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# The Problem Is You're Solving The Wrong Problem
- URL: https://makoism.com/the-wrong-problems/
- Published: 2022-10-29T09:04:41.000Z
- Updated: 2022-10-29T09:04:41.000Z
- Description: "The problem is not the problem. The problem is your attitude about the problem. Do you understand?" - Jack Sparrow
- Author: Steve Makofsky
- Tags: makoism, #newsletter-makoism

The story of the [MacCready Gossamer Condor](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MacCready%5FGossamer%5FCondor) is a fascinating one with a crucial lesson on how to view problems that I like to reference when looking at large-scale issues or transformational efforts.

Here's the story: Back in 1959, [Henry Kremer](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kremer%5Fprize) issued a challenge (aptly known as [the Kremer prize](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kremer%5Fprize)) to create '*the first human-powered aircraft capable of controlled and sustained flight*.'

The rules of the contest were pretty straightforward:

- The machine had to fly a figure-of-eight course around two markers half a mile apart.
- It was conditional that the designer, entrant pilot, place of construction, and flight must all be British.

After 15 years of **no one solving the challenge**, Kremer decided to spur more interest by increasing the prize to £50,000 and opened it to the world. It wasn't until 1977, 18 years after the award was offered, that Paul MacCready **built and flew** the Gossamer Condor in only **SIX MONTHS**.

How on earth was this possible?

The takeaway from MacCready's approach is in *how* he **thought about the problem**. While others would spend a year prepping for a flight, crashing, analyzing data, and rebuilding, he created a plane that he could fly, fix, and fly again in hours.

Rapid iteration was the key. The problem was, as he said, **was the problem**.

> *MacCready realized that what needed to be solved was not, in fact, human-powered flight. That was a red herring. The problem was the process itself. *And a negative side effect was the blind pursuit of a goal without a deeper understanding of how to tackle deeply difficult challenges.** 
>  
> *He built a plane with Mylar, aluminum tubing, and wire. The first airplane didn't work. It was too flimsy. But, because the problem he set out to solve was creating a plane he could fix in hours, *he was able to quickly iterate*. Sometimes he would fly three or four different planes in a single day. The rebuild, re-test, and re-learn cycle went from months and years to hours and days...* 
>  
> *So what's the lesson? When you are solving a difficult problem, re-frame the problem so that your solution helps you learn faster. Find a faster way to fail, recover, and try again. If the problem you are trying to solve involves creating a magnum opus, *you are solving the wrong problem*.*

Another fascinating insight comes from [this article](https://signalvnoise.com/posts/1825-teach-for-america-founder-on-the-pointlessness-of-planning-the-importance-of-saying-no-etc), which leans in on another methodology that MacCready valued: *the power of approaching a problem with naivety*.

> *I think there's a huge power to inexperience. In the context of deeply entrenched problems that many people have given up on, it helps to *not have a traditional framework* so you can ask the naïve questions. That can help you set goals that more experienced people wouldn't think are feasible.*

**Think about it** \- what if you tried to tackle a problem you faced by not having your own legacy baggage and knowledge tying you down? In ways, that thinking is another form of [finding freedom through constraint](https://makoism.com/with-constraint-find-freedom/) and, it allows you to go after the [root cause](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Root%5Fcause%5Fanalysis) of a problem.

Imagine not wasting time focusing on the easy, surface-level things that are fixable with bandaids and duct tape, but **spending time to go after the challenging, deep-rooted issues**. Tackling these issues are often a massive challenge for many individuals and companies; it's *easy* to solve problems with superficial band-aids that provide short-term relief, but digging into the ***real*** problem is where you're going to need to go if you want to make any type of mindset shift or long-lasting change.

I'll leave you with this week's challenge: **Be the wolf**. Solve complicated, deep-rooted problems. Stop putting bandaids on top. See what you can actually accomplish, not just "fix".

If you enjoy these posts, you can [buy me a coffee](https://ko-fi.com/makoism) ☕️, or if you'd rather keep up with my daily ramblings, follow me on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/smakofsky) or keep reading [my posts on this blog](https://makoism.com/).

## Forward Thinking

I've been obsessing over the [GapingVoid Culture Design Group](https://www.gapingvoid.com) lately - they've been hitting all the right vibes for me. I've been a long-time fan of [Hugh MacLeod](https://hughmacleod.art) 's [unique artwork](https://venturebeat.com/entrepreneur/hugh-mcleod-gaping-void/) for many years - I still have a signed copy of [Ignore Everybody](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CB5K5YI) from 2009.

Recently, they've started up [a three-times-a-week mailing](https://www.gapingvoid.com/blog/) and "**[All the Previous You's](https://www.gapingvoid.com/blog/2022/10/15/marshall-goldsmith-previous-you/)**" was **just what I needed** recently.

> *We've all been there. Kicking ourselves for our past sins, even if said sins have been long forgotten by everyone else.* 
>  
> *Marshall Goldsmith has this neat idea that instead of beating up our former selves, *we should thank them instead*. After all, they're the ones who got us where we are today.* 
>  
> **Gratitude, not regret.**

I like the sound of that.

