Stuck — Alternative Approach Finder#

Purpose#

When the user is stuck on a problem, analyze it from multiple angles and suggest alternative approaches to move forward.

Workflow#

1. Understand the Blockage: Ask the user (or infer from context):
   • What are they trying to achieve?
   • What have they already tried?
   • What specific error or obstacle are they facing?

1. Analyze from Multiple Angles:
   • Different Algorithm: Is there a simpler or more standard algorithm for this?
   • Different Architecture: Could the problem be restructured (e.g., sync vs async, push vs pull)?
   • Different Tool/Library: Is there an existing library or tool that solves this?
   • Simplify Scope: Can the problem be broken into smaller, solvable pieces?
   • Invert the Problem: What if you approach it from the opposite direction?
   • Prior Art: Search the codebase for similar solved problems.

1. Rank Suggestions: Present 3-5 alternative approaches, ranked by:
   • Likelihood of success
   • Implementation effort
   • Risk and trade-offs

1. Quick Win: Identify the fastest path to a working solution, even if imperfect.

Output Format#

For each suggestion:

• Approach: One-line description
• How: Brief implementation outline (3-5 steps)
• Trade-offs: What you gain and what you give up
• Effort: Low / Medium / High

Guidelines#

• Be creative — the user has already tried the obvious approaches.
• Look at how similar problems are solved elsewhere in the codebase.
• Suggest temporary workarounds if a proper fix is complex.
• Sometimes the best advice is to step back and reconsider the requirements.