to solve your problem - you can only win.

Thinking and solving problems is the one skill human separate from animals. If a lion sucked at being a lion, he wouldn't survive.

Fortunately, it's not quite as dramatic in humans as it is in the animal kingdom, but the skill to solve problems is the primary key to determining your quality of life. Everybody asks for the one guy that can solve a problem.

A problem is like a blessing in disguise.