The hottest Problem Solving Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Education Topics

Code vs. Cells

Reflective Software Engineering • 0 implied HN points • 08 Jun 23
🕹 Technology Problem Solving
  1. Modeling everyday problems using test-driven development with a Python tool instead of spreadsheets can lead to better results and easier adaptability.
  2. Creating simple Python tools with scripting languages can automate mundane tasks, improve problem-solving skills, and potentially lead to open-source contributions.
  3. Writing code can be enjoyable and effective in automating repetitive tasks, enhancing problem-solving abilities, and potentially growing into valuable tools for others.

Book Review: "The Great Mental Models: General Thinking Concepts" Vol. I - by Farnam Street 4/5

Poczwardowski Notes • 0 implied HN points • 22 Jul 22
🚌 Education Problem Solving
  1. The book presents 9 mental models with many examples and illustrations.
  2. It's the first volume in a series focusing on general thinking concepts, serving as a great introduction to the world of mental models.
  3. Implementing these concepts can enhance decision-making and problem-solving skills, benefiting personal growth and understanding.

Focused Energy

CTOrly • 0 implied HN points • 02 Jan 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Problem Solving
  1. When facing a specific problem, using concentrated, specific solutions is crucial for resolving it effectively.
  2. Differentiate between maintaining a steady state and solving a problem; what works for one may not work for the other.
  3. Prevent issues by taking proactive steps, but be prepared to switch to targeted solutions when problems arise.

4 Things No One Tells You About Coding Interviews (and how you can improve today)

Brain Bytes • 0 implied HN points • 22 Nov 23
🕹 Technology Problem Solving
  1. Studying data structures and algorithms is only one part of preparing for coding interviews; other essential aspects include communication skills, cultural fit, problem-solving ability, system design, and architecture.
  2. Technical interviews are not just about being technical but also about being a human who can solve technical problems; human skills like communication and cultural fit are crucial in interviews.
  3. Having strong communication skills, fitting into the company's culture, showcasing problem-solving abilities specifically in data structures and algorithms, and possessing knowledge in system design and architecture are key to excelling in coding interviews.

Product Management Skills - Articulating assumptions and acting with intention

Joseph Gefroh • 0 implied HN points • 22 Feb 24
💼 Business Problem Solving
  1. Product Managers need to be intentional with their decisions to drive beneficial outcomes for the company. Lack of intentionality can lead to arbitrary decisions that may not have the desired effect.
  2. Being intentional involves articulating the thought process behind proposals, validating assumptions, and being open to feedback. This increases the chances of success in product management.
  3. To effectively manage a product, one should thoroughly discover and define the problem space, propose viable approaches, form concise hypotheses, articulate key assumptions, validate those assumptions, make informed decisions, and monitor outcomes for continuous improvement.
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Product Management Skills - Know how to synthesize

Joseph Gefroh • 0 implied HN points • 11 Feb 24
💼 Business Problem Solving
  1. Product managers must know how to synthesize information for effective communication and alignment.
  2. Adding structure to your narrative, such as Problem-Solution-Value or Situation-Action-Result, can enhance the clarity of your communication.
  3. Synthesizing various sources of information is important for product managers to construct a cohesive storyline and convey a clear message.

Problem 73: Find the smallest positive number missing from an unsorted array [Apple]

Technology Made Simple • 0 implied HN points • 02 Feb 23
🕹 Technology Problem Solving
  1. The problem is about finding the smallest positive number missing from an unsorted array, and the solution involves using pointer manipulation and arrays.
  2. The goal is to identify the smallest positive number missing from the array in O(n) time while utilizing constant extra space and modifying the original array.
  3. Examples of such problems include finding the missing positive number in arrays with positive and negative elements, showcasing the complexities of problem-solving in coding interviews.

