What Is a Problem, Really?
Day 2 of 30 · Done is better - Build What Matters
Learn to separate symptoms from the real challenge.
Learning goal
- Define problem vs symptom.
- Identify the real challenge behind observable signs.
- Apply the separation in one real situation.
Why it matters
- Treating symptoms wastes effort and leaves the cause intact.
- The first thing you see is often not the root cause.
- Action on the wrong target creates noise, not progress.
Key idea
A problem is a gap between current state and desired state. A symptom is what you observe. Find what would have to be true for the symptom to exist; that points to the real problem.
Procedure
- List what you observe (symptoms).
- Ask: what would have to be true for this to happen?
- Identify the gap between current and desired state.
- State the problem in one sentence.
- Check: is this actionable?
Example
Scenario: A team keeps missing deadlines.
Diagnosis: Missing deadlines is a symptom; the problem might be unclear scope, no buffer, or wrong capacity.
Better approach: Ask what would have to be true for deadlines to be missed; find the gap (e.g. scope creep); state the problem as an actionable gap.
Common mistakes
- Treating the first observable sign as the problem.
- Solving symptoms repeatedly without finding the cause.
- Stating the problem in vague or non-actionable terms.
Today's move
Pick one situation where something keeps going wrong. List symptoms, then write one sentence: what is the real problem (the gap)?
Self-check
- You can explain the key idea in one sentence.
- You have one concrete move to do today.