Focus on the problem, not your million-dollar solution!
Don't fall in love with your idea, build an MVP
In an old piece, I had mentioned about taking an idea to my CPO and being asked to build an MVP instead of a full-blown solution that Google can acquire :)! Check it out here.
Having that 15-minute conversation with my CPO should be the most game-changing conversation in my career. He was grateful enough to explain me the grave consequences of having a solution focused mindset. That conversation made me go from Solution Focused to Problem Focused.
It’s very easy to assume that your “idea” can change the world. I was also in this trap but that conversation with my CPO changed my mindset completely. Now, I’m more more focused on the problem instead of finding a quick solution.
The message I sent him after coming across a post on building an MVP.
Looking back, it was very immature of me to say that my idea alone will build a new revenue stream, rake in a few hundred dollars from customers and what not! When there weren’t too many takers for my idea, reality started to set in. Had I gone ahead and built a brand new web application, the losses is terms of time and energy would be humongous.
The next time you do something as juvenile as me by banking on your idea to change the world, take a pause, be rational and repeat the line below in your head!
I’ll test for my idea’s desirability before testing for its viability and feasibility.