5W1H
Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How to scope problems.
Explanation
This framework borrowed from journalism ensures you fully understand a problem before trying to solve it. Most problems are poorly defined initially, and jumping to solutions without clarity leads to solving the wrong problem. By systematically asking Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How, you force yourself to gather complete information and define the problem clearly.
Real-World Example
System outage: Who was affected? (Enterprise customers) What happened? (API timeout) When? (3am-5am PST) Where? (US-East region) Why? (Database backup lock) How did it manifest? (503 errors). Now you can solve the right problem.
How to Apply
Before solving any problem, answer all six. If you can't, you don't understand the problem. Use for requirements: Who will use this? What problem does it solve? When will they use it? Where will they use it? Why do they need it? How will they use it? Missing answers = missing requirements.