Rewriting the Problem
Day 5 of 30 · Done is better - Build What Matters
If you cannot restate it clearly, you do not own it.
Learning goal
- Restate the problem in your own words.
- Make it clear enough to explain in 30 seconds.
- Lock the restatement as the working problem.
Why it matters
- Jargon and inherited wording hide fuzzy thinking.
- Restatement forces ownership.
- Clear problem statements lead to better solutions.
Key idea
Rewrite the problem in plain language. If you cannot explain it to someone else in 30 seconds, simplify again. The restatement is the problem you will solve.
Procedure
- Write the problem as given.
- Rewrite it in your own words (no jargon).
- Ask: what would solving this look like?
- If you cannot explain it in 30 seconds, simplify again.
- Lock the restatement as the working problem.
Common mistakes
- Using jargon or someone else's wording without internalizing.
- Keeping the problem fuzzy.
- Skipping restatement and going straight to solutions.
Today's move
Take the problem from Day 2. Rewrite it in three sentences or less so a colleague could understand it without context. Use that as your working problem.
Self-check
- You can explain the key idea in one sentence.
- You have one concrete move to do today.