The article highlights the importance of solving the right problem as a software engineer. It argues that engineers who are productive and successful aren't those who pull all-nighters or craft elegant code, but rather those who solve the right problem in the first place. The article identifies three mistakes that engineers often make when starting a new project: technology-driven development, premature framework design, and sunk cost roadmap. These mistakes can lead to wasting time and resources on solving problems that aren't actually important to the organization. To avoid these mistakes, engineers should focus on writing down a description of the problem they're trying to solve and getting it reviewed before making any decisions or writing code. By doing so, they can ensure that they're solving the right problem and providing real value to their organization.