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Leitura de 14 min

Improvisational Problem Solving Based on Characteristics

Summary

Host Jonathan Cottrell opens the episode with a personal anecdote about moving into a new home. He needed to measure something but, instead of reaching for a tape measure, he instinctively used a box cutter. This leads him to reflect on the brain’s ability to improvise by using tools for purposes they were never intended for, based on their underlying characteristics rather than their labeled function.

He connects this idea to the broader concept of problem-solving, especially in software development. The key insight is that effective problem-solving often involves looking past the obvious or intended use of a tool and instead identifying the structural characteristics that make it suitable for a given task. This approach not only helps solve problems quickly but can also be a source of innovation.

Cottrell provides a concrete example from the web development world: React. He notes that developers recognized React’s core characteristics for rendering interfaces could be applied beyond the web to other 2D screen environments. This adaptation was possible because they focused on the tool’s fundamental principles rather than its original, specific use case.

He encourages listeners to apply this mindset when choosing tools or learning new technologies. Instead of defaulting to the most popular or obvious option, developers should analyze the characteristics of the problem at hand and seek tools whose characteristics align, even if those tools aren’t traditionally associated with that problem space. The episode concludes with a sponsor message for WooCommerce and a new segment called ‘Jonathan’s Picks,’ featuring Mad Monk Tea.

Recommendations

Products

  • Mad Monk Tea — A brand of loose leaf tea recommended by the host in the ‘Jonathan’s Picks’ segment. He describes it as incredible and notes they offer starter kits for those new to loose leaf tea.

Tools

  • WooCommerce — An open-source e-commerce platform built on WordPress, powering nearly 30% of online stores. It’s highlighted as a customizable solution for developers, with an API and a marketplace for extensions.
  • React — A popular web development library. The episode uses it as an example of a tool whose core characteristics for rendering interfaces were successfully adapted for use beyond the web, in other 2D screen environments.

Topic Timeline

  • 00:00:00 — Introduction: Measuring with a box cutter instead of a tape measure — Jonathan Cottrell shares a personal story from moving into a new home. He needed to measure something but found himself using a box cutter instead of a tape measure. This sparks a question about why our brains choose unconventional tools and introduces the episode’s theme of improvisational problem-solving.
  • 00:02:46 — Sponsor segment: WooCommerce for developers — The episode is sponsored by WooCommerce, an open-source e-commerce platform built on WordPress. Cottrell highlights that nearly 30% of online stores use it, its customizability for developers, and the opportunity to build and sell extensions in their marketplace. A discount code is offered for listeners.
  • 00:05:22 — Defining improvisation in problem-solving — Cottrell returns to the box cutter example to define what it means to improvise when solving problems. It involves doing something unexpected, combining ideas that don’t typically go together. He notes the improvised tool (box cutter) shared key characteristics with a proper measuring device: it was long, straight, and had visual markings.
  • 00:06:39 — Applying the principle to code and tools — The discussion shifts from the physical example to software development. The core advice is to not just look for tools created to solve a specific problem. Instead, identify the underlying characteristics needed to solve the problem and find tools that possess those characteristics. This approach expands your available toolkit and can lead to innovation.
  • 00:07:31 — Example: React’s characteristics applied beyond the web — Cottrell uses React as a prime example. Developers recognized that React’s characteristics for rendering user interfaces were not limited to the web. Its principles were adapted for other 2D screen environments because the core characteristics—not the original purpose—were what mattered. This illustrates the power of thinking in terms of characteristics.
  • 00:08:51 — Jonathan’s Picks segment and conclusion — Cottrell introduces a new segment called ‘Jonathan’s Picks,’ recommending Mad Monk Tea (loose leaf tea) with a discount code. He reiterates the sponsor message for WooCommerce and the key takeaway: when choosing tools, focus on the characteristics of the problem and the tool, not just the most obvious or popular option.

