<h1 id="ladder-up---abstraction-laddering">Ladder Up - Abstraction Laddering<a aria-hidden="true" class="anchor-heading icon-link" href="#ladder-up---abstraction-laddering"></a></h1>
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<p><strong>Purpose</strong>: Break out of <a href="/notes/9gq6g76oa74lx1ravwr81zk">solution fixation</a> by exploring the problem space at different levels of abstraction.</p>
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<p><img src="/./assets/images/Screenshot_from_2025-07-02_10-04-33.png" alt="img" style="max-width:350px;display:block;margin:0 auto;border:5px solid black;"></p>
<h2 id="the-two-directions">The Two Directions<a aria-hidden="true" class="anchor-heading icon-link" href="#the-two-directions"></a></h2>
<p><strong>Ladder Up</strong> - "What is this for?"</p>
<ul>
<li>Move toward higher-level purposes and outcomes</li>
<li>Reveals the real goal behind your current approach</li>
<li>Example: Bluetooth → audio connection → private meeting participation → professional effectiveness</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Ladder Down</strong> - "How might we do this?"</p>
<ul>
<li>Generate alternative implementation methods</li>
<li>Explores different paths to the same outcome</li>
<li>Example: Private audio → Bluetooth, wired headphones, USB audio, different room, etc.</li>
</ul>
<h2 id="why-it-works">Why It Works<a aria-hidden="true" class="anchor-heading icon-link" href="#why-it-works"></a></h2>
<ul>
<li><strong>Expansive thinking</strong>: Unlike root cause analysis, this explores possibility space rather than drilling into problems</li>
<li><strong>Architectural mindset</strong>: Builds hierarchy of purposes and methods</li>
<li><strong>Solution-space exploration</strong>: Shifts from "fix this thing" to "achieve this outcome"</li>
</ul>
<h2 id="quick-process">Quick Process<a aria-hidden="true" class="anchor-heading icon-link" href="#quick-process"></a></h2>
<ol>
<li>Start with your stuck solution</li>
<li>Ladder up 2-3 levels to clarify the real goal</li>
<li>Ladder down from that goal to find alternative approaches</li>
<li>Choose the simplest path to your actual objective</li>
</ol>
<h2 id="similar">Similar<a aria-hidden="true" class="anchor-heading icon-link" href="#similar"></a></h2>
<p><a href="/notes/msi7dytfzxou29bcw7q5vzg">5 Whys</a> - is similar, however it evokes mental mode of error correction being seared as the error correction root causing technique. And that it isn't the mental you want to evoke during exploratory thinking.</p>
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<strong>Backlinks</strong>
<ul>
<li><a href="/notes/9gq6g76oa74lx1ravwr81zk">Solution Fixation Bias</a></li>
</ul>

Ladder Up - Abstraction Laddering

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## About 
Hello! Welcome to my public [vault/website](https://wiki.dendron.so/notes/6682fca0-65ed-402c-8634-94cd51463cc4/).

I use this place to clarify my thoughts, and share my notes on various topics. The areas of interest to me include: 
- Philosophy
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- And of course **Software Development**. 

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### Highlighted notes

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