Richard Hamming

Hamming: work on the most important problem—if you have a new attack vector

Shaan recounts Richard Hamming's 'You and Your Research': ask what the biggest problem in your field is and why you aren't working on it. The filter is whether you have a novel attack vector; without a new angle you'll just get everyone else's result and waste your time.

“What is the biggest challenge or opportunity in my industry and why am I not working on it? And you should go work on it. He says the filter is you have to ask yourself, do I have a novel angle and how I'm going to attack that problem?”

Steal thisPick the biggest problem in your field, but only attack it if you have a genuinely new angle.