Question

Read the text title and hypothesize what the text is about. Write down your hypothesis
Don't get hung up trying to understand everything at the outset.
The biggest challenge you face at the onset of any new project is that there is a huge (seemingly overwhelming) amount of stuff you need to know to tackle your problem properly. This phenomenon is true both for the beginning researcher, and for any research project. So learning how to cope with this challenge is an important skill to become a good researcher. First of all, blocking your action and progress while waiting for complete knowledge is the road to failure.

Coping mechanisms employed by winners include:
● prioritizing (what do I need to know most?)
● reading (everything made available to you, and seek out more; but don't put months of reading between you and getting started doing things.)
● multithreading (is there another item or path I can productively pursue?)
● pursuing multiple, possible solution techniques (maybe some have easier paths than others)
● wishful thinking (ok, let's assume this subproblem is solved, does that allow me to go on and solve other problems?)
● pester people who might have some of the information you need (start by getting them to give you pointers to things you can use to help yourself. Show respect for their time and always follow up on the resources you've been given before asking for a personal explanation.)
● propose working models --- maybe they are wrong or different from others, but they give you something to work with and something concrete to discuss and compare with others. You will refine your models continually, but it's good to have something concrete in mind to work with.

Losers will stop the first time they run into something they don't know, cannot solve a problem, or encounter trouble slightly out of what they consider ``their part'' of the problem and then offer excuses for why they cannot make any progress.
Winners consider the whole problem theirs and look for paths around every hangup.
Losers make sure there is someone or something to blame for their lack of progress.
Winners find ways to make progress despite complications.
Losers know all the reasons it cannot be done
Winners find a way to do it.

Communicate and Synchronize Often. Of course, when you do have to build your own models, solve unexpected problems, make assumptions, etc. do make sure to communicate and synchronize with your fellow researchers. Do they have different models from yours? What can you learn from each others' models and assumptions? Let them know what you're thinking, where you're stuck, and how you're trying to get around your problems.

Decompose. The whole problem often seems overwhelming. Decompose it into manageable pieces. Tackle the pieces one at a time. Divide and conquer.

Be Organized. The biggest limitation to our ability to conquer problems is complexity. You need to work continually to structure the problem and your understanding of it to tackle the inherent complexity. Keep careful track of what you have done and what you need to do. Make lists; write it down; don't rely on your memory (or worse, yet, your supervisor's memory) to hold all the things you need to do and all the intermediate issues you need to address.

Answer 1

Based on the provided text, my hypothesis is that it is about the challenges and strategies associated with starting a new project or undertaking research. It discusses the overwhelming amount of information and knowledge required to approach a problem effectively and suggests coping mechanisms for dealing with this challenge. These coping mechanisms include prioritizing, reading extensively but not getting stuck in the reading phase, pursuing multiple solution techniques, engaging in wishful thinking, seeking help from others, proposing working models, and maintaining communication and synchronization with fellow researchers. The text also emphasizes the importance of not giving up when faced with unknowns or obstacles, and encourages decomposing the problem into manageable pieces and being organized in order to conquer complexity.

Answer 2

Hypothesis: The text is likely about strategies and advice for tackling new projects or research endeavors. It may discuss the challenges faced at the beginning of a project, the importance of not getting overwhelmed by the amount of information, and coping mechanisms to effectively handle the situation. The text might also touch upon the mindset of winners and losers, emphasizing the need for proactive problem-solving and taking ownership of the entire problem. Additionally, it could provide suggestions for effective communication, decomposition of problems, and the importance of organization in managing complexity.