Chaishang: The Ability to Break Problems Down
Solving difficult problems step by step through discovery, definition, decomposition, review, and iteration.
This was the first book Liu Run recommended in this year’s book club. As the title suggests, it is about breaking things down. I happened to have a project I wanted to analyze, so I downloaded it and started reading.
I. Overview
This book helps readers solve problems at work, with making money, and even in life. Dizi, the “cross-border queen” who successfully founded and operated ten companies and helped over a thousand businesses sell products overseas, reveals her secret: chaishang, the underlying mindset of breaking problems down. Through the core method of “discovering a problem—defining it—breaking it down—reviewing—iterating,” any large problem can be divided into smaller ones and eventually solved.
II. Important Ideas
2.1 What Is Chaishang?
- Chaishang is the ability to solve problems.
- Before breaking down a problem, discovering and defining it precisely is essential, as is a thorough review. Developing this ability requires a progression from quantitative accumulation to qualitative change.
- A healthy mindset is a prerequisite. Many people ask questions to avoid problems rather than face them.
- Believe that “my fate is in my own hands” and rely on your abilities to solve difficulties. That is the right mindset.
- No problem is beyond decomposition; anything can be broken down. Opportunities to make money, especially, are often discovered this way.
- Do not imagine any problem to be too difficult. Even if it really is difficult now, understanding how to break it down allows it to be solved gradually.
- Many people find learning hard because they do not break down the individual problems they encounter.
- Systems thinking is the ultimate goal of practicing chaishang. The best way to practice systems thinking is anticipation.
- Internal consistency is the most important test of systems thinking in chaishang.
- Every problem in life can be broken down. Do not let problems, large or small, overwhelm you or leave you feeling powerless.
- Chaishang does not guarantee smooth sailing. But when storms arrive, it helps you ride the waves and keep moving forward.
2.2 On Business
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In building a business or brand, choose difficult but correct things and persevere. Only then can you break through barriers and create something of your own. Cao Da also said: “When you keep growing, sharing, and helping others, many seeds have already been quietly planted. Blossoming and bearing fruit takes time, but on the way forward, every step counts.”
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In business, look at both short-term benefits and long-term barriers.
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Everyone has a different upbringing, mindset, and working style. I cannot simply entertain myself within my own world. Avoid self-indulgence: this applies to writing a blog and building websites alike.
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In entrepreneurship, sales must be the first problem you solve. You cannot evade it.
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To improve a product’s online reach, content capability is an unavoidable hurdle.
2.3 On Choices and Effort
- Choices and effort are equally important, because your choices are also earned through effort.
- Once you ensure your choice is right, working hard will make life better.
- Effort that requires no thought is meaningless even after 10,000 hours.
- People without curiosity treat things as idle conversation. Curious people investigate the underlying logic, ask whether it can be replicated, then put the replication into practice and gradually grow.
- If something feels difficult, first remove the obstacles. Exhaust every possible approach—start by listing fifty.
- Without trying things, you may spend your whole life without finding anything that lights up your eyes.
- Do not overlook how each participant perceives the outcome; it often differs from person to person. Nor should you ignore their perceptions of costs and benefits. What is a cost to you may be a benefit to someone else.
- Liang Ning said: “Ordinary people work diligently and calculate every small gain; they focus on each immediate point, yet no individual point produces much return. To become middle class, you must at least capture the returns of one linear cycle.”
- Most short-term opportunities arise from information gaps. But as the internet develops and new industries emerge, the possibility of gaining an information advantage is shrinking.
- I will always maintain respect and humility and try to do better in every respect, rather than improving only because others judge or supervise me. When no one is watching, it is even more important to do well.
2.4 On Expression
- Improving your ability to express yourself can significantly benefit your career and life, including better relationships, stronger persuasion, and higher-quality decisions.
- Expression is not merely organizing your thoughts; it is also further synthesizing them from other people’s perspectives.
- To gain traffic, support, or recognition, first consider what value you can offer others, rather than what you want for yourself.
- To speak effectively in public, you must fundamentally understand what value your stage needs you to provide.
III. Conclusion
The most important idea I learned is this: do not imagine any problem to be too difficult. Even if it really is difficult now, understanding how to break it down will allow you to solve it gradually. Learning website SEO is an example. There are many concepts and tools, but the learning path provided by the community is clear. By following it and combining study with hands-on practice, I can learn it.
I will finish with a line from Lei Jun’s speech for Xiaomi’s fifteenth anniversary: this world will not always belong to the strong. Newcomers are inevitably imperfect at first and will be mocked and doubted, but newcomers always have a chance.