Imagine having a brilliant idea for starting a company. It stays with you and pulls at you for a long time. You are entirely devoted to this product idea as you gather funds and begin your business.
Gradually, it grows and transforms from an idea into a concrete and beneficial product. It is no longer just an idea; it is your creation, and you can see it taking shape.
But it’s a trap!
Unfortunately, your complete focus on your new solution causes you to run the company into the ground. All your effort, time, and money are gone.
How did this happen? Where did you go wrong? You believed the product was exceptional and expected customers to come to you. Maybe you became so attached to your solution that you couldn’t adapt and evolve, leading to your downfall. It’s easy to become emotionally attached, and the sunk costs make it harder to let go. You double down!
On the other hand, imagine if you became obsessed with the problem. Instead of creating a single, inflexible solution, you explore many approaches to improve the underlying problem from every angle. Can you improve distribution? Packaging? You could completely reimagine the entire experience.
By staying focused on your customers and their challenges, you’ll generate a constant flow of innovations instead of relying on one invention.
Either way, do you focus on your current solution(s) or constantly seek new, creative approaches to solve your customers’ most pressing problems? Getting stuck with one approach can lead to obsolescence. As they say, customers don’t need a 12mm drill bit. They need a 12mm hole.
Fall in love with the problem, flirt with the solution!