Be Problem-Centric: A Blueprint for Lasting Business Solutions

If I had an hour to solve a problem, I would spend 55 minutes thinking about the problem and 5 minutes thinking about the solution - Albert Einstein.

Excited to be sharing my first newsletter for the year. I would love to share an unconventional approach to creating lasting business solutions in today's newsletter: Be User Problem Centric. In the bustling world of entrepreneurship, the spotlight often falls on the user, i.e., the customer whose needs we aim to meet. However, the path to enduring success lies not in catering solely to the customer's desires but in understanding and addressing their core problems.

It’s fast becoming a cliche in the business world. You hear in business meetings from an entrepreneur that you must always listen to your users (which is important) and make what they want. While this approach may offer a quick succession of profits and awareness, it does not provide you with the solid foundation you require to create lasting business solutions, and most times it is the quickest way to ruin your business adventure. We need to understand that users' wants are endless, and behind those wants are problems that limit them from achieving those wants.

The problem is the problem; it is neither your users nor your idea. Sometimes, we fail to realize this, which is why when we come up with an idea filled with energy and when it is met with a stumbling block, we tend to assume that it is

• Either we are dealing with the wrong audience, which might be true but shouldn’t be based on assumptions or
• We are not listening enough, and our ideas are inadequate to address user needs. This can sometimes lead to the trap of coming up with extra features that are not necessary and sometimes complicates our solution.

In the dynamic realm of business, a crucial shift in mindset is taking the entrepreneurial world by storm. It is no longer about what customers want but rather listening to understand the problem that limits your customers from achieving their wants. Now, let’s look at some scenarios.

Scenario 1: The Tale of Innovative Distinction

John (a fictional character) is the founder of Company X, a tech start-up eager to launch the next Google. Initially excited, he and his team surveyed users extensively, gathering preferences and wishlists. After a rigorous isolated period of 6 months, the product was launched, and indeed, it reflected users' desires. Yet it fell flat (Argh!!!). Bemused by the outcome, John began to think that the solution was to reach a larger audience and spend more on advertising and creating awareness. While this approach oscillated their revenue graph for a while, the numbers remained flat.

In his quest to save the company at all costs, John came across this newsletter (lots of laughter) and realized that his users were not the problem, nor was it the big product he and his team launched. Sat himself down and began to ask why (a more purposeful question), reflected on the data gathered at the previous user interviews, arranged another interview with some of his users and uncovered the underlying issue —the users' struggle to multitask efficiently with the created product. Thanks to a problem-centric approach, paving the way for a revolutionary product that truly addresses its users' needs.

Scenario 2: The Hidden Woes of the E-commerce Space

A few years back, I met with Samantha (not her real name), a young, vibrant, and full-of-energy lady who was interested in the e-commerce space and ready to provide value. During the meeting, we had conversations about talking to users, creating a revolutionary product, etc., unknown to me then, the advantage of being problem-centric. We assumed a user-centric approach involves creating a platform with many features users commonly desire, e.g., buy now, pay later, product recommendations, etc. However, a problem-centric viewpoint would have been to fully understand the pain points users experience in online shopping—trust issues, sizing concerns, what I ordered vs what I got, and delivery reliability. Tackling these problems, head-on creates a platform that sells products and builds trust and loyalty. Samantha and I had a heartfelt conversation about her approach and strategy, and she’s set to experience her best year in business.

You, yes, you reading this article right now and asking, why should I be User Problem Centric? Here’s why

• A problem-centric approach gets to the heart of the matter. The Holy Book (Bible) says, out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh. Paying attention to only the mouths of your users helps you address surface-level desires. Still, by paying attention to the heart of your users, you can dig deep to understand the fundamental issues users face. Jonathan, be wise!!!
• I came across the Kano Model approach that clearly outlines users' expectations of every product developed by Dr Noriaki Kano. Must haves (features users expect to see and feel a kind of disgust when it is missing); Performance (features that progressively increase user satisfaction. The more you have, the more satisfied users will be. The day a competitor provides more than you, your users port. A good example of the red ocean strategy); Delighters (features that excite users but are not expected. They act as great differentiators).? Businesses that focus on problems rather than users tend to create delighters. They create solutions users didn’t know they needed but are excited to have, setting them apart in the market.
• A user-centric approach might fulfill immediate desires, but it doesn't necessarily create lasting loyalty. However, when a business digs into the underlying issues its users struggle with, it forges a connection beyond the transactional. Users appreciate solutions that genuinely make their lives better, help increase their output and save them money, leading to stronger, long-term relationships between businesses and their customers.

Here are some examples of result-oriented companies that obtain their result using the problem-centric approach:

• IBM: IBM has adopted a problem-centric approach to help clients solve complex business problems. Forbes (2021, October 8). 13 Key Elements Of Problem-Centric Selling.
• IDEO: IDEO is a design firm that uses a problem-centric approach to create innovative solutions for its clients. MIT Sloan Management Review (2019, January 9). Five Key Elements of Problem-Centric Selling.
• Tesla: Tesla is an electric vehicle manufacturer that uses a problem-centric approach to develop its products. Tesla’s approach involves understanding the customer’s needs, identifying the problem, and then developing a solution that addresses the problem. Forbes (2020, September 15). ?16 Critical Strategies For Enabling 'Problem-Centric' Selling.

In conclusion, while listening to users is important, it's importanter (smile) to recognize that users are, in essence, trying to solve a problem. By adopting a problem-centric approach, you not only provide solutions but become architects of meaningful change. Be A Difference and Make Something Users Want.