Solving Problems That Scale with You
A practical guide to evolving with your challenges and building sustainable growth
It's been about 1.5 years since I stepped into the role of Chief of Staff at my family business, Aetosky. The journey has been incredible, filled with learning experiences that have stretched across many divisions - from implementing administrative and financial processes to rolling out company-wide operational systems (Monday.com, Zoho Expense, QuickBooks, etc.), setting up sales commissions structures, restructuring our development teams, productising our services, establishing the company’s website, and more. The common thread has been enhancing the company's workflows, operational systems, and incentive structures to drive efficiency and alignment across teams.
Aetosky builds AI software products that turn geospatial data into actionable intelligence for defence, civil government, and commercial organisations.
One thing I've noticed across these various initiatives is the evolution of problems. Despite the significant improvements across the company after all these initiatives, the number of challenges I face hasn’t decreased; if anything, they’ve grown. However, the quality of the problems has improved.
Problems don't disappear as you advance - they evolve. Solving one challenge almost always unlocks a new, or a set of new, higher-level problems. It's like levelling up in a game; the enemies get tougher, but you also get stronger.
From my experiences, I've learnt that most people and businesses try to tackle higher-level problems before they've addressed the basic ones. They chase quick wins, hoping for instant gratification, and end up with half-baked solutions.
The key to handling the evolution of problems is often to start from the ground up. Where applicable, it makes sense to break problems down to their simplest form using first principles thinking. Focus on solving foundational issues first. Understand that small, consistent efforts compound over time, leading to exponential growth. Resist the urge to chase instant results; the real rewards come from the disciplined and 'unsexy' work.
If you’re too busy to read the entire piece, this basically covers it:
Scaling the Level of Your Problems
The challenges you face today are likely more complex than the ones you dealt with a year ago. And if you're doing things right, the challenges you'll face a year from now will probably make today's problems seem trivial by comparison (or manageable at least.)
This phenomenon isn't something to fear - it's something to embrace. The evolution of problems is a badge of progress. The basis of all evolution depends on this; you'd never have been able to worry about having the right ingredients if humans didn't first solve the problem of controlling fire. Today we repeatedly refer to higher-level problems as 'first world problems'.
Consider this: You're running a business and people ask you, "What's your delivery team's utilisation rate?" "How are you managing customer churn?" "What are the profitability margins of each of your projects?" These are important questions, no doubt, but you can't even begin to answer them without first tackling the basics - tracking employee time, keeping a log of how many customers unsubscribe, and assigning costs to each project. Without nailing processes to sort these fundamentals, those higher-level questions are almost impossible or, at best, really tedious to address.
It's like training for a marathon, and someone starts asking you about how you're optimising your energy utilisation during the run. But here's the thing: you haven't even built the aerobic base to sustain a 5km run yet. It's not the right time to worry about optimising your energy levels when you're still struggling with building your baseline.
An example of where this worked for me:
I was part of my university's salsa dance performance club. While most new joiners were eager to learn flashy new moves, I was obsessed with perfecting the basic steps (1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7) - the foundation of salsa. I focused almost exclusively on this fundamental step, resisting the urge to chase after the "cool tricks." This dedication paid off. My basic steps became pretty strong, and because of that, I could pick up advanced moves much faster. Eventually, I, together with my dance partner Joelle, represented my school in the national college salsa competition in Singapore and won. (Here's a link to our competition piece on YouTube - Joelle’s the best dance partner I could have asked for). Needless to say this wouldn’t have been possible without our mentors Bryan and Emma.
Before you can effectively scale and tackle higher-level problems, you must master the basics. This requires cultivating the dedication to fully engage with foundational challenges. This level of commitment distinguishes those who merely acquire knowledge from those who transform it into meaningful action. No shade to traditional economists. The rest of the steps I'm going to talk about only work when you're ready to put 100% into solving that problem for yourself and not simply looking to comfort yourself with the illusion of knowledge. Many people read countless self-help books yet revert to old routines of self-sabotage.
So what drives this willingness to commit fully?
