Define the problem precisely

You need enough detail to act and enough clarity to explain the problem briefly. These are compatible goals. Precision identifies the essential difficulty without requiring a long introduction.

A vague problem permits almost any activity. A clear problem lets you decide whether a feature, experiment, or conversation is relevant. It also makes disagreement more useful because the team knows what it must resolve.

The route will change. You will find obstacles, dead ends, and assumptions that do not hold. A clear problem helps you distinguish a failed route from a failed purpose.

Write the problem in a few sentences. Identify who experiences it and what makes it difficult. Explain what remains unsatisfactory in existing responses. Then examine every proposed solution against that description.