On Problem Solving
Always stress test the problem. Don't stop when you find one.
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I often see founders getting hyped about early momentum:
"We had 1,000 Retweets last week"
"Our ad has 2,000 clicks in the first 48 hours"
"We spoke to a bunch of people who said that they would use our product."
While retweets, ad clicks, or verbal commitments to use your product are great, they don't prove whether your solution solves a real problem or if customers are willing to pay for it.
To validate whether a problem is worth solving, founders must stress test early:
- Conducting interviews without asking leading questions (see https://lnkd.in/e8iUvaEs)
- Observing the target user perform the job
- Pain point mapping by having a target user map out their process and highlight how they feel along the way
Remember, it's crucial to validate that a problem is worth solving before investing time and resources into building a solution that doesn't address a genuine need.
If your customers can't quantify the problem, they may not care about the problem.
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The ability for a customer to quantify a problem is crucial in determining its significance.
If a customer cannot accurately measure or understand the impact of a problem, they may not see it as a priority or be motivated to seek a solution.
During the discovery process:
(1) Get your customers to communicate the magnitude of the problem and its potential consequences to their business without leading them to to the well.
(2) Ask your customers to share the magnitude of the problem relative to other problems they are faced with.
If you can demonstrate a meaningful ROI for your customers on a problem they care about and understand, you may have discovered a valuable solution.
Prioritize your customers' most pressing and painful problem. Avoid solving problems that lack urgency.
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During problem discovery, ask your customers about their entire set of problems. Which ones are higher on the priority list? Why? Steer clear of leading questions, "i.e. Are you experiencing XYZ?"
Then, prioritize your customers' most pressing and painful problem. Avoid solving problems that lack urgency.
By addressing problems that have the highest level of impact and urgency, your startup can have the greatest positive impact on customers, and ultimately unlock enough value to scale.