Problems
A problem is the gap between where you are and where you want to be. The size of the gap is the size of the opportunity. But most effort gets wasted: on symptoms pretending to be causes, on urgent things that don't matter, on problems framed by others for their benefit.
Our purpose is to solve problems. The higher skill is choosing problems worth solving. This hub holds two halves of that skill: knowing which problems matter, and knowing how to solve them once chosen.
Problems owns the good/bad judgment. It asks whether the gap is real, virtuous, costly, avoidable, and worth naming. A good problem increases agency when solved. A bad problem burns attention, rewards theatre, or traps you inside someone else's frame.
Decision Ladder
Use the ladder in order:
| Layer | Owns | Question |
|---|---|---|
| Problems | Good vs bad | Is this the right gap to solve? |
| Potential | Risk vs reward | What could this become, and what could it cost? |
| Priorities | When and why | Should this win scarce attention now? |
| Plans | How and who | What bridge gets built, and which agents of change carry it? |
Do not plan before the problem is clean. A plan for a bad problem only makes the wrong work faster.
Choose the Problem
Where the valuable problems live — across AI, business, crypto, economics, governance, science, and society.
- Problem Domains — the catalog of high-leverage problems worth your attention
Solve the Problem
Once you've chosen, the method for moving from a fuzzy pain to a clear, solvable statement.
- Problem Solving — classify, define, align, state, and value a problem before you spend effort on it
Why This Matters
The hardest problem is identifying which problem to focus on. Get that wrong and every downstream decision compounds the error. Get it right and the work almost solves itself.
The test is simple: if solving the problem would not create more agency, clearer choice, or better value flow, it is not a Dreamineering problem yet.