What fifteen years in the ICPC changed about how I solve problems
Reflections across competing, coaching, judging, organizing, and teaching—and what those roles reveal about the real work of problem solving.
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Working Notes
Short essays about AI systems, problem solving, mentorship, and technical education—written to clarify what I am learning while the work is still alive.
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How to build a sustainable university competitive-programming community
An entry ramp, durable weekly rituals, leadership succession, and institutional memory matter more than one exceptional team.
Read the note →How I review an ICPC contest with a team
The scoreboard records outcomes. A useful review reconstructs decisions, failure modes, and team interactions.
Read the note →Coaching without taking ownership away from the team
A coach should make reasoning visible and feedback precise—not become the hidden fourth contestant.
Read the note →How to choose problems for deliberate practice
A four-stage sequence for isolating weaknesses, varying ideas, testing transfer, and finally adding pressure.
Read the note →From reading an editorial to owning the technique
Turn an explanation into reconstructed reasoning, independent implementation, and evidence of transfer.
Read the note →Reliable voice agents are systems problems
The model matters, but the user experiences the entire system: latency, interruptions, tools, state, evaluation, and recovery.
Read the note →Practice that compounds
A useful practice session should change how you approach the next problem, not merely add one more accepted solution to a profile.
Read the note →Mentorship is leverage, not a shortcut
Good mentorship improves the quality and timing of feedback while leaving ownership of the work with the person being mentored.
Read the note →Follow future notes
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