One analogy I like for software problems is knotted string. You approach the problem, loosen some things up, try some approaches, and sometimes you get lucky an

One analogy I like for software problems is knotted string. You approach the problem, loosen some things up, try some approaches, and sometimes you get lucky and shake things loose. Other times, you have to cut the string and you lose fidelity in your solution. Other times, you can only move the problem around so it looks simple to the user; there's still a knot there, but it may be hidden in the back end. This isn't the only analogy, and it's incomplete, but I still like it.