Problem solution tree - What it is and how to use it

A problem solution tree was made popular by Teresa Torres and is a tool to help you find the right solution for a problem.

It is a way to map potential solutions to the root problem, and thereby making sure that you are solving the right problem.

A common trap is to come up with a lot of different solutions, and then try to find the right problem for them. But that is the wrong way around. You should first find the right problem, and then find the right solution for that problem.

How to build a problem solution tree

The problem solution tree is a tree structure, where the root is the problem, and the leaves are the solutions. The branches are the different ways to solve the problem.

Each of the branches represents different sub-problems. The sub-problems are the problems that you need to solve in order to solve the root problem.

You can build a problem solution tree by asking yourself the following questions:

• What is the problem?
• What are the sub-problems?
• What are some ways the sub-problems can be solved?

Use DiscoveryBuddy to build a problem solution tree

In DiscoveryBuddy you can use AI to generate a problem solution tree for you. You simply press the 'Generate draft' button, and the AI will generate a draft for you. You can then edit the draft, and add more branches if you want to.

DiscoveryBuddy will only output a text version of the problem solution tree. You can then use a tool like draw.io to draw a nice tree diagram.