Explain it Simply

All thorny problems are difficult to solve. That’s what makes them thorny, after all.

But all good solutions can be explained simply.

That’s because all good solutions are hypotheses and nothing more.

Hence the simple 3-part explanation.

1. “Here’s what I believe lies at the heart of this problem.”
2. “Here’s what I propose that will address that issue.”
3. “Here’s why I think it will address that issue.”

Your goal is not to be right—in fact, the quest for rightness in the face of  complexity can be paralyzing, and inaction has its own costs.

Rather, your goal is to state these three points with utmost clarity.

This way, even if you don’t figure out the perfect solution (yet), you will at least know which of your three statements was right and which was wrong. Then you can iterate.

And if you can’t (yet) explain your problem and solution this simply, keep at it. Without this kind of clarity, it’s too soon to jump to implementation.