Episode Info

  • Podcast: Developer Tea
  • Author: Jonathan Cutrell
  • Category: Technology Business Careers Society & Culture
  • Published: 2018-03-02T10:00:00Z
  • Duration: 00:09:53

References

Podcast Info

Transcript

[00:00:00] I had an interesting experience recently while I was moving into my new home.

[00:00:09] See, I was trying to measure something.

[00:00:11] And if I was to tell you to go and measure the thing that I was measuring,

[00:00:16] it’s likely that the first thing that comes to mind is a measuring tool,

[00:00:21] something that can measure the thing that I asked you to measure.

[00:00:24] And if it’s below 20 feet or so, you’re probably going to use a tape measure.

[00:00:30] The interesting thing that happened, the experience that I had,

[00:00:34] was I didn’t even think about using a tape measure.

[00:00:37] I used something else.

[00:00:38] I used actually a box cutter.

[00:00:41] And how did I use a box cutter?

[00:00:43] Well, I put it towards one end of what I was trying to measure,

[00:00:47] and then I put it towards the other end,

[00:00:48] and I used various markers on the box cutter.

[00:00:51] And the details aren’t really important,

[00:00:53] but the important part here is that the box cutter was never intended to be used for measuring anything.

[00:00:58] So why did my brain choose to pick up a box cutter when I needed to measure something?

[00:01:05] We’re going to talk about this kind of odd-fitting tool,

[00:01:10] and more importantly, we’re going to talk about improv as you’re solving problems in today’s episode.

[00:01:16] My name is Jonathan Cottrell, and you’re listening to Developer Tea.

[00:01:19] And as you’ve heard on previous shows,

[00:01:21] my goal on this show is to help you connect to your career purpose,

[00:01:24] and then to turn around and help you do better work

[00:01:26] so you can have a positive influence on the people around you.

[00:01:28] And in order to do any of those things,

[00:01:32] you have to understand yourself.

[00:01:34] You have to understand the way that you work,

[00:01:36] and the way your brain works,

[00:01:37] at least to some reasonable extent, right?

[00:01:40] And I found this moment where I used this kind of odd-fitting tool

[00:01:45] for a job that it was never intended for,

[00:01:49] I found this kind of fascinating.

[00:01:51] This seems very small,

[00:01:53] but if you take into account

[00:01:55] all of the minor kind of intricate things,

[00:01:58] the decisions that had to be made

[00:02:00] in order for me to use that tool

[00:02:02] for a purpose it was never intended to be used for,

[00:02:06] it’s kind of amazing, right?

[00:02:07] Because this ability to adapt to the surroundings,

[00:02:12] to adapt to the problem,

[00:02:14] this is something that we don’t really always have to consciously consider.

[00:02:19] There are tons of moments that you’re going to have in your life

[00:02:23] as a developer, but also outside of your job,

[00:02:27] where you have this moment,

[00:02:28] this moment of improv,

[00:02:29] where you have to take the constraints that are provided to you,

[00:02:33] and you have to figure something out.

[00:02:35] And this is truly what problem-solving is.

[00:02:39] And I want to talk about how this can apply to your development work

[00:02:42] right after we talk about today’s sponsor, WooCommerce.

[00:02:46] WooCommerce is an open-source e-commerce solution

[00:02:49] built on WordPress.

[00:02:51] And nearly 30% of all online stores on the web

[00:02:54] are powered by WooCommerce.

[00:02:55] Now that’s a huge number if you think about how many,

[00:02:58] people are doing business online.

[00:03:01] And WooCommerce is a fully customizable platform

[00:03:04] that you as a developer, you can build a unique store

[00:03:06] to suit any of your business needs.

[00:03:09] You keep full control and flexibility

[00:03:11] in integrating with whatever e-commerce services

[00:03:14] you need to integrate with,

[00:03:16] whether you do that through an existing service,

[00:03:19] an existing integration that WooCommerce has,

[00:03:22] or if you build your own through the API.

