Are you solving a real problem?
identifying genuine problems can be a daunting task. It's essential to keep an eye out for challenges that individuals face in their daily lives or workplaces. It's easy to believe that issues exist when, in reality, they don't. This misconception often leads to wasted time and resources.
The realm of web browsers is a prime example of this phenomenon. While a faster, more ergonomic, and reliable browser than Google Chrome may seem like an obvious winner, the majority of users are satisfied with their current browser. In many cases, the issues users perceive are simply imaginary.
I personally experienced this when I recently reinstalled Google Chrome. A problem isn't just a minor inconvenience or a slight annoyance. It's an obstacle that prevents you from moving forward, a wall that you're forced to navigate around. Real problems necessitate a solution, while perceived issues often don't.
It's crucial to understand that solving real problems is what attracts users to a product. However, unless the problem is genuine, few users will be inclined to adopt your product. Google Chrome, for instance, is not perfect, but it has garnered a vast user base due to factors such as trust, reliability, integration with Google products, popularity, and habit. These elements are challenging to replicate, especially trust, which takes time and effort to build.
In conclusion, while it's essential to focus on solving problems, it's equally important to ensure that the problem is legitimate. By addressing real-world issues, makers can attract users and build trust in their products. Ultimately, this will ensure that users are willing to pay for their services and products.
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What are some of the most important factors to consider when evaluating whether a problem is "real" or not? How can makers build trust in their products and services?
What the user loses with the problem first. It will be a matter of proving how there is an effective loss sufficient for them to have to solve the problem. Again, it must be a real loss, not one that can be ignored. For example, I recently spoke about the problem of information loss with book manager software currently on the market here: https://makerstation.substack.com/p/bookmarks-manager-are-stale-and-obsolete
And yesterday I was reading a tweet from Thiago Forte, who wrote about current software means of building a “second brain” through digital notation and backup techniques and methods, which attested to the problem here: https://twitter.com/fortelabs/status/1629123287543427072
Secondly, are there no improvised solutions? I’m talking about the fact that many people like me use Asana to manage their small individual projects without team collaboration gear and which is paid for. I use Twitter to send messages to myself even though I have an iPad, two cell phones and a computer. WhatsApp also helps out in many areas: to avoid Wetransfer’s gear for a small document that I want from my phone to my computer…etc. It doesn’t seem like much since solutions already exist but when you think about launching products without real competition like a music discovery service much more convenient than those offered by Spotify and others it’s important. Thirdly will users be willing to pay for this service? It’s hard to get someone to give up a subscription. But if you allow them to gain real value divide their workday in half earn more money or help them in their daily lives…etc. they’ll be happy to pay.
Great points! It's really important to identify genuine problems that people face and make sure they are willing to pay for the solution. It's also important to consider if there are any improvised solutions that users may already be using. Thanks for sharing your insights!