Beyond the Daily Grind

PeopleStorming • 0 implied HN points • 19 Mar 24
💼 Business Problem Solving
  1. Motivation is complex and varies per individual, beyond just team hangouts or perks, leaders need to help people connect to the organization's purpose.
  2. Clarifying the organization's mission is just the start, a strong team motivation journey includes understanding, buy-in, and impact.
  3. To address demotivating factors, teams can pinpoint frustrations, collaborate on solutions, and continuously experiment and improve.

What's your approach to risk-taking as a leader? 🐝

PeopleStorming • 0 implied HN points • 14 Mar 22
💼 Business Problem Solving
  1. Taking calculated risks means understanding key variables, planning incrementally, and anticipating failure.
  2. As a leader, taking risks is crucial because the market favors competent risk-taking, which leads to outperformance by teams and organizations.
  3. Utilizing trap door thinking, introducing incrementality, and conducting pre-mortems can help in making better risk-related decisions and avoiding irreversible mistakes.

Candor Is "Inviting People To The Party" 🎉

PeopleStorming • 0 implied HN points • 31 Jan 22
💼 Business Problem Solving
  1. Candor involves showing respect by inviting people to a real, inclusive 'party' of honesty and openness.
  2. Embracing candor means giving up the false sense of security derived from controlling information flow and being open despite fear.
  3. Asking challenging and uncomfortable questions is a crucial aspect of candor that drives meaningful discussions and problem-solving.

Solving Complex Problems 🐸

PeopleStorming • 0 implied HN points • 04 May 21
💼 Business Problem Solving
  1. When trying to solve complex problems as a group, it's important to explicitly state and work within constraints like time, resources, and knowledge.
  2. Grounding problem-solving conversations with specific constraints can actually help a group make progress.
  3. After setting constraints and making progress, it's okay to explore 'infinite resources' ideas for further discussion.

VC-Founder relationship status: Addressing concerns.

Venture Prose • 0 implied HN points • 01 Jun 18
💼 Business Problem Solving
  1. Expressing concerns in relationships can be tough, but it's crucial to do so effectively and at the right time.
  2. Maintaining patience, resilience, and adaptability is key to helping others solve issues.
  3. Creating a simple framework can be beneficial in addressing problems with founders and their companies in VC-Founder relationships.

Three Essential Principles and Four Skills Every Great Manager Needs

AI Disruption • 0 implied HN points • 05 May 24
💼 Business Problem Solving
  1. A great manager doesn't need to know everything, but should excel at managing people by encouraging and guiding their team.
  2. To be a good manager, it's crucial to ask effective questions that are clear, specific, and open-ended, following techniques like 'Follow the Leader' and 'Reframing Meaning' questioning.
  3. When guiding employees, it's beneficial to listen and offer solutions rather than immediately saying 'no', and asking layered questions based on 'Goal, Identity, Beliefs, Skills, Actions, and Setting'.

Giải trí^H^H^Htoán cuối tuần

Thái | Hacker | Kỹ sư tin tặc • 0 implied HN points • 06 Jun 16
🔬 Science Problem Solving
  1. The author recalls enjoying solving math problems as a child but never had one published, reminiscing about a math professor who is now a professor in the US
  2. The author recently discovered a math test and attempted to solve a problem involving finding integer solutions and another that required rearranging numbers in a specific way, providing multiple solutions
  3. The author shares a strategy for rearranging numbers to satisfy a given condition, showcasing a step-by-step approach to solve the problem and inviting readers to explore different methods

Phép chia dài

Thái | Hacker | Kỹ sư tin tặc • 0 implied HN points • 23 Sep 13
🚌 Education Problem Solving
  1. Estimating the first digit of the quotient in long division can help reduce the number of calculations needed.
  2. Understanding Knuth's Long Division algorithm can aid in efficiently performing arithmetic operations on large integers.
  3. Choosing a smart value for the base when dividing large numbers can lead to more accurate estimations and fewer operations required.

