Comments by "disgruntledtoons" (@disgruntledtoons) on "A tale of two problem solvers | Average cube shadow area" video.

When you're an engineer you use Bob's approach the first time you see a problem of a given type. If you see something similar, you remember the solution to the first instance, and try to see if it is adaptable to the present problem. Eventually you find a generalized solution. But you don't worry about generalized solutions until you have a valid reason for seek them (at least, not while you're on the clock). And having found the generalized solution, in every application you also take the time to see if the specifics create a special case that lends itself to an optimization.
4