Richard Feynman was one of the most important scientists of the 20th century, a Nobel Prize-winning physicist, and a unique, multifaceted individual (drummer, raconteur, teacher, and scientist). He had a framework called 12 Problems, which has become the heart of the work of many note-takers, digital gardeners (people taking (some) notes publicly to learn in public and share knowledge), Second Brain builders (people building note-taking systems using different tools), and overall curious people.
This is something I use in life, and I find it worth sharing. Even in terms of product management, I use a variation of this method at work, by being mindful of my main questions around a domain or a product I am working with.
Feynman once famously said, “You have to keep a dozen of your favorite problems constantly present in your mind, although by and large they will lay in a dormant state. Every time you hear or read a new trick or a new result, test it against each of your twelve problems to see whether it helps. Every once in a while there will be a hit, and people will say, ‘How did he do it? He must be a genius!’” (Rota, 1997)
That’s the whole method. Seems very simple, yet it’s very transformative.
In terms of discovery, this will help you identify connections between seemingly disparate subjects, train yourself to recognize helpful answers to your biggest challenges on the go and recognize the value of information and why it’s worth retaining. It’s a way to consciously devote your time and attention to ideas that spark your curiosity.
My 12 Problems (in no particular order)
01: What does it mean to work
- What are the different qualities of different types of working?
- How has work changed since hunter/gatherers to today, and how will it change with new technologies (especially AI)?
- How can I work better?
- Is work my identity although I keep saying to myself: you are not your job.
- (But if work is more than a job (and I believe it is), could work be our life, our life’s meaning, or at least a crucial piece in the way we live it?)
02: How is wealth created
- From personal wealth to the wealth of nations, how is wealth created?
- How do I create wealth for myself and my family, in a win-win, ‘positive-sum game’ where it’s not at someone’s expense?
- How can I create wealth for myself and my family, while lifting others up?
03: Future-proofing myself
- What skills, insights, and experiences will make me future-proof? How to acquire them?
- How to strike a fine balance between living and enjoying the moment, and working for the future?
04: WHAT MAKES US KEEP GOING
- What force within us keeps us alive, wanting to keep going and moving forward? Not biologically, not spiritually, not anything defined… just this “life (energy) inside” that keeps us going. How can I put my finger on it and define it?
- How does that “life (energy) inside” relate to our Identity?
- What happens if someone either loses the “life inside” or makes a calculation that it is not worth going on? Can this be a rational, appropriate choice? Should it be discouraged? Encouraged? Banned?
05: How to live 100% true to myself (SHOULD I?)
- Being unapologetically yourself sounds awesome – but it’s not that simple in practice. e.g. What if you’re an asshole?
06: How to live a balanced life
- If you want to shoot for the stars, is it at all possible to have a balanced life?
- What kind of life do I want, in the end, and do I care for the stars?
- By my very nature, I’m not a balanced person. Should I strive to become one? Do I want to? If yes, how?
07: HOW TO BE KINDER
- What does it mean to really be kind, and how can I be authentically kinder?
08: Managing (personal) Knowledge and Beyond
- How best to build my own Personal Knowledge Management system?
- What is the role of Tools for Thought
- How do we manage group knowledge and foster innovation within and across groups and organizations, or even wider: communities, nations, and global society
- If working means to live, and my work is knowledge-work, so learning; does managing my knowledge equal managing my life?
09: How to open source everything & Should we
- Can we open source beyond software, to promote collaboration, sustainability and development?
- What are the main downsides of open source, and how to overcome them?
- Are there any areas or things that should not be open sourced?
10: The (Ethical) Limits of Optimization and Efficiency
- What is the optimal level of inefficiency for a happy, creative, and robust system (personal, organizational, or societal)?
- What are the ethical responsibilities of those who design systems of maximum efficiency (e.g., in wealth creation or AI)?
11: The Moral Structure of Personal Sacrifice and Obligation
- What is the non-negotiable extent of personal obligation we owe to our family, community, and the global society?
- How does one rationally determine what level of personal well-being or resource should be willingly sacrificed for the benefit of another?
12: Wonder, AWE, and Play in Adult Life
- What is the functional, psychological, and even biological necessity of experiencing awe and wonder as an adult?
- How can we intentionally integrate “serious play” into a goal-driven life?
- Does a constant state of productivity and focus diminish our capacity for creative insight from moments of mental relaxation and play?
* Featured image is generated using GenAI
Rota, Gian-Carlo. Indescrete Thoughts. Birkhäuser, 1997.