I find it strange that some people get offended with this approach to problem solving. There is this legendary interview question, "I have a mountain in India and I want to move it in France, how do I do it?". And some questioners (presumably people who like to be authoritative, in charge and order people around), really seem to dislike if my first impulse is to ask "Why do you want to do that? What is your goal?" And they respond with something like, "Why does it matter, just get on with the task, I didn't hire you to ask questions!"

Because the method really does depend on what you want to do. Can I destroy the mountain? Do I have to recreate the geological structure, or is it the biosphere you're interested in, or perhaps there is a holy place on that mountain that is important? And so on. If you want me to think outside the box (and presumably the question is posed to test that skill), then you have to be willing to provide more details on what you ultimately want.