[00:03:24] Now based on your needs and experience level,

[00:03:26] you can customize WooCommerce

[00:03:28] by adding your own extensions or writing customized code.

[00:03:32] But of course, if you don’t have that experience level,

[00:03:34] there are over 140 extensions available

[00:03:37] in the official WooCommerce.com marketplace.

[00:03:41] Now subscribing for a year gets you support and updates

[00:03:44] for all of these extensions as well.

[00:03:47] Now let’s say you are one of those people

[00:03:48] who is experienced enough as a developer

[00:03:51] to build your own extensions.

[00:03:54] Well now you can sell your extensions

[00:03:57] in the official WooCommerce,

[00:03:58] WooCommerce marketplace.

[00:03:59] And here’s the reality.

[00:04:01] If you had a need for something

[00:04:02] that WooCommerce didn’t already have covered

[00:04:05] in their extensions,

[00:04:06] it’s very possible and perhaps even likely

[00:04:09] that someone else has that need as well.

[00:04:12] So this can work as a great secondary income,

[00:04:15] for example, for developers

[00:04:17] who are working on a regular basis.

[00:04:19] You’re already working on an e-commerce site

[00:04:21] and you’re continuing to update this internal plugin.

[00:04:25] You can go and take that extension

[00:04:27] that you’ve been using for a while,

[00:04:28] build it for WooCommerce

[00:04:28] and start selling it in their marketplace.

[00:04:30] Go and check it out, WooCommerce.com.

[00:04:33] And by the way, at the time of this reading,

[00:04:36] this information is brand new.

[00:04:38] It’s only released as of today.

[00:04:41] And the doors have been open to developers

[00:04:43] after being mostly closed for the last two years

[00:04:46] at WooCommerce for extension development

[00:04:48] and selling on their marketplace.

[00:04:50] So take advantage of it.

[00:04:51] It’s brand new and that’s the best time

[00:04:53] to get into this kind of market.

[00:04:55] And it’s a great way for developers

[00:04:56] to make a little bit of extra money.

[00:04:58] Thank you so much to WooCommerce.

[00:05:00] Once again, you can go to WooCommerce.com

[00:05:03] slash developer T.

[00:05:04] This is good until the end of March 2018.

[00:05:08] If you use the code developer T,

[00:05:09] you’ll get 20% off, 20% off.

[00:05:13] Go to WooCommerce.com slash developer T

[00:05:15] and use the code developer T to get 20% off.

[00:05:19] Thanks again to WooCommerce for sponsoring today’s episode.

[00:05:22] So what does it mean to improvise

[00:05:24] when you are solving problems?

[00:05:27] Well,

[00:05:28] in the simple example that I provided

[00:05:30] of using a box cutter to measure something,

[00:05:33] what it often means

[00:05:35] is doing something relatively unexpected,

[00:05:38] doing something that maybe you haven’t done before

[00:05:40] or putting one idea with another idea

[00:05:45] that generally those two ideas

[00:05:47] don’t typically work together.

[00:05:49] But there’s something interesting

[00:05:51] about this particular example

[00:05:54] that really does apply to developers.

[00:05:58] And that is that the improvised tool

[00:06:01] wasn’t all that different from a measuring device.

[00:06:06] A tape measure, for example,

[00:06:08] is long and straight

[00:06:09] and it has some kind of visual marking

[00:06:12] to show you just how long

[00:06:14] you’ve pulled the tape measure out.

[00:06:17] And the box cutter has various markings,

[00:06:21] even though they aren’t necessarily

[00:06:22] given in some kind of standardized metric,

[00:06:26] they are marked.

[00:06:28] These are markings that you can use

[00:06:28] to see, you know,

[00:06:30] to compare two items up against

[00:06:32] that particular box cutter.

[00:06:34] And we keep on talking about the box cutter,

[00:06:36] but let’s talk about code now.