Developing an Internal Locus of Control
It starts with developing an internal locus of control - the understanding that you are responsible for your life's direction. Taking responsibility for everything that has happened and will happen to you is key to living an intentional life. With this mindset, you set the stage for proactively solving issues instead of living reactively; reactive decisions often lead to suboptimal outcomes.
People with an internal locus of control take it upon themselves to solve the problems they face and don't blame others for their misfortunes. I value this trait immensely in my friends. There's nothing worse than being around people who keep complaining without taking action to solve their problems. There's no point in brooding over what others could have done better or how life hasn't been fair.
Ask yourself, "Is this something I can solve?" If not, don't dwell on it; otherwise, you risk becoming a bitter person, like those who constantly complain about global affairs. Unless you're a diplomat or someone with influence - or at least aspiring to be - focusing excessively on issues beyond your control isn't productive. Even small actions, like writing a letter to involved parties, can be meaningful. Unfortunately, most people don't take these steps. Instead, they boost their ego by opposing certain practices and convincing themselves into thinking they're really smart for holding that stance.
So, in short, become someone who is willing to take control of their life and attribute their successes and failures to their own efforts.
Once you've embraced this mindset, the question arises: how do you identify and prepare to tackle these foundational issues?
Building the ability to ‘See and Acknowledge Reality’
Too often, we ignore glaring issues because they're uncomfortable to address - a phenomenon sometimes called the ostrich effect. I'm guilty of it myself and strive to be conscious of this because true progress demands confronting these issues, no matter how messy they might be. The longer we avoid them, the more they snowball - small problems become big problems and big problems eventually require drastic, painful solutions.
A comic strip from one of my favourite childhood comic book series - Calvin and Hobbes - that illustrates this concept pretty well.
Source: Calvin and Hobbes
Reaching your fullest potential means accepting that life isn't about avoiding problems, but choosing the ones you're willing to live with. This requires brutal honesty because many aren't willing to admit that they'd rather face being out of shape than give up their comfort foods. Instead of asking, "What kind of life do I want?", maybe ask, "What kind of problems am I okay accepting in my life?" Every path comes with its own set of challenges. We all want to be fit, have lots of money, and have a loving home, but not everyone is ready to do what it takes to get there. It takes work.
When you identify areas of your life that need improvement, the next step is to decide whether you're comfortable allowing those problems to exist in your life. External advice and feedback can only take you so far. Real change only happens when you decide that a problem no longer has a place in your life - and that you're ready to trade it for a higher-level, more meaningful problem.
Writing, I've noticed, really helps with my reflection. Reflection helps with spotting my blind spots. So I try to spend time on the weekends writing to evolve my thinking. It's part of how I am trying to develop the habit of being brutally honest with myself about what's truly going on. I'm sure therapy can help in this too - I honestly think everyone should have access to it. I'll get mine when I can afford it, hopefully after my first win.
Applying First Principles Thinking
As your problems become more complex, the solutions that worked in the past may no longer work. This is where many people get stuck - they keep applying old solutions to new problems and then wonder why they aren't getting anywhere.
At the heart of problems lie simple truths, biases, and assumptions. These biases and assumptions often cloud these simple truths, which is where first principles thinking comes into play - instead of relying on existing methods or conventional wisdom, first-principles thinkers strip the issue down to its fundamental truths and then build up from there. By reducing a problem to its core elements, you eliminate the noise - the assumptions, biases, and past experiences that can cloud your judgment. What you're left with is the essence of the problem, which is often much simpler and more solvable than it first appeared.
Let's say your business is struggling with customer retention. The conventional approach, what most consultants might recommend, would be to look at what other companies are doing - loyalty programmes, discounts, better customer service - and try to implement similar strategies. But this is reasoning by analogy. You're copying what others are doing without really understanding why it might work for you. Thinking too fast for a consequential decision.
Now, you might be thinking, “First principles thinking doesn’t apply to every situation.” And you’d be right. It’s up to you to decide which problems are significant and complex enough to warrant this deep, analytical approach.
