Problem solving · 5 min read · 11 October 2026
Bring one problem to the table: how to get real help from a room
In short
Bring one problem, not five. Give the context in three sentences, say what you already tried, ask one exact question, and say what you will do with the answer. Then listen to the questions before the advice -- the question is often where the answer is.
Why do people leave rooms without help?
Because they bring a fog instead of a problem. «Growth has been slow» invites ten opinions and no answer. The room wants to help; it just cannot find the handle.
The fix is to bring one problem, shaped so it can be solved.
How do you shape it?
Four parts, said in under two minutes:
- 01Context -- three sentences: what the business is, where it stands, what changed.
- 02What you tried -- so nobody spends the evening suggesting it again.
- 03The exact question -- one sentence that ends in a question mark.
- 04What happens next -- what you will do with the answer, and by when.
| Fog | Problem |
|---|---|
| Growth has been slow | Our best channel stopped working in the spring; which channel replaced it for you, and how long did it take to work? |
| Hiring is hard | My last two senior hires left inside six months; what did you change in how you hired after the same thing happened? |
The rows are examples -- what matters is the shape, not the topic.
What do you do while the room answers?
Listen to the questions before the advice. The question someone asks to understand your problem often shows the part you have not looked at. Write the answers down; do not defend your plan.
The question someone asks you is often where the answer is.
What happens after?
Do what you said you would, and report back next time -- in one line. A room that sees its help used keeps helping. A room that never hears back stops.
Where does Glitches come in?
At the Glitches table, bottlenecks are brought exactly like this -- and someone has often already lived through yours. Apply.
Frequently asked
How much context is too much?
Anything past three sentences. If the room needs more, they will ask -- and their questions will tell you what matters.
What if my problem is personal, not business?
Bring it the same way. The shape works for any problem, and what is said at the table stays there.
Should I bring a problem every time?
Bring one when you have one. On other evenings, give -- your turn will come.
