Inversion
Inverse thinking is the process of approaching a solution from the opposite end or from backwards. It’s a powerful method for identifying and removing obstacles and dealing with difficult problems on your path to success. Inversion thinking is one of the many mental models that can be useful in most of the problems we face.
The inversion technique was originated by a German mathematician, Carl Jacobi, who made significant scientific contributions throughout his career. Carl Jacobi was well-known for solving difficult problems by using the simple strategy of ‘man muss immer umkehren,’ or in other words, ‘Invert, always invert.’ He always believed that hard problems could be solved easier and quicker by expressing them in the opposite way.
When we are going to solve any problems, most of the time, our approach is only forwards. We define an important goal, lay out a series of steps to follow to reach that goal, and execute those steps in sequential order. However, thinking about a problem backward can help us reach a goal or solution when a forward-oriented method is ambiguous.
Let’s take an example from Project Management. Imagine if you got an important project with 6 months of delivery time, how will you tackle it? Instead of thinking how I will make this project successful without any bugs, think…