[00:06:39] What are we saying about these tools?

[00:06:42] Well, really what we’re saying is

[00:06:43] in order to solve a problem,

[00:06:46] don’t look for a tool that has been created

[00:06:48] to solve that problem necessarily.

[00:06:51] Instead, look for the characteristics

[00:06:53] that will solve the problem.

[00:06:55] Now, this doesn’t just come in handy

[00:06:57] when you are trying to solve a problem.

[00:06:57] When you are trying to solve problems quickly,

[00:06:59] it can also be an interesting source of innovation.

[00:07:03] What you’re really doing is you’re finding

[00:07:05] the underlying characteristics,

[00:07:07] the underlying kind of structural backbone

[00:07:10] of a given method or tool,

[00:07:13] and you’re matching those characteristics to problems.

[00:07:17] And what this allows you to do

[00:07:20] is it allows you to have a much wider variety

[00:07:23] of tools at your disposal.

[00:07:24] For example, perhaps one of the most

[00:07:27] popular tools of my entire career

[00:07:31] to come out for web developers has been React.

[00:07:34] This is no surprise.

[00:07:36] And the interesting thing is

[00:07:38] someone was able to identify that React

[00:07:40] isn’t just for the web.

[00:07:43] In fact, the principles and the characteristics

[00:07:46] of rendering an interface

[00:07:49] very much so follow the same pattern

[00:07:53] no matter where that interface is rendered.

[00:07:56] Especially for web developers,

[00:07:57] they’re all 2D screens.

[00:07:59] So it makes sense to take some of those concepts,

[00:08:03] take some of that tool set,

[00:08:05] and adapt it to be used in other scenarios, right?

[00:08:10] Because what we’ve identified

[00:08:11] is characteristics of the tool

[00:08:14] rather than looking at what the tool is made to do.

[00:08:18] So I’d encourage you to,

[00:08:19] as you’re choosing the tools that you’re going to use,

[00:08:23] as you’re choosing things that you’re going to learn,

[00:08:25] don’t think just about,

[00:08:27] you know, the thing that has a popular name.

[00:08:29] Don’t reach only for the tools that are most obvious.

[00:08:34] Think about the characteristics of the problem

[00:08:36] and the characteristics of the tool

[00:08:38] that would fit that problem well.

[00:08:41] Thanks again for listening to today’s episode of Developer Tea.

[00:08:45] We’re going to start something kind of new on Developer Tea

[00:08:47] as we end out today’s episode.

[00:08:51] And really, this is just kind of a short segment

[00:08:53] of Developer Tea where we’re going to talk about

[00:08:55] some practical things that you might be

[00:08:57] able to use or that you might enjoy.

[00:09:00] And we’re going to call this part of the show

[00:09:01] Jonathan’s Picks.

[00:09:03] Today’s pick is Mad Monk Tea.

[00:09:06] I’ve talked about it a few times on the show before.

[00:09:09] It’s incredible tea.

[00:09:10] It is loose leaf.

[00:09:11] If you’ve never had loose leaf,

[00:09:12] I highly encourage you to check it out.

[00:09:14] They have all the stuff that you need to get started

[00:09:16] so you won’t have to go and buy anything anywhere else.

[00:09:19] And you can get 15% off your first order

[00:09:21] head over to madmonktea.com.

[00:09:24] Use the code DEVELOPERTEA.

[00:09:25] Thank you so much for listening to today’s episode.

[00:09:27] of Developer Tea.

[00:09:28] Thank you again to WooCommerce

[00:09:30] for sponsoring today’s episode.

[00:09:33] You can get 20% off of WooCommerce

[00:09:35] by heading over to woocommerce.com

[00:09:36] slash DEVELOPERTEA.

[00:09:38] Use the code DEVELOPERTEA.

[00:09:39] Check out that code is good until the end of March.

[00:09:42] Thank you so much for listening.

[00:09:44] And until next time, enjoy your tea.

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