Startups Need To Be Excited About The Problem, Rather Than Their Solution.

The image above looks like a bad predicament for someone to be in, a car stuck in the mud. The solution to this problem could be simple and you could easily build a business around it but it’s important when building a company that you fall in love with solving a problem instead of falling in love with the solution. So what’s the difference and aren’t they the same?

There are many solutions to the problem of getting a car pulled out of the mud, you could use a winch, a tow strap, or even a shovel and you could build an entire company around selling a better type of product but is that really the best approach? The market is saturated with such things and joining this type of race will surely be a struggle. There is nothing wrong with trying to “solve for x” but it’s imperative that you look wider at the big picture.

This person may already have a winch, tow strap & shovel so how would you as a business owner be able to help him if these 3 items have failed him? He isn’t close enough to a tree to use a winch, there are no vehicles around to give him a tow & he has failed at digging himself out of this situation.

Right now you are thinking of alternative solutions to getting this stranded vehicle out of the mud, if you had focused on selling any of those 3 items you will not have been able to solve this problem. There are endless possibilities of how to fix this problem from using sand anchors to calling a chopper.

Sure to build a successful company you do have to have a solution to a problem but I would always urge anybody to keep reassessing the need and always think about multiple solutions. I’m not saying you should create an arsenal of solutions but at least be aware of all the options that are on the market and blueprint alternatives. Many startups try to build a solution and stick to that but there needs to be a feedback loop to allow you to know where to focus your efforts and to reassess the direction of the company.

It may be that you can create a preventative solution to the problem.

Think big and keep pivoting and don’t be afraid to get a bit dirty helping your customers find the best solution to their problem. Mud comes off in the wash so roles your sleeves up and get as close as you can to your customers.