What Problems to Solve

With code you have the power and leverage to do many things, to solve many problems potentially. But which areas, which problems, where to create value?

As coding becomes easier through better tools, AI assistants, and more abstracted frameworks, the focus shifts away from implementation details. When the mechanics of writing code are no longer the bottleneck, what truly matters?

Beyond Implementation

If coding becomes easier, we should focus on problem solving, creativity, taste, judgment. But how? What kind of problems, and what kind of approach?

This isn't about abandoning technical skills. It's about recognizing that technical execution is becoming a commodity. The differentiation lies in higher-order thinking and capabilities.

What Kind of Problems?

The best problems to solve are those that:

Matter to real people, including yourself. Not theoretical exercises or solutions looking for problems.
Require deep understanding of the domain, not just technical implementation.
Have compounding effects. Solving them unlocks other solutions or creates new possibilities.
Sit at the intersection of multiple disciplines. They're not purely technical, purely business, or purely creative.
Are genuinely difficult, not because the code is complex, but because understanding the problem deeply is hard.

The approach matters as much as the problem selection. It's not about finding the biggest problem or the most urgent one. It's about finding problems where your unique combination of skills, perspective, and curiosity creates leverage.

The Shift in Focus

As implementation becomes easier, the scarcity shifts to:

Problem identification: Seeing what others miss, recognizing patterns that point to opportunities.
Creative synthesis: Combining existing ideas in novel ways, not inventing from scratch.
Taste and judgment: Knowing what good looks like, making decisions about what to build and what to skip.
Domain expertise: Understanding the actual problem space deeply enough to craft solutions that truly fit.
Communication and influence: Explaining complex ideas clearly, building understanding with others.

Keep exploring to find other problems to solve. If you find one that works and scales, focus on that. Digital or not? The medium matters less than the problem itself and your approach to solving it.

The question remains: which areas, which problems, where to create value? The answer doesn't come from a formula or a checklist. It emerges through consistent exploration, building judgment through practice, and developing taste by engaging with high-quality work across disciplines.

Start where you are. Use what you have. Solve what matters to you and the people around you. As you practice problem selection and develop your judgment, you'll begin to see opportunities others miss. That's where the real leverage lies, and that's what becomes increasingly valuable as the mechanics of coding continue to become easier.

Beyond Implementation

If coding becomes easier, we should focus on problem solving, creativity, taste, judgment. But how? What kind of problems, and what kind of approach?

This isn't about abandoning technical skills. It's about recognizing that technical execution is becoming a commodity. The differentiation lies in higher-order thinking and capabilities.

What Kind of Problems?

The best problems to solve are those that:

Matter to real people, including yourself. Not theoretical exercises or solutions looking for problems.

Require deep understanding of the domain, not just technical implementation.

Have compounding effects. Solving them unlocks other solutions or creates new possibilities.

Sit at the intersection of multiple disciplines. They're not purely technical, purely business, or purely creative.

Are genuinely difficult, not because the code is complex, but because understanding the problem deeply is hard.

The Shift in Focus

As implementation becomes easier, the scarcity shifts to:

Problem identification: Seeing what others miss, recognizing patterns that point to opportunities.

Creative synthesis: Combining existing ideas in novel ways, not inventing from scratch.

Taste and judgment: Knowing what good looks like, making decisions about what to build and what to skip.

Domain expertise: Understanding the actual problem space deeply enough to craft solutions that truly fit.

Communication and influence: Explaining complex ideas clearly, building understanding with others.

Keep exploring to find other problems to solve. If you find one that works and scales, focus on that. Digital or not? The medium matters less than the problem itself and your approach to solving it.