Redefining the problem: A trait of great engineers (opens in new tab)

It is perhaps worth pointing out that sometimes, a good way to redefine a problem is to "widen" it, that is, to consider another problem of which the original one is merely a special case. That's been called "the power of abstraction," and it's pretty much what accounts for the amazing success of mathematics. And it seems to work in a broader, less scientific sense as well: for the longest time, I couldn't find a todo-list on the web that I didn't hate. Along came the Trello guys and created a collaboration tool with task lists. And bingo, for the special case of a single user, they (perhaps involuntarily, I don't know) created the most awesome todo-list website.

> Great engineers don’t solve problems - they redefine them. In other words, great engineers deftly navigate false premises. This is an invaluable asset and is far more rare than a productive engineer. It changes the playing field entirely. If you’re not constrained by the problem, the solution can be far more valuable.

This is actually true of great leaders in general; great engineers just happen to be a specific sort of leader.