So I’ve been struggling to think of an analogy that perfectly describes our process. We help you build products and businesses that solve a problem for your audience. It shouldn’t be so difficult to describe this simply. Some of this stems from the fact that we’re still new at this and figuring things out. But some of it comes from the myriad of ways our clients come to us.
“I’ve noticed a problem”
You’ve seen something across your travels that’s given you pause for thought. That might be something you’ve experienced yourself, or that you’ve simply seen a few times.
A few examples could be:
- GPS maps show the quickest but not necessarily the safest route from A-to-B
- Splitting bills between housemates is a nightmare
- People seem to be going on a lot of bad dates
“I have a problem”
This is a bit further along than you noticing a problem. This is something you’ve personally experienced many many times. You’ve looked around and haven’t found anything that effectively solves this problem for you. You have an inkling that lots of people might suffer from this, but it’s annoying you enough to want to create something.
A few examples could be:
- I find it difficult to keep track of my song ideas
- Writing apps aren’t designed for my copywriting needs
- Me and my friends can’t agree on which Netflix film to watch. Ever.
“I have a (new or better) solution to an existing problem”
Okay, so you have a solution you think might work. And it’s something that currently doesn’t exist, you’re solving the problem in a different way, or doing it for a completely different market.
Solutions are good. You can test solutions with someone to see if it solves your audiences core problem.
A few examples could be:
- A better way of booking taxis
- Who needs hotels? Just rent a room in my house.
- A mobile-first bank with no branches.
“This is cool.”
We haven’t had that many of these come through, to be honest. We can imagine many people who are at this stage have either come across new and awesome technology and want to implement it in some way to solve a problem. They just don’t know what problem yet.
Things that come to mind are buzzwords like:
- Blockchain
- Chatbots
- Augmented/Virtual/Shared Reality
Being in any one of these situations is great. You’re already in the mindset of problem-solving, and that’s one of the first steps in building something that matters.
However, you’re missing a few steps. And it’s a step you might already know and have the answer to.
What’s the Why?
What is the true problem you’re trying to solve? Can you explain it in one sentence? And why is it a problem for your audience? At Metier, we like to try and boil down something to a core problem statement.
The ‘what’ might be succinct, and you may have a number of ‘whys’, but ultimately if you can solve the one main why, your product or service will be all the stronger for it.
A good example is Dubzoo, a platform we’ve been working on to help DJs and producers monitor and grow their audience:
We noticed that a lot of musicians are spending more time marketing themselves online than making music.
Why?
Most don’t know how to market themselves effectively to reach new audiences, fans or bookers.
Why?
DJs and producers would much rather spend their spare time focusing on their music, engaging with real fans and collaborating with other musicians than learning how to market themselves.
Why?
Because digital marketing seems like a very complicated area of expertise.
Why?
Because there are a lot of different channels to use to reach and cultivate a fanbase.
Why?
Because your potential audience uses multiple social media channels to not only find out about new music, but to learn and entertain themselves.
What if we built an easy to use digital marketing assistant to help, educate and encourage DJs and producers to reach and engage fans effectively?
Now, don’t get us wrong. It took us a while to get to here. There were lots of questionnaires and interviews, and betas. So many betas. But getting to the true heart of the problem might allow us to build a truly useful product.
And maybe, just maybe, we’ll start hearing great music from unexpected areas. And the more great music there is, the better it is for the world. (At least that’s my why for doing this.)
Nick, our resident UX and brand lead will go into his understanding of the ‘Five Why’s’ a bit later on, but if any of this resonates with you, don’t hesistate to give us an email.
You can reach us at hello@metierdigital.com.
