Issue #
13
May 7, 2025
This week: Inversion thinking in solution design
We’re wired to focus on how to make things work. Inversion thinking challenges this approach.
Inversion thinking is a problem-solving technique where you approach a challenge by deliberately considering the opposite of your desired outcome. Instead of asking how do we make this succeed?, you explore how might this go wrong?
For example, if your goal is to create equitable access to job opportunities, instead of only focusing on how to expand workforce programs, you might ask, “What barriers are preventing underserved communities from accessing quality jobs?”—then work to remove those barriers.
It’s not about being negative. It’s about increasing chances of success.
How to make inversion thinking part of your solution design process:
A few hours spent upfront in structured inversion thinking can prevent costly corrections months down the line.
The Federal Reserve System in the U.S. was a direct result of inversion thinking.
After the Panic of 1907—a severe financial crisis when banks failed, the stock market crashed, and public panic led to widespread bank runs—the government realised that previous policies focused on strengthening the financial system but not preventing disasters.
In the aftermath, policymakers asked a fundamentally inverted question: “How can we make sure this doesn’t happen again?”
What are all of the possible ways our solution could fail? How can we plan for these issues in our approach?
"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."
—Benjamin Franklin