Where Do I Find a Problem to Solve?

University entrepreneurship is like a Willy Wonka Factory of ideas. New thoughts sprout from classes, roommates, debates, or even from the cafeteria. But sometimes peeling back the layers, I have seen individuals become wrapped up in building a business without even recognizing its roots.

Like the adage goes, what came first, the chicken or the egg? This is something on my mind. So, I have been asking university founders around the world what came first for them, the problem or the solution?

And that is what we are going to dive into today.

Like the adage goes, what came first, the chicken or the egg? This is something on my mind. So, I have been asking university founders around the world what came first for them, the problem or the solution?

So, let me tell you a story.

One university team I met from Africa started with a problem they were facing in their own university ecosystem — instant noodles. Now, many of us have faced the budgetary concerns of college life, which may have resulted in questionable nutritional choices, but this trio had a very different experience.

In a war-torn country, there were no real dinner options besides instant noodles or pasta for many university aged students.

Noodles required heat, water, and preparation; things that were limited in the boarding house students lived. With one hot plate that worked every blue moon, there was unreliable power. So, what could be nutritious, easy to prepare, and more delicious than the sodium-filled instant pots?

BOOM. That was the problem they were solving. Accessibility and affordability of nutritious food options without a heat source for these East African students.

Now, this is a tangible, relatable problem these founders had — one that they were interacting with every day with hundreds of their comrades.

This one problem is what sparked the serendipitous journey of entrepreneurship, and it truly became the keystone of their business.

On the other hand, I asked a team from the UK what sparked their business idea. They, honestly enough, said they were captivated by what they were studying in their classes and wanted to take a business lens on it.

Techies at heart, the team members were tinkering around with the way social media algorithms worked. Some people got more likes than another, but why? They were diving into the topics of understanding platforms and social networks, and this opened up a door of opportunity that they glided right though.

Was there a problem they were solving? Yes. It was one they stumbled on in their process and long nights of university research. (And probably some scrolling.)

Is this the same “caliber” maybe as world hunger? No, but that’s okay.

It was a real problem, an issue that social media influencers face on a regular basis.

Now, I am a firm believer that you should lead with empathy and truly envelope yourself into the problem before the solution. Businesses should solve true issues, big or small. This should be at the crux of everything you do.

But, from a philosophical sense, sometimes invention and innovation also happen on accident. That should not be penalized either. Think about how bugs sparked the creation of Velcro, or the inception of Teflon. They solve the invisible problems that we are often complacent with. The route to the problem may look different, but there is a path there.

Simply put, there is no Golden Ticket.

But, to help you navigate the problem you want to solve, I recommend asking yourself the following questions or listening to this episode of the podcast:

• What am I passionate about? This can be a cause, movement, technology, trend, industry.

• What do you enjoy studying, learning more about, or even talking about? If I asked you to write me a two page paper on this topic it should light you up not fill you with dread. (This can be what you are studying but also what you do outside of class!)

• What is something annoying (big or small) you see in the world that you’d like to change?

• What skillsets do you have? Can I tackle the problem at hand?

• Put competition, fear, commercial viability and finances aside for a second as well in this. People pay to have their problems solved—and that is step one.

Write these down, and then come back to it a couple hours later to see if it is still how you are feeling.

And guess what, you can keep exploring. Entrepreneurship evolves just as much as entrepreneur themself. Just keep an open and observant mind.

Have a question? Submit your own QoD here to have it answered in a subsequent edition!

If this has been useful to you or if you have feedback to improve, please drop me a quick line. Or share with a friend!