It is shockingly easy to lose perspective. It happens to all of us – even those of us (ie, me) who focus on helping others not lose touch!
I’ve spent the last year of my life helping entrepreneurs regain sight of the problem they set out to solve. Most business owners I’ve worked with pay more attention to their solution than their customer’s problem. Science has shown us how are brains are hard wired for dopamine fixes. AFAIK, science hasn’t studied this, but I think we’re also hard wired to zoom in to the solution, right past the problem.
When a buddy asked me what I was doing, I launched right in to talking about the features of what we were delivering and not the problem we were solving. Of course, because he’s a good friend, he called me out on it almost immediately. We had a good laugh, but it was a very humbling experience!
Techniques for staying close to the problem
Obviously, as I just demonstrated, I fall into this trap. Still, I’ve found these techniques useful for staying close to the problem.
Write the problem down
Be bold and write down the problem you are trying to solve. This can be for your entire company, a specific project, or even something personal that just you are working on. Put the effort in document it. This gets everyone on the same page or at least clarifies your thinking. Extra points if you describe why it is a problem, how the problem is measured (ie, how can you prove to someone else that it is a problem), and who is affected by the problem.
Revisit your problem statement regularly
As much as we like to think we have the answers, we usually don’t even get the problem right. This is where I dropped the ball. I wasn’t revisiting and refining the problem statement with any regularity. As entrepreneurs we need to struggle against the urge to be right and have the answers. It’s much better to treat ourselves as scientists.
Consider your problem statement a scientific hypothesis that you are testing against reality. That mindset will keep you in touch with it and give you the permission to adjust it as needed. It is rare that we accurately get our problem definition right on the first (or second) time.
Talk about it
Find friends like the one I mentioned above. The kind who will tell you that your fly is down, your tag is showing, and that you’ve got spinach in your teeth. The kind who will tell you that they don’t understand something that you describe. They are invaluable.
Also, talk to the people who have the problem – the ones you’re serving. This might be yourself for a personal project. It could also be your marketplace. It is important to check in regularly as needs shift over time.
Note to future me
Be the type of friend who lets someone know that their fly is down, their tag is showing, and that they’ve got spinach is in their teeth. Honor them by being honest and asking questions when I don’t get it.
Thanks to Wouter Martens for his photo of a light house standing above the tall grass.