Picking the most interesting problems is top of mind for many of us riding the AI hype cycle. Iâve quoted this correspondence between Richard Feynman and a former student (Koichi Mano) several times this week. Here are some additional notes to self.
What Problems to Solve - a letter by Richard Feynman, 1966.
Chasing the grand problems
More often than not we get into a creatorâs block followed by self-doubt. I should probably be working on AI Agents? AGI or deep research? Wait, representation engineering and alignment research is the hottest field right now! Am I even solving the right problems?
Feymanâs advice may sound simple. Donât bother, just show up and build.
The worthwhile problems are the ones you can really solve or help solve, the ones you can really contribute something to.
I would advise you to take even simpler, or as you say, humbler, problems until you find some you can really solve easily, no matter how trivial. [âŠ] You must not take away from yourself these pleasures because you have some erroneous idea of what is worthwhile.
The mirage of solving the grandest problems might rob us from the fundamental reasons that got us into our fields. For me it was the joy of creation, and solving problems with a computer. It was not data structures, algorithms, or the leetcode. It was also not the earlier hypes of WWW boom or the browser wars. I learned to code for the sake of it.
It may be the time to go back to the roots, tinker with AI, rip it apart and learn block by block. Iâm sure the right challenges will show up.
Find your gig
Thereâs one big catch. We work on their problems instead of ours.
I accepted him as a student because he came to me with the problem he wanted to solve. With you I made a mistake, I gave you the problem instead of letting you find your own; and left you with a wrong idea of what is interesting or pleasant or important to work on (namely those problems you see you may do something about).
Weâve been handed over problems to work on through the formative years of our training - in school, colleges, and at work. Our employers decide the highest business priority and we dive deep to solve those. Is this second-hand problem also a priority for you to work on?
Just as the employers hire the best candidate for a job, we too hire our employers to give us the right problems to work on.
Letâs step back.
Shouldnât we first pick a problem? And then hire an employer where we can push your chosen field further?
Things you love
What comes first - the problem? Or the fact that we can do something about it?
It may sound unintuitive how can you care about a problem even before you know it? Say we work through the principle above and strive to identify our own problems. Where do you think you will identify the problems?
You will find them in the areas youâre deeply passionate about. You must care about it more than anyone else. Call it the calling, the ikigai or whatever. Once weâre in our domain, problem solving is natural, and so is the state of flow. I donât need the extrinsic motivations. I stay awake to find a solution just because I should.
No problem is too small or too trivial if we can really do something about it.
Why do I care whether the problem is grand or puny? Why does it matter if it is solved or otherwise? I can and I will work on it.