[Special Edition] What IS a Classy Problem?

Dan T. Rogers spills it for the BEATS WORKING crew

August 25, 2025

This email is a special edition to wish a very happy birthday to Classy Problems 🥳

We’ve been reading Classy’s daily riffs for 365+ days, and a year of Classy Problems has taught us this: growth doesn’t come from epic breakthroughs, it comes from showing up every day.

What IS a classy problem, you ask? Dan T. Rogers breaks it down for us.

What is a Classy Problem?

I used to think every problem
was a real problem.
Like survival was on the line.
Turns out, most weren’t.
Most were classy problems.
A real problem is life or death.
Not “feels like I’m dying,”
not “this might kill me,”
but actual, imminent survival.
By theboss’s generosity,
those moments are rare.
Everything else?
Time to figure it out = classy
Time to practice = classy
Time to discern = classy
A classy problem isn’t a crisis.
It’s a gift.
The moment I'm given time
to choose,
to figure it out,
I’m not surviving anymore.
I'm in a living moment,
a post-survival moment.
I have
a classy problem.

We curated a list of posts related to what a classy problem is: 

  1. Living Moments: The vast majority of our experiences are not survival moments but living moments: invitations to engage, choose, develop. 

  2. Post-Survival: The moment after we have survived a life-or-death moment, when we’ve been provided the space and time to become. 

  3. Purpose Beyond Survival: Classy problems are the gifts of living moments beyond survival, where contribution is the honorable work of post-survival living. 

  4. thebossissupergenerous: What we’re given in post-survival moments is not earned but provided. 

  5. Waffles, Spaghetti, and Lasagna: Classy problems are like lasagna, not to consume but revisited because of their layers; leftovers are built in.  

  6. Words Matter: The more complex life gets, the classier the problems become, and the more precise we need to be with our words. 

  7. There’s No Free Lunch: How we spend our attention, money, or effort reveals what we value; classy problem. 

  8. The Opposite of Survival is Contribution: When survival is no longer our primary concern, we’re provided time to choose to how we contribute. 

  9. Survival Thinking: Though useful in true crises, it becomes a liability when applied to classy problems, limiting the contribution these moments provide. 

  10. Aligning Clarity: Recurring classy problems often signal a breakdown in vision or alignment, revealing what we still need to choose or re-align. 

  11. Paradox of Progress: Progress is transforming yesterday’s problem into tomorrow’s classy problem today. 

  12. Locate Yourself: Classy Problems, the resource itself, is a tool for navigating post-survival moments, inviting you to locate where you are and to trust your attention. 

Classy Problems is a daily signal. A recurring pulse of clarity in a world flooded with noise and complexity, with a short, layered riff each day. OPT IN HERE to receive that daily signal direct to your inbox. #ClassyProblems

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