The best solutions stem from the clearest problems
Problem Hacking is the leading methodology used by leaders, innovators and thinkers to get a better edge by more clearly defining complex problems.
The Problem Hacking methodology is a structured, human-centred way to tackle complex, ambiguous challenges. It helps learners uncover the real problem, design solutions that meet real needs, and reduce risk before investing time, energy, or resources.
Problem Hacking Methodology
1.0 Diagnose
The Diagnose phase is about slowing down to understand what’s really going on—before investing time, energy, or money into solving the wrong thing. Teams often leap to solutions based on symptoms, assumptions, or surface-level inputs. Diagnose challenges that instinct by helping people uncover root causes, map the system they’re working within, and deeply understand the people affected.
Through structured steps, this phase builds clarity around the problem, aligns teams around a shared view of the current state, and ensures the focus stays on what truly matters. It lays the groundwork for everything that follows—because if you get this part wrong, the rest won’t matter.
2.0 Design
The Design phase is where teams begin shaping what the solution could be—but it’s not about jumping to a polished product. Instead, the focus is on staying open: generating ideas, exploring possibilities, and building just enough to learn. It’s about designing with intent, not assumption.
This phase helps teams ensure their ideas stay grounded in the problem they’ve diagnosed and in the needs of real users. Through fast iteration, visual storytelling, and systems thinking, teams test the shape and logic of their ideas early—before time or budget is wasted. It’s where creativity meets discipline, and early missteps are turned into valuable insight.
3.0 De-Risk
The De-risk phase focuses on what most teams overlook: the assumptions that can quietly break a good idea. Many solutions look promising on paper, but fall apart when exposed to real-world complexity—because the risks weren’t understood early enough. This phase is about confronting uncertainty before it becomes failure.
Here, teams identify what must be true for their solution to succeed, then test those assumptions quickly and systematically. They explore viability, feasibility, and stakeholder fit—ensuring the idea isn’t just desirable, but actually works in practice. De-risking helps teams move forward with evidence, not optimism.
Reflect
Reflection isn’t about slowing down—it’s about sharpening your direction. In this phase, you take a deliberate pause to step back and assess how you’re thinking, not just what you’re doing. Using tools like the Compass, Map, and Torch, teams re-align on their goals, surface hidden assumptions, and identify blind spots in understanding or research. It’s a chance to challenge false confidence, recalibrate as a group, and ensure you’re solving the right problem before moving forward. Smart problem-solvers don’t rush past reflection—they use it to make their next move count.
Join thousands of curious minds, redefining how problems are identified.
From early-career professionals to global teams, our learners don’t just want answers—they want to ask better questions.
"Problem Hacking is helping to change how organisations think, not just about solutions, but about the problems themselves. When people learn to pause, engage deeply, and question with discipline, they don’t just solve better problems they lead better."
What our learners say about Problem Hacking
Frequently Asked Questions
The Problem Hacking methodology is a structured, people-centred approach to solving complex problems. It helps individuals and teams slow down, understand what’s really going on, design solutions that matter, and reduce risk before investing time or resources.
The Problem Hacking methodology sits upstream of most agile and innovation processes. Where design thinking often jumps to ideation and agile focuses on delivery, Problem Hacking helps teams define the right problem, test the shape of a solution, and make better decisions earlier—so time isn’t wasted solving the wrong thing.
Yes. The Problem Hacking methodology has been used by over 82,000 learners across 84 countries, and delivered through more than 1,200 workshops. It’s been applied by teams in over 30 ASX 200 companies, as well as startups, public sector organisations, and executive education programs. It’s been pressure-tested across industries, cultures, and levels of complexity.
The methodology was developed over a decade of work in strategy, behavioural science, systems thinking, and design. It draws on experience delivering high-impact learning and problem-solving experiences to tens of thousands of people worldwide—including leadership teams, innovation units, and MBA programs. It continues to evolve through global delivery, research, and real-world feedback.
Teams using the methodology report faster alignment, fewer wasted cycles, and stronger clarity around what matters most. It’s especially valued in high-stakes environments where ambiguity, urgency, or competing priorities can lead to false starts or misdirected effort. By applying Problem Hacking, teams reduce risk before committing time, budget, or resources.
It’s structured but flexible. The phases and tools provide clarity and consistency, but they can be adapted to different industries, timeframes, or team experience. It works just as well in a four-day sprint as it does in a multi-week strategic engagement.
Absolutely. The Problem Hacking methodology is designed for anyone solving problems in complex or ambiguous environments—whether you’re in operations, service delivery, strategy, or product. It doesn’t require a background in design, just a willingness to think critically and work collaboratively.
Most workshops focus on generating solutions quickly. The Problem Hacking methodology helps teams go deeper—clarifying the problem, understanding the system, and aligning on what matters before rushing to answers. It improves the quality of thinking, not just the quantity of ideas.
It helps teams make smarter decisions, faster—by avoiding costly missteps, improving alignment, and increasing clarity around what actually needs to be solved. It supports innovation, strategy, and execution by ensuring the right problems are being addressed with evidence, not assumptions.
Not at all. While innovation teams benefit from the structure and speed of the methodology, it’s equally useful for operational teams, cross-functional projects, digital transformation, and change initiatives. Any group working through ambiguity, misalignment, or complex decisions can apply it.
It can start adding value in a single session—but real impact builds over time. Some teams use the Problem Hacking methodology in a one-off sprint; others embed it into their regular workflow or capability uplift programs. It’s designed to be repeatable, coachable, and scalable.
It’s built for environments just like yours too. Startups often move fast—sometimes too fast. The Problem Hacking methodology helps you focus on the right problem, stress-test your thinking, and make more confident bets before burning time, budget, or user trust.
You can absolutely use it solo. Many founders and operators use the tools to structure their own thinking, guide investor discussions, or bring clarity to product and business decisions. It’s also easy to scale up for teams or co-founders when needed.
No—it strengthens them. The methodology incorporates structured customer discovery, user insights, and outcome framing that elevate the impact of tools like Lean Canvas or interviews. It ensures you’re getting not just more data, but better direction.
It’s ideal for complex, messy, or ambiguous challenges—where the problem isn’t fully defined, where multiple perspectives exist, or where jumping to a solution too soon could waste effort. It’s used across product, operations, strategy, policy, and service contexts.
Yes—and it’s often most valuable when things feel unclear. You can use the methodology to revisit the problem framing, stress-test assumptions, or realign stakeholders. Even a single session can help course-correct or sharpen direction.
It’s both. You can run it as a one-off experience to tackle a specific problem—or build it into your organisation’s way of working over time. It’s modular, repeatable, and designed to upskill teams in critical thinking, customer focus, and decision-making.
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From early-career professionals to global teams, our learners don’t just want answers—they want to ask better questions.