Deciding which project to invest in.

It sometimes seems obvious which projects will have a good Return on Investment. Other times, it is less clear or you have too many competing options. At that point, it makes sense to take a step back and explore what other options you might have to address your current dilemma.

Step in the meta-problem	Illustrative Example
Dilemma The high-level issue you are trying to address	You need to decide which of a portfolio of projects is the best to invest in.
Goal The change you have decided to make to address the dilemma. There are usually many choices. Selecting the best set is also a meta-problem.	Supporting Goals Maximize revenue. Increase profitability. Get to market as quickly as possible. Grow your customer base.
Problem Space Consider the cluster of adjacent problems that you could solve to deliver the goal.	Options Develop a new product to reach new markets. Improve existing products to attract more market share. Prioritize the projects which are the easiest, fastest, and lowest risk to complete. Invest in R&D to ensure long-term success. Select complementary projects to create an improved system. Et cetera.
Meta-Problem Which of the many possible options is the best set of problems to solve in order to achieve the goal	Decision Criteria Which problem will best support the goal? Which problem will deliver the best outcome for the least amount of time, effort and money? Which problem is not being solved by anyone else?
Implement, Learn and Adapt	Observe and learn as you go. New information may reveal itself as you implement your chosen solution, so check continuously that you’re still solving the right problem