Tools for better thinking

Right now, one of the most critical skills in engineering is thinking.

The more we integrate AI tools into our daily work, the lazier we get — we stop thinking through problems and struggle when complexity hits. I’ve noticed this in myself. And I see it everywhere.

Some companies respond by doubling down on AI. Others introduce “no AI days.” But there’s a quieter side effect worth naming: a more vivid manifestation of the Dunning-Kruger effect in action.

What I actually recommend

In my leadership program, I show people a lot of tools and frameworks. But there’s one site I keep coming back to — and honestly just recommend outright:

untools.co

It’s a clean, well-organized collection of thinking tools across four areas:

• Decision making
• Problem solving
• Communication
• Systems thinking

What makes it stand out isn’t just the descriptions — it’s the practical examples. Each tool has a worked case, not just theory.

How I’d use it

Like any tool, knowing its limits matters. Some frameworks work better in certain situations, and you only really learn that through experience and reflection.

My approach mirrors how I think about test design: apply multiple tools to the same problem.

Here’s a real example. Say your situation is:

“Testing keeps falling behind development and delaying every release.”

The surface-level fixes are obvious — hire another tester, automate the regression suite. But before jumping there, these questions actually shape the right answer:

• Do we have budget to hire? Can we actually pay a salary right now?
• Who owns the hiring process?
• How much time do we have before the next release?
• Are stakeholders already frustrated — and ready for even more delay?
• Are we familiar with Brooks’ Law?

These aren’t rhetorical. Each one changes what the right move is.

Now apply a few thinking tools from untools.co to the same problem:

• Ishikawa diagram — trace the root causes, not just symptoms.
• Productive Thinking Model — reframe what problem you’re actually solving.
• Abstraction Laddering — zoom out to see if you’re even solving the right level of problem.

The point isn’t to pick the “correct” tool. It’s to see the same situation from multiple angles before committing.

My honest take

Using structured thinking tools does two things at once: it keeps your brain sharp, and it gives you a better benchmark for evaluating what AI suggests.

Because if you’ve never solved the problem yourself, you can’t tell whether the AI’s answer is good.

So — think more, not less. Use the tools. And if you want to explore the toolkit, start here: untools.co

If you disagree with something or have a tool you swear by — I’m on LinkedIn.