Where and How Do I Find Problems to Solve?

[Cognition]

If I posted this thread in the wrong forum, I correct my error by resposting here in "General Business."

I think most of us will agree that the entrepreneurialism is essentially a problem-solution process. There's a problem identified and an individual (the entrepreneur) takes risk to solve it and profit from the execution of the solution, accordingly.

I think the problem-solving, critical-thinking skill set I’m acquiring as an undergraduate computer scientist will be an advantage as an aspiring entrepreneur, but the question remains: Where and how do I find problems to solve?

While I have been getting better at being informed about the world about me, such as keeping up with social events by monitoring the media, I'm troubled, grieved almost, that I haven't identified problems that could be solved and profited from (at least in my capacity).

Again, where and how do I find/locate problems to solve? Is there some resource that I can go to listing domestic or international problems in need of addressing? Is there some central resource that people gravitate to to list their problems, issues, complaints?

Perhaps this an entrepreneurial venture of it's own...

[inle]

Interesting..

Another thing to ponder:
Even if there are problems to be solved, do they NEED to be solved, do they WANT to be solved, do they HAVE to be solved?

[inle]

And there are problems everywhere..
Maybe, we are blinded sometimes..

One can walk through the whole forest & see no firewood..

[Cognition]

And there are problems everywhere..
Maybe, we are blinded sometimes..

One can walk through the whole forest & see no firewood..

Very good point. I believe there are problems everywhere and in abundance that we don't often recognize.

I'm going to see how I "open my eyes" and see problems.

I guess this calls for another self-help book.

[Ske]

http://www.solveallmyproblemsforfree...anytrouble.com

[jonathanfigaro]

Very good point. I believe there are problems everywhere and in abundance that we don't often recognize.

I'm going to see how I "open my eyes" and see problems.

I guess this calls for another self-help book.

If you want to solve problems you have to look at what you can do. Whatever you have a passion for! There are people looking to seek your work as a solution. I think if you concentrate on creating, you will solve a problem with your talents that you didn't realize existed in the 1st place.

[ciaossu]

The easiest place is to find issues you face on a daily basis. I am shocked that you're not able to find problems (perhaps due to the blind-sighted effect you guys are referring to). There is an infinite number of businesses I can think of off hand and several of them apply to me and people I know personally.

Business is only as complicated as you want to make it. The essence is essentially there is some basic issue (you don't need to find a difficult problem), and an entrepreneur find a simple short solution to the issue to solve it and a monetization model to support it (this comes secondary). It doesn't have to be a complicated solution. That's what scaling is for. You just have to pick a market to target. It could be as simple as solving an issue with a current business model. THE EASIEST IS TO SOLVE AN ISSUE YOU'RE UNHAPPY WITH whether its a product or service.

For example, Zappos recently sold to Amazon.com for well over 800+ million dollars, rising stocks made the buyout worth well over 900+ million dollars (nearly a billion dollar buyout). What is Zappos? They sell shoes... online... Not a new concept. Shoes have been around forever. They are sold almost everywhere. There wasn't anything super significant about Zappos compare to any other footware store or department store other than one single problem they solved really well... customer service. That was it.

To put this into perspective, think about how many pissed off consumers there are EVERY DAY out there about some product or service. Every single one of those is a new business model every second. All you have to do is pick one you can be passionate about, that perhaps you've had issues with, and scale it. It's that simple. The only hard part... building it and scaling it. The idea, not so much. That's why there are literally millions of entrepreneurs, but only a handful that make it far. Ideas are only as good as your execution. There is no shortage of idea, only problems that needs to be solved.

In response to the poster above, each pissed off venting consumer does want their issue resolved, it does create a market, and there is a need (even when the consumers themselves don't realize it sometimes). Your job is to get it there as entrepreneurs.

[XOLegato]

Very well said, ciaossu. I would add to your synopsis that sometimes as an entrepreneur you need to CREATE needs. If a person's car is working perfectly well and they can afford gas at 30MPG, they don't NEED a better car; it's not a problem. But if you can design a car that gets 150MPG, suddenly the customer has a problem- they are "losing" money on the 120MPG that they "should" be getting, and thus they rush to buy the new car.

[Cognition]

Very well said, ciaossu. I would add to your synopsis that sometimes as an entrepreneur you need to CREATE needs. If a person's car is working perfectly well and they can afford gas at 30MPG, they don't NEED a better car; it's not a problem. But if you can design a car that gets 150MPG, suddenly the customer has a problem- they are "losing" money on the 120MPG that they "should" be getting, and thus they rush to buy the new car.

Well, that's essentially improving an existing product on the market. Much like my idea I just posted, here.

[website_designer]

The solution only has to add more value to some person. Then the extra value can be put into your pocket.

[sdiener]

CRAIGSLIST! Also, I am echoing others, but remember to LOOK at everything in a different light. This chair I am sitting in.... how could it be better. Oh, I just walked through a door, how much cold air did I let out? Could I let out less?