Solution Explorer

Why This Exists

LLMs satisfice. When asked to implement something, they pattern-match to the most common approach and start building immediately. This is a local maximum — the most obvious solution is rarely the best one across all dimensions that matter. A senior engineer surveys the full landscape of possibilities before committing. This skill forces that discipline.

The underlying dynamic: LLMs are trained on the most frequently written patterns, so they converge on popular approaches. But popular doesn't mean optimal for your specific context, constraints, and goals. The best solution might be an uncommon pattern, a creative combination, or a reframing of the problem entirely.

Before You Begin: Calibrate the Exploration

Not every decision deserves the same depth of exploration. Before diving in, assess the decision's weight to right-size the process:

Full exploration (all 5 phases) — Use when:

• The decision is hard to reverse (architecture, data model, core abstractions)
• Multiple paradigms genuinely exist and the right one isn't clear
• The feature will be lived with for months or years
• Getting it wrong means significant rework