In this episode of The Puzzle, Isaak and Bruno tackle the question of how to turn a stagnant project around. Bruno and Isaak, two business-minded engineers, dive into the complexities of innovation by examining different approaches to tackle stagnant projects. They emphasize that people are inherently unique, making it challenging to rely on cookie-cutter solutions. Instead, they advocate for understanding the systemic issues within projects that lead to repeated failure points.

The duo highlights the importance of recognizing mental models and assumptions that can bottleneck a project’s progress. For instance, they discuss a scenario where a product manager is expected to deliver specifications before electronics engineers start implementing them, creating a dependency that slows down the entire process. They also touch on intercultural and interpersonal interfaces that can introduce decision points, slowing down projects. Bruno and Isaak stress the need for root cause analysis to identify the sources of stagnation and remove them to keep moving forward. Throughout their conversation, they encourage listeners to be critical thinkers, analyzing issues rather than assigning blame.