The Solved Problem Fallacy

“____ is a solved problem” is a fallacy.

Yes, similar problems have been solved, and yes, we should gather wisdom from those efforts. Ignoring the past is a super bad idea.

But your problem is unique. It’s now. It has elements that are different from when _____ was solved before. You need to understand those elements, even if they are only contextual, in order to use the wisdom from the past appropriately today.