“What Bill Walsh did is easy to describe: (1) He could identify problems that needed to be solved; and (2) He could solve them.” Mike White, Assistant Coach in The Score Takes Care of Itself
Solving problems is like making a sandwich. Personal and cultural preparations are the slices of bread. A collection of solutions is peanut butter and jelly.
1/ It’s a mistake to start with solutions.
2/ Instead, an individual must prepare themselves to find solutions.
3/ The first thing that comes to mind is only the first thing that comes to mind. The accessibility of an idea is not its merit.
4/ Individuals should build their recipe box: read books, listen to podcasts, walk quietly, talk to people, begin experiments.
5/ Alongside personal preparation is cultural preparation. Authority to implement. Trust from peers. Culture of the place. Leadership.
6/ How much friction is there between what is said and what will be done?
7/ Solutions have legibility, but it’s often hidden.
8/ Twenty-percent of football wins are due to chance. Wins are legible but not that helpful.
9/ Football has many other statistics that are more helpful.
10/ Football has structural opportunities to reflect: film, bye weeks, the off-season.
11/ The best solutions fit both the opportunity and the constraints. Cowboy caviar is delicious, but not at a Greek restaurant.
The west coast offense is the pinnacle example of these steps. Walsh spent years thinking about football. He worked his way through the system, earning respect and was assigned authority. Then, the system was only created because his quarterback had a better ability to read the field than throw it deep. It wasn’t the offense Walsh wanted, but it was the one he needed.
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