The 5 Acts problem-solving framework

The Do-It Newsletter #35 - The 5 Acts Method, writing insights and interesting resources

Reasoning and problem-solving are simply the creation of new knowledge. This is the primary idea in the problem-solving framework I made. It emphasizes 1) targeting a problem at the optimal layer of emergence and 2) analyzing the systems in your environment. It's been the most challenging and rewarding article I've written, and I'm curious to hear your response. Read the full framework on Medium:

And, if you'd like to use the worksheets featured in this article as a worksheet, you can duplicate them for Free in this This Notion Worksheet.

(Get an account for Notion here if you haven't already)

Reflections and Insights on the writing process

I: Outcome oriented-thinking is invaluable

The motivation for writing this article was a feeling that the progress of my book lacked direction. I have a good idea of the content of each chapter and the chronology, but how you use the knowledge in the book wasn't defined. I decided to create the solution to that question as an "MVP". An MVP (Minimum Viable Product) is the most stripped-down version that would satisfy the "intended purpose”. Specifying the intended purpose is actually deceivingly difficult and took me several iterations to get right. But it pushed me to focus on the practical outcome ruthlessly, which gave me great guidance. It seemed self-evident in my mind, but actually making it explicit and clear takes quite a bit of effort. Luckily it's very stimulating when it finally clicks, and you gain a sense of confidence and pride in the outcome.

II: Think like a computer

I am amazed at how useful it is to use computer paradigms to work through problems. In this instance, I was struggling with the fact that I had a logical narrative for the chapters of the book, which didn't mirror the sequence needed in problem-solving. This made me doubt and reconsider the entire structure for a while, but then I remembered that data modeling in computers doesn't require the chronological organization of data for the data to be useful. Instead, data can be called upon whenever needed. This liberated me from the mental constraint that the book's narrative had to fit each purpose the same way. So I drafted the problem-solving framework from scratch and simply referenced the chapters when needed. In the end, it actually turned out to be very close to the original structure.

Interesting resources of the month

📖 Read:

Shortform's Master Guide to Learning

In the age of mindless AI-generated summaries, products such as Shortform shine. In this meta-guide on Learning, Shortform has gathered a collection of insights from books on the topic. It's been a useful source of inspiration for the 5th Act (Learning).

🔗 Link to Shortform → The world’s best book guides. You’ll receive 5 days of unlimited and unrestricted access and an additional 20% discount on the annual subscription.

🔗 Link to a 1-page PDF summary

🔊 Listened to:

How Innovation Works - Audiobook by Matt Ridley

Your worldview will change when you understand how Innovation truly works. There are hardly any “great men of history". Every technology you can imagine follows the same gradual pattern of tiny improvements coalescing into large breakthroughs. Don't believe me? Have a listen. The book is also very pleasantly narrated by the author.

🔗 Link to the audiobook on Audible

🌊 Resurfaced:

On company size by Jason Fried

You don't need nearly as many people or resources to run a company as you might think. I got reminded of this empowering insight when reading Jason Fried's latest article. He breaks down the crazy numbers of Basecamp in comparison to its competitors, such as Asana and Jira.

🔗 Link to Jason Fried's article

🤍 Appreciated:

Headspace App for sleep

I don't use Headspace for meditation anymore as I find the guidance distracting, but the sleep catalog is absolutely wonderful. There's a collection of ambient water sounds, which I play to help me fall asleep.

🔗 Link to the Headspace App

Sleeping mask

I always use a sleeping mask. Especially when you're traveling or in a place where it isn't completely dark. It noticeably improves my sleep quality and is such an easy product.

🔗 Link to a similar product on Amazon

That’s a wrap

I’d love to hear your thoughts. You can leave a comment on Substack, send me a private message, or simply reply to this e-mail. See you soon!

, Edwin