Finding the (right) problem to solve: what will you make better?
Problem identification for early-stage startups
If you’ve read any of my other posts, you know I’m all about finding and solving problems here on my blog. But with good reason! Problems are the foundation of any new innovation. And great problem identification early on will help your team from idea generation all the way through to launch.
So how do you know the right problem to solve? The truth is… selecting the right problem to work on is difficult. Lucky for you, throughout my personal entrepreneurial endeavors, I have found many wrong problems to attempt to solve. And I have learned that there are a few things entrepreneurs can do to home in on the right problem. So let’s get to it…
Not all problems are created equal
To begin, let’s start by not choosing the wrong problem. Not every problem a user is experiencing can or should be solved by a product. Lots of inefficiencies and annoyances exist in our day-to-day lives that are not well served by a new product.
Here are examples of some “bad problems”:
Behavior-driven process inefficiencies
First, there’s an important distinction to be made between process inefficiencies caused by human tendencies / behaviors and process inefficiencies caused by existing tools, systems, etc. Process inefficiencies, as a whole, can often times be solved with product. A behavior-driven process inefficiency, less so. For example, say your team is looking to improve productivity for workers, and you notice that many workers have trouble focusing because there are an ungodly number of meetings cluttering their calendars each work week. Although many have tried, there’s probably not a product that would reduce the tendency of your coworkers to schedule meetings. “Too many meetings being scheduled” is an example of a process inefficiency that is probably better served with a process optimization or a new working model.
Mindset issues
Secondly, another class of bad problems to tackle with products is “mindset problems”. These types of problems arise when someone is not in the right mindset to complete the task. This is fundamentally different than when there is a problem inhibiting the user’s ability to complete the task. For example, “I hate working” or “I hate my team at work” are mindset problems. These are probably better addressed with a career or company pivot than a new product.
The “everyone’s problem” problems
Lastly, there are “common problems”. These are the problems that everyone encounters or knows about, but no one has figured out how to solve. In this video from Y Combinator’s Startup School, Group Partner Jared Friedman discusses an example of one of these unsolvable problems: inefficient communication when making plans with others. He goes on to mention that there are structural complexities that make these problems so hard, if not impossible, to solve. On a broader scale, this category could also include problems that’s “seemingly easy” solution is inhibited by infrastructure, policy, or psychology. I would advise you to avoid these types of problems.
Finding the right problem to solve
Now that you know the types of problems to watch out for, we can get tactical. But before we jump in, a gentle reminder that you are still in “problem mode”. Being solution-oriented too early in the product development process (before knowing the right problem to solve) can result in a confused product vision and actually limits innovation.
An anecdote of caution (a “word of caution” but a story):
My team in college was looking for a problem to solve in the medical device space, so we met with 10 nurses and interviewed each on common problems during medical appointments. We heard there was a high incidence of medical professionals accidental pricking themselves with dirty syringes after patient injections, which had a large associated safety risk. So we began ideating on safer redesigns of the common medical syringe. 6 months later, our team had designed a syringe with an automatic capping mechanism.
Now let’s stop here. What is wrong with this picture? The only information our team had after these interviews was that our target user group (medical professionals) needed a solution to accidental needlestick injury, not that they need a different syringe design. We ultimately found out that the best way to solve this problem was by optimizing the syringe disposal pattern after use (e.g., moving the waste container closer to where the injection happens).
Conducting user research during problem identification
So how can you truly know the right problem to solve? The truth is you can’t. But great entrepreneurs use a variety of problem identification tactics. They listen to target users, and they also…
1) Empathize
Truly adopting the mindset of your target user will help you to be a more effective thought partner and keep an open mind, which actually widens your “solution space”. Take the time to put yourself in the user’s head and fully contextualize the situation. What is the user’s underlying motivation for their behaviors? What drives their decisions and actions? What are they trying to achieve (specifically, but also in general)? When you understand the problem holistically, you are better positioned to identify the right problem.
2) Act it out
Tap into your childhood self for a few hours and pretend you are the user. With an end-goal in mind, walk through the process and see which pain points you identify. How did you solve them? What could be improved? Are there any “aha” moments that come up, even if they don’t seem directly tied to the problem? Simulating the full range of user’s current problems and solutions is invaluable in problem identification, even if you already identify as a member of your target user population.
3) Watch users in action
Listening to users discuss their methodology is great, but watching your users navigate the process is king. Having an omniscient and fully contextualized (true environmental conditions, interpersonal dynamics, etc.) view of user behaviors leads to more reliable insight. What do you notice user’s doing or saying that didn’t show up in initial discussion?
4) Interact and ask questions during their process
Humans are unreliable narrators. Our brains are biologically programmed to adapt the timelines, feelings, and details of events to minimize cognitive dissonance (inconsistencies between our actions / behaviors and our identities). Asking a person to recall behaviors and reflect on motives post-mortem will lead to less reliable data collection. So stop users during their natural process flow and ask why they made certain decisions? What were they trying to achieve with a particular action? What have they tried before to solve this problem and which parts have worked / haven’t worked?
And finally…
Be patient. Keep your mind open, question everything in front of you, test with real users, and go from there. You won’t find THE problem overnight — but if you’re patient and methodical, you’ll get there.
Be focused. Other common failure modes during early-stage problem identification include trying to solve too many problems or the same problem for too many use cases / user groups at once.
So you think you’ve found the one?
Great! Now all you need to do is ask yourself:
- Is the problem specific enough? Do all stakeholders agree on what it means? Is there a clear and concise definition that everyone can use as a starting point for further discussion?
- Does this problem affect a large enough group of people? Is there an opportunity to have a big impact with your solution?
- Are you passionate about solving this problem? Does solving this problem excite you enough to spend countless hours working on it?
- Is this problem something your team is an expert in? Are you familiar with the industry and can think of potential solutions on your own, or do you need to lean on outside expertise?
If you can confidently answer “yes” to all of these questions, you’ve found a great problem to work on that has the potential to create major impact. Good job!