> Our former self often makes us cringe, but really, you should thank that person. That person put in a lot of work, getting you to where you are now. [pic.twitter.com/rwOXuCwvcA](https://t.co/rwOXuCwvcA)
> 
> — Gapingvoid Culture Design Group (@gapingvoid) [October 23, 2022](https://twitter.com/gapingvoid/status/1584153074301829135?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw)

## Thought(s) of the week

> Received this at my grandmas funeral. What an icon. [pic.twitter.com/EhxhzHJfoZ](https://t.co/EhxhzHJfoZ)
> 
> — gracie perryman (@qrracie) [October 18, 2022](https://twitter.com/qrracie/status/1582471507363536897?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw)

> Monthly reminder to stop making decisions based on what other people will think because everyone is self-absorbed anyway. [pic.twitter.com/WMhQFiHVaV](https://t.co/WMhQFiHVaV)
> 
> — Tim Urban (@waitbutwhy) [October 13, 2022](https://twitter.com/waitbutwhy/status/1580538090682449921?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw)

## Latest obsession

Of course I'm not bidding on it, but what a fantastic item going up for auction. Hear a quick blurb about "The Rockhammer Bible" from [The Shawshank Redemption](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0111161/):

> "Salvation lies within".   
> ​Find out more about the Rockhammer Bible from THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION - a holy grail for many collectors out there. Find out even more about the story behind this piece by heading over to our YouTube for the full video. [pic.twitter.com/yUoLVJeIXB](https://t.co/yUoLVJeIXB)
> 
> — Propstore (@propstore\_com) [October 23, 2022](https://twitter.com/propstore%5Fcom/status/1584258518777204737?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw)

If you [want to buy the only copy in existence](https://propstoreauction.com/lot-details/index/catalog/318/lot/95170), as of this writing, early bidding is around £70,000.

## This weeks "Deep Links"

Here are a few of the articles and videos that resonated with me over the last week:

- This was a **great** read that I need to revisit and take deeper notes on. I've talked before on the "[game about the game](https://makoism.com/forge-the-path/)," and "**How To Play Better Games In The Metagame Of Life**" was a fun look at '*not only does the metagame make life a lot more fun, but it gives you tremendous insight into the human condition.*' - [More](https://revolutionarylifestyledesign.com/play-better-games-metagame-life/)
- Continuing on the central theme of this week, "**Climbing the wrong hill**" is an excellent read on how '*people tend to systematically overvalue near term over long term rewards*'- [More](https://cdixon.org/2009/09/19/climbing-the-wrong-hill)
- The more you know 🌈: "**The Earliest Known Appearance of the F-Word, in a Bizarre Court Record Entry from 1310**" - [More](https://www.openculture.com/2017/09/the-earliest-known-appearance-of-the-f-word-in-a-bizarre-court-record-entry-from-1310.html)
- For those who live in the PNW, "**Hello, 'Big Dark': Wednesday is year's final sunset as late as 6 p.m.**". Yes, it's **that** time of year again (which is going to completely wreck my new [intermittent fasting around circadian rhythms](https://blog.insidetracker.com/circadian-rhythm-fasting)) - [More](https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/weather/hello-big-dark-wednesday-is-years-final-sunset-as-late-as-6-p-m/)
- I enjoyed this look at "**Inside the Identity Crisis at the New York Times**", as it's an interesting piece on what happens in legacy culture when its '*business model is undergoing a major transition, cultural and political tensions*' - [More](https://www.semafor.com/article/10/18/2022/inside-the-identity-crisis-at-the-new-york-times)
- More than you ever cared to know about "**Hotdogging along PCH in the West Coast Wienermobiles**." Yes, the Oscar Meyer Wienermobile. You'll thank me later... '*It's like seeing a unicorn — if a unicorn was shaped like a hot dog*' - [More](https://www.latimes.com/travel/story/2022-10-07/wienermobile-los-angeles-west-coast)
- "**Music and the Body: Richard Powers on the Power of Song**" was a thought-provoking read on how music is really '*a laboratory for feeling and time*' - [More](https://www.themarginalian.org/2022/10/15/richard-powers-music/)
- I don't view it as heroic sleeping a few hours a night - I *wish* I could sleep more, but as one of those 'lucky' ones that suffer from sleep apnea, I struggle with it nightly. "**Why We Sleep, and Why We Often Can't**" was a good look at our society's collective '*estranged relationship with sleep*' - [More](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/12/10/why-we-sleep-and-why-we-often-cant)
- More metagame here, but this was a great one: "**Kids Are Master Manipulators. So Use Game Theory Against Them**" - [More](https://www.wired.com/2016/06/how-to-make-kids-behave/)
- Here are some fun ones to check out; The winners of the 11th annual "js13kGames coding competition" - the participants have to create games in 13kB or less of JavaScript **in a month**. A few of these are more entertaining than most of the things found in the metaverse (*snark*) - [More](https://github.blog/2022-10-06-js13k-2022-winners/)

## Fin

Let's wrap up this week with a clip of [Jack Black](https://twitter.com/jackblack), who appeared on the Howard Stern show this week. I caught this audio on a ride up to the ferry; I always forget what an **amazing** frontman Black is.

Enjoy, **Tenacious D Performs a Medley of the Who's Hit Songs**...

Be well. ✌🏻