Assume Solution

Input: $ARGUMENTS

Core Move

Take a proposed action, approach, or intervention and assume it is THE solution. It works. It’s the right answer. Now trace what that world looks like.

Different from /ase (does a solution exist?). This assumes a SPECIFIC thing is the solution.

Procedure

Step 1: State the Candidate Solution

What are we assuming is the solution?

Step 2: State the Problem It Solves

What problem does this supposedly fix? (If unclear, this is already a red flag.)

Step 3: Force the Assumption

“[X] is the correct solution. Implementing it will resolve the problem.”

Step 4: Trace Implications

If this is the solution:

1. What does implementation look like? — Concrete steps, timeline, resources.
2. What problem does it actually solve? — Be precise. Not “makes things better” — what specific condition changes?
3. What problems does it create? — Every solution creates new problems. What are they?
4. What does it cost? — Money, time, attention, opportunity cost, political capital.
5. Who wins and who loses? — Whose situation improves? Whose worsens?
6. What’s the world after? — Describe the state of affairs after successful implementation.
7. Is the post-solution world actually desirable? — Sometimes getting what you want reveals you wanted the wrong thing.

Step 5: Test the Assumption

• Does this address root cause or symptoms?
• Are there simpler solutions that achieve the same outcome?
• Has this been tried before? What happened?
• What would falsify “this is the solution”?

Step 6: Synthesize

CANDIDATE SOLUTION: [X]
PROBLEM IT ADDRESSES: [specific problem]
ASSUMING IT WORKS:
  Implementation: [steps]
  Actually solves: [precise effect]
  Creates: [new problems]
  Costs: [resources/tradeoffs]
  Post-solution world: [description]
SOLUTION CONFIDENCE: [high/medium/low]
BETTER ALTERNATIVE?: [if one emerged from analysis]

When to Use

• Evaluating a proposed solution before committing
• Comparing candidate solutions (run once per candidate)
• Testing whether a “solution” actually solves the stated problem

Integration

• Pair with /aprob to verify the problem before testing solutions
• Compare multiple candidates with /cmp
• Use /cba for cost-benefit analysis