Any espionage thriller will tell you the best place to hide is where everyone can see you. Solutions to many pressing problems are also similar.
Every life/industry has long running open challenges or problems that need to be solved where the solution remains elusive. In many cases, the solution is hiding in plain sight. How to find it?
- What is the problem? Is it the problem or symptom?
- Is it material enough? Is it worth solving? will the impact be significant?
- Kill ALL assumptions and conventions. Many a time, they come in the way. In the espionage example, stop searching for someone looking odd. The one trying to hide, also knows this.
- Remove all noise ( naysayers, dissuaders, bystanders...)
- Just as the problem took long time to develop/survive, the solution may also need time. Pain killer suppresses pain instantly but reducing weight to relieve stressed joints , takes time.
- Can the strength of the problem be leveraged for the solution? Not different from deflecting an oncoming weapon to the enemy.
- Can the problem be made irrelevant ( This is different from finding a solution to the problem ) ? Is there a path that does not include this problem at all?
- Do not hesitate to try the solution(s) . " Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth. - Arthur Conan Doyle "
- Trying every solution helps you define the problem with more clarity and takes you closer to the solution.
- Why did we not think of this solution that has been hiding in plain sight?
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