Thinking through the tech might be killing your startup

Last week, I ran a workshop with a friend who wanted to start a knowledge process outsourcing (KPO) business. When I asked him about his target customers' problems, something fascinating happened.

He kept describing the solution he wanted to build: "Companies need a knowledge partner, not just arms and legs. They need a brain that can think with them." He was passionate about providing real strategic value, not just execution.

But when we dug deeper, we discovered his customers' actual struggle was simpler and more painful: they couldn't find reliable talent who could consistently deliver quality work.

This is what happens when we sit with an idea too long. We start seeing customer problems through the lens of our solution, instead of observing their actual behavior.

Let me show you a different way to think about customer problems. One that starts with real struggles, not your solution.

Why we get stuck thinking about solutions first

Here's what usually happens:

You see Notion's success and think "I could build a better note-taking app." Or you watch ChatGPT explode and suddenly every problem looks like it needs AI.

Been there. Done that. Got the "failed launch" t-shirt.

When you start with a solution in mind, your brain plays tricks on you:

• You see every problem through the lens of your preferred solution
• You ignore problems that don't fit your technical skills
• You miss opportunities that don't match your initial vision

It's like having a hammer and deciding everything must be a nail.

In my view, we don’t do this purposely. Our brains just work that way. But having awareness that it’s a problem is just as important.

Here's what actually happens when you start with solutions

• You spend months building features nobody asked for
• Your marketing sounds exactly like everyone else's because you're all pitching similar solutions with similar execution
• Early users give you that dreaded "looks interesting, but..." feedback
• You end up pivoting after burning through runway, when you could have caught these issues in a week

There’s a way out.

Here's a hack to force solution-agnostic thinking

Try this: Next time you're researching customer problems, pretend you're from 1923.

No, seriously.

Imagine you're a time traveler from 100 years ago, observing people today. You can't think "they need better project management software" because you don't even know what software is.

Instead, you're forced to describe what you actually see:

• "People keep missing important messages because they're scattered across different places"
• "Teams waste hours trying to figure out who's doing what"
• "Managers spend entire days just checking if work is being done"

See the difference? No mention of tools, tech, or solutions. Just raw observations about human struggles.

Another trick: The "but why?" game

When someone tells you about a problem, channel your inner toddler and keep asking "but why?"

Let's try it:

"We need a better CRM."

▶︎ "But why?"

"Because we're losing track of customer conversations."

▶︎ "But why does that matter?"

"Because deals are slipping through the cracks."

▶︎ "But why is that happening?"

"Because everyone's using different tools and nothing's connected."

Now we're getting somewhere! The real problem isn't about needing a better CRM - it's about team coordination and information flow.

The newspaper headline test

Here's another way to strip away solution bias: Write about the problem like it's a newspaper headline from the 1950s.

Instead of: "Teams need AI-powered sprint planning"

Write: "Engineering department wastes 6 hours weekly deciding who works on what"

The old-school format forces you to focus on the human impact, not the tech solution.

Your solution-agnostic thinking starter pack

Ready to try this yourself? Here's your step-by-step guide:

1. Pick a customer segment you want to help
2. Observe them for 30 minutes (in person or through online communities)
3. Write down what you see, pretending you're from 1923
4. For each observation, play the "but why?" game 5 times
5. Turn your findings into old-school newspaper headlines

Remember: You're not looking for things to build. You're looking for humans struggling to make progress.

The magic happens when you stay solution-agnostic

When you truly understand a problem without jumping to solutions:

• You might discover it's not a tech problem at all
• You could find simpler solutions you wouldn't have considered
• You'll spot opportunities others miss because they're too focused on specific technologies

Next time you catch yourself saying "I'm building..." stop and ask: "What human struggle am I really trying to solve here?"

Because at the end of the day, people don't wake up wanting AI, blockchain, or better UX.

They wake up wanting to make progress in their lives.

Your job is to understand that vector of progress first, solution second.