“How to build a product by solving a problem”? Sounds familiar to us, but we rarely think in that direction. Majority of the people solve multiple problems in a day but they do not take it forward to an extent of building a product. To me, this is the root cause for not creating adequate products. Consequently, problem solving is a product building.

Building a product need not to be a Windows operating system or Apple iPhone or a Google search engine. Often, a small algorithm can solve complex problem, a small spare part may increase the mileage of an engine, a small solution may increase the profit margins, a small plugin may solve major problems of a product, a small plugin for the WordPress website may generate great revenue. However, not all the solutions can be built as products.

Solution to product

Find a potential opportunity while providing a service. if there is no product, no service. Without a car manufacturer, servicing centers wouldn’t have been born, without a flight manufacturer, airlines would not have been born, without a phone manufacturer, service provider would not have been born. Similarly, a major software service company usually do not put the efforts to build a product, of course, numerous reasons behind that. It might not be their DNA, or it might not be their business model. However, while providing service to their clients, potential problems can be found to create a product. It is time to move out of the same brick and motor servicing.

What to build?

Building a product doesn’t have any limitations, it could be from a tablespoon to a Boeing flight. Would you like to build a jet flight? The problem is solved, we have robust aircrafts, they are being manufactured from Boeing. Would you like to build another Amazon, of course you can build one but you may have extremely minimal market share to survive. Would you like to build another Windows? It is too late, Windows has the major market share, and all applications are being built to work for Windows.

Again, the question is what to build? Potential ways to generate ideas.

What makes us to not to start the show

Time, money, and efforts with uncertainty keeps us not to get into the shoes of product building from problem solving. Yes, I agree, however, a product generates much higher profit margins than a service. I would suggest creating a product plan to build minimum viable product with minimal time, efforts, and money. let’s see few examples.

What problem does Operating system solve?

Even a high-end processer can operate one job at a time but, Operating system can execute numerous tasks simultaneously so that various applications, tools, software can run parallelly. Operating system dynamically allocates memory as needed, it coordinates and manages hardware and software resources and splits the services equally to all programs. Computer wouldn’t have been so popular without and operating system so the problem is solved.

What problem does airplane solve?

It is almost impossible to travel another country until Wright brothers invent the airplane, because travelling on the sea takes months together to reach a another country, which is not worth it. Can we imagine how the geographic locations are different in terms of culture, customs, resources, advantages, and disadvantages? Can we imagine import and export becoming easy? Can we imagine the rapid growth of the world in multiple directions? Can we imagine the globalization? The problem solved. Let me provide another great example.

What problem does coconut breaker solve?

In India, the floor used to build with cement, it is extremely hard a coconut can be broken on the floor. Majority of the surfaces are hard enough to break a coconut. Almost, 80% of the people break coconuts to pray god, eventually, the demand is huge, the percentage of target audience is extremely high. However, the floor is being made with ceramic tiles now a days and people are residing in multistoried apartments. Consequently, breaking on the floor is not sensible 🙂 🙂 . Someone created a coconut breaker which is an especially useful product. The problem is solved.

Take Away

1. A Product is a product when it solves the problem regardless of the technology.
2. The size and thickness of the Roti is based on the flour quantity. Similarly, the product worth and sustainability is based on our efforts, uniqueness and time to market.
3. A product which can be built will have multiple competitors however, Boeing has the competition too.
4. To sustain for a long time in the market is to get good number of loyal customers, having loyal customers is based on customer care, quality of a product, and continues innovation.
5. Finally, I would say, we don’t need master minds to build a product, but we need to master out the mind to find a right problem to solve in a simple way.
6. How to build a product: Problem solving is a product building.

Another good read

How to build a product plan