Three Minute Problems
#problem-solving
When we implement a solution, we inevitably alter the environment in ways that spawn new challenges. Richard Hamming once believed small problems deserved priority over large ones, so he instituted special time blocks where only three-minute tasks could be run. "If you ran over five minutes you got off the machines no matter how much you had claimed you were practically finished," he recalls.
The response? Users with ten-minute problems cleverly divided them into three smaller pieces, enlisting different people to run each segment—technically following the rules while completely circumventing their intent. This pattern repeats across domains: our solutions reshape landscapes in ways that invite creative adaptation, often undermining our original purpose. The very act of solving one problem creates the conditions for new ones to emerge, reminding us that problem-solving is less about reaching an endpoint and more about navigating an ongoing, evolving conversation with reality.