As a student, I fell into this trap. I chased the highest GPA, top-tier internships, and tried to stack my CV with every case competition I could find - all to land a spot in a prestigious management consulting firm. I didn't stop to question why I felt the need to prove myself that way. It was just what everyone around me was doing: the smartest business students were either heading into investment banking or consulting, so I jumped on the bandwagon. I was too focused on achieving external validation to realise that I had other paths available to me. Now, I do my best to move with a lot more intention.
One of the most powerful aspects of first principles thinking is that it often leads to simpler, more elegant solutions. When you strip a problem down to its core, you often find that the solution is not as complicated as you initially thought. Complexity is, more often than not, just a symptom of not fully understanding the problem. Simplicity is very hard work.
This method of thinking also acts as a defence against the allure of instant gratification. By stripping a problem down to its essentials, you ensure that you're working on what truly matters, not just what offers quick relief.
Getting in the Dirt
By tackling the fundamental problems you're currently avoiding, you create space for more complex and interesting challenges. Avoiding these problems, on the other hand, will leave you stagnant, dealing with the same recurring issues, often with more intensity - which really sucks.
Entrepreneurs who obsess over crafting the perfect pitch deck to attract investors before they've even validated their business idea reflect this for me. They spend countless hours tweaking slides, refining their storytelling, and practising their delivery. But without a product that solves a real problem, all that effort is misplaced. A better pitch isn't the issue they need to solve; they need to validate and deliver something customers actually want.
Or think about someone aiming to become a best-selling author who spends more time designing a book cover and planning a marketing campaign than actually writing the book. The real work - the writing - is messy, challenging, and requires discipline. There's no shortcut around it.
When I was young, I used to avoid studying and putting effort into school. I'd often spend time on sports, playing video games, and reading storybooks. I think this was because I was scared of failure. All my teachers would mention, "Akash has got super high potential," "He's really smart and can do very well if he puts in effort." In retrospect, I realise I just never wanted to face the potential reality that I might not live up to those expectations. Basically, I wanted people to continue thinking of me as smart by achieving above-average grades with minimal effort. I didn't want to confront the possibility that even if I put in more effort, I might not reach the top grades. It's similar to Schrödinger's cat thought experiment. Looking back, I realise it was a misguided approach fuelled by fear. I wasn't willing to see and accept reality; I was too afraid of failure to genuinely try to succeed. I think many people do this actually. Of course, this isn't something I allow in my life anymore.
This avoidance didn't help me in the long run. By not getting "in the dirt" and facing the foundational work required, I limited my own growth and development. It was only when I began to confront these fears and put in the necessary effort that I started to see real progress.
Our tendency to avoid the hard work and seek quick fixes is often driven by a desire for instant gratification. In today's fast-paced world, it's tempting to look for shortcuts rather than investing time in foundational efforts. This mindset can hinder true progress and keep us from achieving our full potential.
Instant Gratification vs. Real Progress
The reason why we tend to like quick relief is that we've been hard-wired to want to solve things the easy way. In a world where everything comes at the click of a button, our patience has diminished.
Want to run faster? Buy new shoes.
Want to lose weight? Buy that stomach/body vibrating machine.
Want to get rich? Watch a get-rich-quick YouTube video or do some mindless meme-coin crypto investment
But you need to be honest with yourself. What's actually blocking your progress? Don't start solving problems that are beyond your current level - chances are, you're doing it because it's easier than dealing with what's really in front of you. Get in the dirt and start solving the problem you're actually facing right now.
Want to run faster? Build yourself a structured plan to start training with.
Want to lose weight? Watch what you eat and exercise.
Want to get rich? Build the muscle for identifying high-value, high-conviction opportunities and develop the risk tolerance and operational know-how to execute.
In a world where two-week weight loss and get-rich-quick programmes get millions of views, explaining to people that they just have to solve 'basic' problems just doesn’t capture their attention anymore.
Working on the fundamentals takes time and is often 'unsexy', congratulation-less work, but it's what can build you a much stronger base to work with, which can compound to yield exponential returns. This does not necessarily need to take countless years; with a methodical approach rooted in first principles thinking, and a clear sense of intentionality, I believe you can significantly accelerate your progress.
