As discussed previously, organizations resist change. That includes buying, implementing, and adapting to your product or service. People are busy, budgets are constrained, and new solutions introduce risk. To drive adoption, you must identify a problem that is sufficiently painful, visible, and economically meaningful.
- “Nice to have” does not sell
- Clear pain or measurable upside does
Do Not Start With Technology
At this stage, do not anchor on a solution.
Your technical background, intellectual property (IP), or capabilities may bound the search space, but they should not drive it.
The objective is to identify problems worth solving, not solutions looking for justification.
Generate Multiple Problem Hypotheses
The task is to define ~10–15 discrete problem statements, each captured in 2–3 sentences.
Constraints:
- If it takes more than a few sentences to explain, it is not well-formed
- If it cannot be understood quickly, it will not be funded
- If it is vague, it cannot be evaluated
Each problem should be concise, specific, and testable.
Pressure-Test Each Problem
For each problem, perform an initial screen across four dimensions:
1. Economic Magnitude
- How large is the problem?
- Can it be quantified in dollars, schedule impact, or risk?
- Is it large enough to justify attention and budget?
2. Specific Customer & Buyer
Be precise. Avoid generic answers.
- Who experiences the pain?
- Who owns the budget?
- Who has authority to act?
Example:
- Weak: “FedEx”
- Strong: “Pilots of FedEx Cessna Caravans operating in adverse weather”
- Buyer: “FedEx VP of Operations and Regional Operations Managers”
If you cannot identify the buyer, you do not have a viable opportunity.
3. Feasibility & Access
- Is there a viable solution path?
- Is the required investment realistic (e.g., $5M vs $1B)?
- Does it align with your capabilities, network, and access?
This is not full diligence—just a first-pass feasibility filter.
4. Strategic & Personal Alignment
- Does this align with your strengths and experience?
- Do you have access to customers or partners in this space?
- Are you willing to spend years working this problem?
You will need sustained engagement with customers—this is not optional.
Package Each Problem (1-Pager Standard)
Each problem should be captured in a simple 1-page format:
- Problem statement (2–3 sentences)
- Affected customer and buyer
- Estimated economic impact
- Initial thoughts on solution approach
- Key unknowns / risks
If it cannot fit on one page, it is not ready.
Example: The problem with Airport Marshaling Batons
Problem:
Airport ground crew batons rely on batteries that typically last only 7–10 days, requiring frequent replacement and spare inventory to maintain operations.Who feels the pain:
Ground crews and maintenance staff. Crews lose time retrieving replacements, and maintenance teams spend time on low-value battery swaps instead of higher-priority work.Who pays:
Terminal managers and regional operations leaders responsible for equipment uptime and maintenance budgets.Economic impact (directional):
Material spend (batteries), labor for replacement, and excess inventory combine into a meaningful recurring cost.
Run a Structured Evaluation Session
Problem identification should be done individually, then reviewed as a team.
Process:
- Each team member develops several problem 1-pagers in advance
- Problems are presented in a structured session
- Discussion focuses on clarification and expansion, not criticism
Guidelines:
- Avoid negative reactions early—they shut down ideation
- Build on ideas to improve clarity and framing
- Capture insights in real time
A simple post-up / clustering approach works well to compare and refine ideas quickly.
Output of the Session
The objective is not to solve the problem—it is to down-select where to focus.
Outputs:
- Top 2–3 problem opportunities selected
- Owner assigned to each (Product Manager)
- Initial target customers identified for follow-up
These become the inputs to the next phase: customer validation and problem refinement.
Role of the Product Manager (Critical Function)
In this process, the Product Manager (PM: Product Manager) is central to execution.
They are responsible for:
- Understanding customer needs and decision processes
- Acting as the voice of the customer to engineering
- Driving early engagement (demos, trials, feedback loops)
- Translating customer value into product requirements
- Maintaining momentum from concept through early adoption
This role requires:
- Credibility across technical and commercial domains
- Strong communication and synthesis skills
- Bias toward action and iteration
Weak product management will kill otherwise strong opportunities.
Transition
With a small set of prioritized problems, the next step is direct customer engagement to validate, refine, and quantify the opportunity.