Troubleshooting: Where Information Meets WTF

The speaker, an offensive security consultant, argues that much of his job is troubleshooting rather than breaking things, and that the same approach to finding the right information, tools and techniques when something fails also applies to attitude, health, relationships and career. The session opens with a breathing exercise and a short framing of how mainstream culture models frustration and grief poorly.

The core of the talk is a six-step loop: observe, resist, iterate, step away, repeat and profit. Observation means clarifying your motivation and intention and recognising the impact you have on others. Resistance asks how you handle frustration and whether you are willing to ask for help. Iterating means working one step at a time, while stepping away covers breaks such as walking, napping or time-boxing work on a calendar. Repeating returns to unsolved problems, and the final step is reflecting on wins, taking notes and sharing them.

Audience members contributed examples from job hunting past automated filters, workplace conflict and procrastination. The discussion covered how to judge how much discomfort you can tolerate before seeking help, and the risk of learned helplessness when answers are always looked up. The closing takeaway is that feedback from reality is useful, and that the framework transfers to finances, health and gardening.