There are, however, a couple of problems with problems; the first is that we often feel compelled to try and solve problems which aren’t ours to solve. The second is that we offer solutions before we really understand what the true nature of the problem.
Two people we respect deeply talked about problems, among other things, this week.
Steve Johnson, a highly experienced Product Management expert, started his article by wondering whether Product Managers should be called Problem Managers in an interview he did with Revulytics. I suggest you read it.
His belief, which we share, is that Product Managers need to focus on the customer problem and not the problems faced by others in the organization. He also states that you should allow others to develop the solutions. There are many other big brains in the building who can offer solutions that you couldn’t even dream of, but they need you to define the problem to be solved and the outcome the customer is expecting. Once you do that, step back and go find more problems that your customers need you to address.
“Problems are not stop signs, they are guidelines.” Robert Schuller
The second article that reinforced this was from Ash Maurya, one of the sparks for the Lean Startup movement. First he reminded us that it’s been 10 years since he and Eric Ries started blogging about a better way to look at start-ups. You can read it on Medium
The point which struck me is his focus on developing the right mindset to successfully navigate the Lean Startup process. Unless you and your team are ready to jump in with both feet, you’ll wind up with some other outcome. One of those key articles of faith is to Love the Problem and spend quality time with your potential customers to develop a deep understanding of their problems, from their perspective.
Like Steve Johnson, Ash Maurya reminds us that it is vital for us to become Problem Managers in order to develop products and services which customers will adopt.
When you are ready to take the leap and become a Problem Manager, PANOPTIKA is here to lend a hand.
I’m Steve Willson, and I’m one of the Partners here at PANOPTIKA. We work with clients to help them use customer-centricity to focus their efforts and their strategy where they can make the most difference. You can also find us on Twitter and on Facebook, and for ongoing news about topics like this one, click the button below.