[Startup] What is 'real' problem? What is solution?

when we found a 'problem'

we need to figure out the problem is a real problem

 

then what is real problem??

• real problem is most fundamental cause
• real problem is something can be measure
• real probem is something can be solved

to measure whether the problem is real

I suggest to answer follow questions

 

1. Is it most fundamental cause? 

  - the outcome can not be the cause

  - if there are more fundamental cause, then you can know that only 'the symptom' or 'the indicator' have been discovered not the real problem

  - if you focus on the symptom or indicator, you can not solve the problem

 

ex)

If we have a fever, fever is not a problems. fever can be one of the indication of cold or some other disease. but disease itself is not a problem also because the cause of disease is something like virus or bacteria.

 

If your company is suffuring from income loss, income loss is a symptom not a problem. the problem that cause the income loss can be vary such as malfunctioning of supply channel and faling to make proper marketing

 

2. Is it mesurable?

 - if a problem can not be measured, then you never know whether the problem has been improved

 - To know the problem is mesurable, we need to define 'ideal condition' and figure out the gap between 'ideal condition' and 'current condition'

 

ex)

the confidence of the worker => hard to measure

the number of rejecting from supervisor  => measurable, but not fundamental reason

the number of report without proper background data => measurable, but not fundamental reason

the level of writing skill of employee => measurable, fundamental

 

3. Is it possible to solve?

 - if it is clear that the problem is one you can't solve, then you have to give up to solve that problem

 - If you can not solve a problem, it is not problem anymore. it is more like disaster.

 

ex) 

It will be rain tomorrow => we can't solve

The goverment decided to change the law => we can't solve

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decision tree to know this is real problem

 

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