2024-06-24-Complexity Elision Pyramid

Paul’s Substack • 0 implied HN points • 24 Jun 24
🕹 Technology Problem Solving
  1. The Complexity Elision Pyramid proposes building multiple Solution Centric Notations (SCNs) for each project, streamlining programming language creation and problem-solving.
  2. By eliding low-level implementation details, programmers can focus more on intricate problem-specific aspects rather than technical specifics.
  3. Layers of the pyramid represent distinct aspects of the problem space, with each layer building upon the one below in a manner akin to low-level assembly instructions.

Growth Mindset: A Cliché or a Secret Weapon?

Weekend Developer • 0 implied HN points • 06 Aug 23
🕹 Technology Problem Solving
  1. Growth mindset is key for software developers to see challenges as opportunities and actively seek solutions.
  2. Having a growth mindset leads to continuous improvement, humility, and the ability to solve coding problems more effectively.
  3. To develop a growth mindset, change your self-talk, embrace challenges, practice consistently, and be willing to ask for help when needed.

What Do You Do?

realkinetic • 0 implied HN points • 24 Apr 18
💼 Business Problem Solving
  1. Real Kinetic focuses on helping companies get 'unstuck' and providing capabilities to remain unstuck.
  2. They emphasize looking at the broader business outcomes rather than just focusing on tactical implementation details.
  3. Their approach involves team-based mentorship, addressing technology, people, and business objectives to help clients become self-sufficient.

I'll figure it out

Tribal Knowledge • 0 implied HN points • 12 Oct 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Problem Solving
  1. The author feels confident in their ability to solve problems, enjoying the process and putting in hard work to figure things out.
  2. The author gets frustrated when unable to solve a problem, particularly struggles with emotional issues that cannot be fixed with a problem-solving mindset.
  3. As a leader, the author recognizes the importance of allowing others to learn and figure things out on their own instead of always stepping in to solve problems for them.

Black Box Programming

Tribal Knowledge • 0 implied HN points • 06 Apr 23
🕹 Technology Problem Solving
  1. When programming, focus on zooming in rather than zooming out to improve productivity and solve problems efficiently.
  2. Treat certain parts of your work as 'black boxes' where you focus solely on inputs and outputs, allowing you to tackle complex tasks one step at a time.
  3. Address unknowns in your project by compartmentalizing them as black boxes, enabling you to focus on what you do know and make progress without feeling overwhelmed.

Follow these steps to ace your next Coding Interview

Tecnica • 0 implied HN points • 28 Jul 24
🚌 Education Problem Solving
  1. Always start by understanding the problem well. Ask questions and take notes, which will help you cover all important details and edge cases.
  2. Propose a simple, brute-force solution first. This shows you know the basic approach, and you can compare it to the optimal one later.
  3. Before coding, plan out your solution thoroughly in comments. This helps you clarify your thoughts and reduces mistakes when you start writing the actual code.

How to solve Engineering Manager Case Study Interview

Better Engineers • 0 implied HN points • 14 Jul 24
🚌 Education Problem Solving
  1. To tackle a case study in an engineering manager interview, first understand the problem clearly. Read the case multiple times to catch all the details.
  2. Break down the main problem into smaller parts so it's easier to manage. Think about the perspectives of different people involved to find the best solutions.
  3. After solving each smaller problem, combine all the solutions into one plan. Then, be ready to present your findings clearly using visuals to help explain your points.

My Path to Become a Senior Software Engineer

Peak Performance by David Goudet • 0 implied HN points • 05 May 24
🕹 Technology Problem Solving
  1. Struggling is part of growth; even successful engineers face challenges and work hard to improve. It's important to embrace the journey, including failures, to reach your goals.
  2. Dealing with clients taught valuable lessons about the stress of the job and the importance of understanding different roles in business. This experience can change how you appreciate entrepreneurship.
  3. Preparing for senior software engineer roles goes beyond coding; it involves studying patterns, practicing regularly, and improving routines. A good mindset and consistent effort can lead to success in interviews and your career.