Problem-solving not feature-building

SCRUM & LEAN UX | Episode 8

In one of the organisations I worked for I was drilled to ‘focus on solutions, not problems’. Now the authors of LEAN UX are teaching me to

“Fall in love with the problem, not the solution” — LEAN UX, by Jeff Gothelf and Josh Seiden.

I learned I often didn’t take the time and effort to understand and appreciate the true nature of a problem addressed to me. Now this is one of those little epiphanies for me personally. Our experience might or might not be alike, but here it goes: I learned that I generally failed to investigate:

• What conditions allowed the business problem to emerge?
• What causes the problem to persist?
• Why have others not solved it?
• Why it is possibly keeping people awake at night?
• What emotions does it raise?
• How does it impact peoples’ behaviour
• How does it impact their overall brand and/or product experience?

Sure, problems were solved, but what impact did it really make? Was I learning from it? Lean UX is guiding me to move from addressing the logical nature of a…