Problem solving in the age of AI.
A field guide for data analysts who want to deliver reliable business impact with data.
- The 5 capabilities that define the best analytical problem solvers
- 10 problem-solving frameworks (Issue Trees, 5 Whys, MECE, SCQA, Fishbone…) with worked examples
- How to leverage AI to support, not replace, your workflow
- 7 book recommendations for going deeper on each skill
The five capabilities that turn analysts into force multipliers.
We'll cover the five areas that define the best analytical problem solvers. How they compound and paired with AI turn hours of saved time into real business outcomes.
Understanding the business
How gaining fluency in the operating model and developing a deep understanding of how the company makes money compounds.
Define precisely
How to clearly define a problem so outcomes are guaranteed and the problem is half-solved before any analysis even starts.
Break down intelligently
How to break big, vague problems into tractable, answerable parts so structure replaces guesswork every time.
Adapt relentlessly
How to build a playbook for unsticking yourself when an analysis hits a wall, switching lenses and changing altitude rather than grinding on a dead end.
Communicate clearly
How to take stakeholders with you through shared thinking, so the final answer lands as confirmation rather than revelation.
Ten problem-solving frameworks to apply to your next project.
- Issue Trees
- Hypothesis Trees
- 5 Whys
- Fishbone
- MECE
- SCQA
- First principles
- Pre-mortem
- Inversion
- 2×2 matrix
AI is giving analysts back the hours that used to disappear into boilerplate SQL and chart-wrangling. The question is what you do with the time you get back.
The full field guide.
Four parts, twenty-plus pages, densely illustrated. Read it end-to-end on a long flight, or jump straight to the skill or framework you need before your next ambiguous ask.
- 01Part I · WhyYour best work is finally within reach.What AI frees up, and what to do with the hours you get back.
- 02Part II · SkillsUnderstand the business.Map the system. Sit in the rooms. Go deep on your domain.
- 03Part II · SkillsDefine the problem with precision.Five checks, before anyone touches the data. Plus a before-and-after.
- 04Part II · SkillsStructure beats guessing. Every time.Isolate, cut, go MECE, turn branches into testable hypotheses.
- 05Part II · SkillsWhen you're stuck, move. Don't grind.Six moves for getting unstuck when the first approach stalls.
- 06Part II · SkillsBig reveals don't drive change. Shared thinking does.Three rules for communicating alongside the work, not after it.
- 07Part III · FrameworksTen frameworks, one per page.Issue Trees, 5 Whys, Fishbone, MECE, SCQA, pre-mortem, inversion, and more. Each with a worked example.
- 08Part IV · Worked exampleSMB churn, start to finish.From "why is churn up?" to a precise, ranked answer showing every part of the framework in motion.
- 09AppendixSeven books to go deeper.The top books on business improvement and decision-making to help you go deeper.