First Ascent Thinking
Solve the Right Problem — So the Right Solution Becomes Clear.
I help you see what you’re missing and think more clearly about your biggest problems. I work with teams and individuals to test assumptions and make sure they’re solving the right problem before they commit serious time and money, when they already have smart people in the room, and there is no clear answer.
Solve the Right Problem Session
A focused 90-minute working session in which we:
• Clarify the objective
• Surface hidden assumptions
• Identify where metrics are stadning in for the real objective
• Examine trade-offs and incentives
Outcome: Clear, defensible next steps.
Session Fee: $1,500
What This Is
Think of me less as a coach and more like a producer in a recording studio.
Your team knows the domain.
My role is to listen, challenge assumptions, and surface the thinking that leads to the right move. I work best when two or more experts are already in the room. I draw out their best thinking and co-create solutions, bringing an independent perspective.
Sometimes I contribute an idea.
More often, I ask the question that changes everything.
Bring me in when
• A major recommendation is forming and something doesn’t feel right
• Smart people disagree and the path forward isn’t obvious
• The problem keeps returning despite effort
• Trade-offs are present. Sakes are high
• Speed feels risky. Delaying isn’t an option
• The cost of getting it wrong is significant
Past work and engagements include
The Thinking Behind the Work
This approach combines:
• First-principles thinking — reducing problems to what must be true
• Systems thinking — understanding incentives, constraints, and feedback loops
• Inversion thinking — examining what would cause failure before scaling
In complex systems, the risk is rarely poor execution.
It's solving the wrong problem.
Better framing produces better decisions.
How I Think Through Problems
The best way to understand how I work is to experience it.
Below is an example of how I approach problems.
Preventing Battery Fires on Airplanes
A growing number of lithium battery fires on airplanes are treated as an in-flight emergency response problem.
The real problem is battery certification and safety standards. This analysis examines how the problem is currently framed, and how solving the right problem leads to a better solution.
About
I’m an engineer with experience working in complex technical systems and first-of-their-kind environments, places where information is incomplete and the consequences for making a mistake are significant.
When the stakes are high and the path isn’t obvious, that’s when independent judgment matters. If you’re moving quickly and want to ensure the direction is sound, this is the moment to engage.
Team Workshop
How Smart Teams Accidentally Optimize the Wrong Objective
A 60–75 minute session for leadership teams that want to sharpen how problems are framed before stakes escalate.
In this workshop we examine:
• How proxy goals replace real objectives
• Why internal coherence can mask misalignment
• How constraints shape direction without being visible
• The difference between execution failure and framing errors
Teams leave with a simple diagnostic framework they can apply to future problems.
If the workshop surfaces a live issue that requires deeper examination, focused working sessions are available.
Bring This Workshop to Your Team
When Clear Thinking Matters More Than Speed
If a problem feels stuck despite smart people and real effort, that’s usually the right moment to bring in an outside perspective.
Grounded in Engineering Thinking.
Proven in First Ascents.