The Time Box

**Scenario.** 20 minutes in, you have modeled the problem and the budget kills your only idea. What does the pipeline prescribe? **Which approach is the best fit? The program only needs to print the letter.** **A)** Code the doomed idea anyway — working code feels productive **B)** Return to observe: compute small cases and scan the Big Four; if that stalls, recheck the constraint bands for a harvestable partial **C)** Skip to another problem permanently **D)** Read the samples harder