inversion-exercise

name Inversion Exercise description Flip core assumptions to reveal hidden constraints and alternative approaches - "what if the opposite were true?" when_to_use when stuck on unquestioned assumptions or feeling forced into "the only way" to do something version 1.1.0 Inversion Exercise Overview Flip every assumption and see what still works. Sometimes the opposite reveals the truth. Core principle: Inversion exposes hidden assumptions and alternative approaches. Quick Reference Normal Assumption Inverted What It Reveals Cache to reduce latency Add latency to enable caching Debouncing patterns Pull data when needed Push data before needed Prefetching, eager loading Handle errors when occur Make errors impossible Type systems, contracts Build features users want Remove features users don't need Simplicity >> addition Optimize for common case Optimize for worst case Resilience patterns Process List core assumptions - What "must" be true? Invert each systematically - "What if opposite were true?" Explore implications - What would we do differently? Find valid inversions - Which actually work somewhere? Example Problem: Users complain app is slow Normal approach: Make everything faster (caching, optimization, CDN) Inverted: Make things intentionally slower in some places Debounce search (add latency → enable better results) Rate limit requests (add friction → prevent abuse) Lazy load content (delay → reduce initial load) Insight: Strategic slowness can improve UX Red Flags You Need This "There's only one way to do this" Forcing solution that feels wrong Can't articulate why approach is necessary "This is just how it's done" Remember Not all inversions work (test boundaries) Valid inversions reveal context-dependence Sometimes opposite is the answer Question "must be" statements