Hello All,
My first post here. To introduce myself, I am Gourav Das, a technology enthusiast to say the least. I love to put my ideas into a computer. Off late, I have taken the plunge into trying to make money out of my ideas. This post is not about my idea or our product (that would be coming may be next month), but about a significant statement that on the face of it, cannot look any more true, but it hides more than it shows.
The statement is – “What problem is your product/idea solving? Is it addressing a real problem or a is it a good to have solution?”. I along with almost everyone else believes that a product that doesn’t solve a problem is no product. But how do you qualify something into a “problem”. If you look from 60000 feet, then there are actually only 2 kinds of problems.
1) Does not exist: These are kind of problems represent services that Customer cannot use currently because it does not exist. Booking tickets online is an example and Redbus was the solution. Mathematical calculation was an example and Calculator was the solution. The maximum chances for success lies here if you enter this problem kind.
2) Not good enough: These kind of problems represent services not rendered properly. Tax filing are examples of these kind of problems and Online tax filing sites are solution. Chances of success is less here.
So for any segment/category there can be only 1 product solving problem kind 1. Rest all products lie in problem kind 2. While we strive to locate and position ourselves in the Problem kind 1, most of our products would lie in problem kind 2 and so lets talk about problem space 2.
Let me cite some examples. Video Game consoles – for 20 years people have been successfully, happily using their game pads and playing games. So what was the problem there, why did Nintendo come, why did Kinect come, why did PS3 Move come? Did the product teams see a problem or is it they envisioned a new way of doing things?
How about Iphone? Was anyone worried about using a Nokia phone or Blackberry before Iphone? Were they bad or did Iphone teach users a new kind of experience? What real problem was Iphone solving. In reality it was solving Problem Kind 2 by providing something more, but the implementation was such revolutionary it ended up in Problem Kind 1.
Facebook? Was it really solving Problem kind 1?
Why am I citing these examples? I am citing these examples because I want to convey that some of the most biggest and best products though were solving some “real problems”, were more importantly teaching the world that there is another way to perceive things.
So here’s a well known secret. So next time someone asks you “Is it solving a real problem?”, don’t take it literally, don’t get disheartened, think and ask yourself – “Is it a revolutionary?”, If it is not, make it revolutionary. All it takes is your imagination. If you make your product revolutionary then it automatically ends up in Problem Kind 1 and it automatically makes customers think that you solved a big problem, but frankly there was not a problem in the first place. So please invest lot more in making the product revolutionary.
Badri Narayanan
Gourav,
A very interesting perspective indeed!!
Actually, the Redbus birth was out of a problem situation where the founders faced the task of getting the ticket to go home during the vacation!! On the contrary, the iPhone was not solving a problem per se but it was positioned as an “aspirational product” by virtue of the impeccable design
The products and services that i conceived, designed, created and took to market were addressing problems that the prospects themselves did not know existed!! I had to, ergo, make the problem felt and then position my product or service as the solution for that problem. Many prospects did not want to acknowledge that they had the problem or did not appear to relate to the situation as a problem and hence there was a huge struggle in getting the message through!!
Thanks once again for the contrarian view point!!
Amit Ahuja
Hi Gourav,
I read your post after clicking through on an interesting looking link in the Rodinhood newsletter.
Bang on bro!! Wicked bro wicked!!
Superlative article I must say. I am feeling elated to e-meet someone who shares a similar mind-space.
Totally unrelated I know, but feel free to try this @ home
Cook up…
Chocolate Chicken
Kerela (the veggie) & Corn on home-made Pizza
Listen to…
Mozart during contemplative constipation on your ‘throne’
Dance to….
Instrumental Jazz
Make love…
On the kitchen counter
Nothing is out of the box when you realize….there is no box (matrix moment)
Cheers, Burp!
Amit aka Amz Bass
Mandar Joshi
Bang on Gourav !!!
I guess you have caught the nerve now you would make few entrepreneurs change their slides where they must have placed a couple of them about ‘What problem we are addressing/solving?’ 🙂 I remember reading somewhere what Henry Ford said once, He said that if I would have asked people what they need they would have asked for a faster horse carriage 🙂 yes the world is evolving only because of the crazy entrepreneur clan who thinks beyond obvious, they always think of things which are always ahead of time and space 🙂 At least as per my experience one should believe in what he believes and don’t bother whether his innovation/ venture would address any known/unknown pain point. One must continue with her mission. Sometimes medicines are invented before the disease itself 🙂
Sandipan Nath
Brilliant.
Idea and solutions evolves in time.
Not necessarily you foresee it before you can actually touch the product or feel the service.
Entreprenours are dreamers. Not always u can explain it according to others requirement. Gut feeling screams this is gonna be a piece of mervel. And that’s how it happens. Or else how can u explain the importance of safety-pin or spring? Can you?
Gourav Das
Once a wise man told me, “customers know what they want, but they don’t know what they need. If you know what they need, then you can change their want”