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Keep a List of Problems Not Just Ideas
Product / Advice
Ideas are cheap. Well-understood problems are the raw material.
The Idea
Teams collect feature ideas. What they should collect is problems — real user pains, moments of friction, things that don't work. Ideas die when the premise is wrong. Problems survive, because they describe something real.
Why It Matters
- A problem list keeps the focus on users, not solutions.
- Many ideas can solve one problem; picking well needs the problem first.
- When an idea fails, the problem it addressed still needs solving.
How to Apply
- Maintain a living list of problems alongside the roadmap.
- Each entry names a user, a situation, and what went wrong.
- When someone pitches an idea, ask which problem it solves.
- Review the list regularly. Some problems dissolve; others grow.
The Trap
Confusing problems with solutions. "We need a dashboard" is a solution. "Customers don't know whether things are working" is a problem.
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