Mastering the fundamentals for real progress is important and sets the base for the benefits of compounding to kick in.
Compounding Solutions from the Ground Up
Compounding effects show up in many aspects of life - whether it's your career, fitness, sleep, or relationships. These things take consistent effort and time to build, but the rewards grow exponentially.
When you solve problems from the ground up, using "first principles" thinking, you don't just address the immediate issue; you create a foundation for long-term growth and improvements. These solutions are more robust and scalable because they tackle the root cause, not just the symptoms.
At first, these changes - like taking up new courses, planning regular date nights with your partner, or replacing your ice cream with a protein shake - may seem small and insignificant. But over time, they add up. Again, think of it like a snowball rolling down a hill: it starts small, slowly picking up snow, but eventually, it becomes huge with tremendous momentum.
One thing I've noticed is that true, lasting progress often requires systemic change. This means rethinking how things operate, optimising workflows, and reducing friction to maximise usability and adoption. It's not just about quick fixes but about setting up a process that works for you long term.
Recently, I built a personal operating system on Notion using August Bradley’s PPV (Pillars, Pipelines, and Vaults) method, and it’s been a game changer. In fact, I wrote this entire article on it. The system has transformed how I manage my daily life, supporting my goal of living with more structure. As Chief of Staff at Aetosky, I manage 7–10 initiatives across different functions of the company at any given time, so staying on top of everything is crucial.
Before implementing the PPV system, I'd read a lot, but I realised that my learning wasn't compounding. I'd finish long-form articles and books, only to forget the key insights over time. Now with the PPV system, I can import and store articles in my system with the click of a button. This allows me to make edits and comments on the article to input my thoughts and learnings into each article, allowing me to revisit them and build upon what I've learnt. There are many more benefits to this system; maybe I'll write a separate thought article on that. I'm excited to see how this operating system will evolve over the years to better support my life.
The same principle applies to relationships. Efforts like small gestures of appreciation, learning new ways of communicating better, and making time for each other compound into deeper and more fulfilling relationships with your partner.
Adopting a Short-Term Impatient, Long-Term Patient Mindset
If you're solving big problems - and foundational problems usually are - you must develop a long-term patient mindset, understanding that these things require a longer time horizon to solve. Once you embrace that, to build real progress, you need to instil a short-term impatience by setting micro (smaller and more measurable) goals in your life.
"Patience is a virtue," and that's true on a longer time horizon, but not necessarily on a day-to-day basis. Be relentless in your daily actions and expect the same drive for excellence from those around you.
For example, think, "Alright, I need to get this entire thing done in the next three months - how do I make that happen?" Often, what you believe will take a year can actually be accomplished in three months if you're deliberate and make it your sole priority. I call this "Semester-like Focus" in my life. In university, I used to set a big goal for each semester and make it my primary objective during that time. I'd almost always achieve it. I recently came across a book called The 12-Week Year and saw that it advocates the same concept; it could be useful for you if you want to dive deeper into this concept - not sure what else is there though, I'll need to read it myself.
In my opinion, short-term impatience helps combat Parkinson's Law - the idea that work expands to fill the time available for its completion. By setting tight deadlines and being aggressive with your short-term goals, you force efficiency and focus. Focus is a force multiplier in my opinion.
Conclusion
Embracing the evolution of problems is essential for personal and professional growth. By developing an internal locus of control, building the ability to acknowledge reality, employing first principles thinking, and getting in the dirt, you set the foundation for real progress in your life. These steps will help you avoid the allure of instant gratification and focus on compounding solutions from the ground up. All you've got to do then is maintain patience to see the results.
Mastering the fundamentals isn't glamorous work, but it's the cornerstone of lasting success. So roll up your sleeves, dive into the unsexy work, and watch your small, consistent efforts lead to exponential growth.
If you’re curious about business, technology, or philosophy, I’d love to hear from you. Please reach out at akashsmittal@gmail.com. I’m always excited to connect with others passionate about shaping the future.