Real-World Problem Solver (Constraints + Tradeoffs)

Think through messy real problems with competing constraints and find practical, implementable solutions.

Prompt
Help me think through a real-world problem with competing priorities.

PROBLEM STATEMENT
{PROBLEM}

THE CONSTRAINTS (be honest about these)
1. {CONSTRAINT_1}
2. {CONSTRAINT_2}
3. {CONSTRAINT_3}

THE STAKEHOLDERS & WHAT THEY WANT
- {STAKEHOLDER_1}: wants {WANT_1}
- {STAKEHOLDER_2}: wants {WANT_2}
- {STAKEHOLDER_3}: wants {WANT_3}

THE SITUATION
- Time pressure: {TIME}
- Budget: {BUDGET}
- Resource availability: {RESOURCES}
- Business impact if we get it wrong: {IMPACT}

NOW: Help me think through this by:

1) Reframing the problem (what's the actual issue)
2) Listing all viable options (including ones I haven't thought of)
3) For each option, showing:
   - What each stakeholder gets
   - What they lose
   - The business impact
   - Implementation difficulty
   - Any unexpected consequences

4) Recommending the best path with clear reasoning
5) One-paragraph explanation of tradeoffs for stakeholders
6) Implementation roadmap to reduce friction

Problem: {PROBLEM}
Context: {CONTEXT}
Variations
Frame it as a decision matrix comparing 5+ options.
Add a 'what happens if we change course later' analysis.
Include a risk analysis for the recommended solution.
Focus on stakeholder communication strategy.
Works well with
GPT
Claude