Keynote: Debug your thinking
summary
Argues that decisions, not languages or frameworks, determine success and offers concrete practices: use five whys and place breakpoints on assumptions, craft and write a single-paragraph problem statement (no solutions, measurable success criteria), reframe problems (elevator → mirrors), and catch biases like false causality, authority bias and confirmation bias. Recommends collaboration, timeboxed divergent sessions, mindfulness, a rotating devil's advocate role and RFCs; result claimed is faster, better-aligned delivery and fewer costly rewrites.
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chapters (27)
- 0:00Welcome and reflection
- 1:10First project failure lessons
- 3:21Trap of over-engineering
- 5:26Myth of perfect solutions
- 6:51Power of decision-making
- 9:05Critical thinking intro
- 11:11Dangers of solution mode
- 12:59Five whys technique
- 15:50Writing problem statements
- 16:32Elevator problem reframing
- 18:19Reframing tech problems
- 21:32Reframing for solutions
- 22:14Challenges in solutions
- 24:23Thinking outside the box
- 27:00Safety and divergent thinking
- 29:05Collaboration for ideas
- 32:13Evaluating options and biases
- 33:17Top cognitive biases
- 38:58Role of assumptions
- 40:05Catching biases techniques
- 41:29Mindfulness and observation
- 42:32Devil’s advocate technique
- 43:56Request for comments and feedback
- 45:22Key takeaways and slowing down
- 46:04Clarity through writing
- 47:08AI and critical thinking
- 48:14Final advice and resources
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