Introductory lesson · M · MAP
A short lesson to get a feel for the MODELS course.
Genius isn’t just about IQ.
How you represent a problem matters.
A representation is a way of showing a situation: a list, a sketch, a diagram, or an equation. How you represent something can make it easier—or harder—to understand and solve.
MAP is the skill of choosing, using, and improving those representations. It’s a skill you can develop with practice: try a different view, notice what it reveals or hides, and check whether it helps you find a useful next step.
Now experience the idea
Start with three calendars. Everyone’s availability stays the same. Can a different view make a shared opening easier to spot?
M · MAP Illustrative example
Find the overlap
Three friends want a 15-minute call this evening. These are their complete free windows between 6 and 8 p.m.
See the given facts
- Avery: 6:00–7:00 p.m.
- Blake: 6:30–7:30 p.m.
- Casey: 6:15–6:45 p.m.
- The call needs 15 uninterrupted minutes with all three people.
Three separate calendars · this evening
The call needs 15 uninterrupted minutes with everyone.
Try a choice above. You can compare the alternatives.
Take it into your life
The move goes
beyond calendars.
The useful idea is to put the same facts into a form that makes an important relationship easier to see. Different situations may call for different views.
- Plan a busy week
- Put work, travel, and personal commitments on one timeline. Look for overlaps and openings that are hard to spot in separate lists.
- Compare your options
- Put the costs and features of a purchase or job offer in one table. Compare each option against the same criteria.
- Untangle a project
- Draw the tasks and the steps they depend on. See what could happen together and what needs to come first.
Try it with something of your own.
Choose one small plan or decision. Put the information into a timeline, table, or sketch. Keep the facts intact, then ask: What can I see now—and does it help me choose a useful next step?
Your next step
One move.
Hundreds more to explore.
This lesson introduces one small MAP move. The wider MODELS library contains hundreds of thinking moves and tools to explore—from finding new options and testing an assumption to understanding a recurring pattern or working better with AI.
The course gives you a guided starting point: learn when a move might help, try it, and explore how to use it in your own situations.
Explore the course