One of the top entrepreneur-turned-investor in town introduced me to a phrase that I’ve found valuable: what are you solving for? When an entrepreneur wants to do something, like launch a new initiative, you have the common questions like “why?” and “what are the pros and cons?” but those don’t always get to the core. An entrepreneur might want to do X but misses solving for the real issue.
Entrepreneurs should ask the “solving for” question on major initiatives, including:
- Planning
- Strategy
- Fundraising
- Recruiting
- Product features
Ask the “what are you solving for?” question and assess how it relates back to the original initiative.
What else? What are some more thoughts on the “what are you solving for?” question?
David Cummings on Startups 