40+FAB Blog
Find purpose, ditch process
I read some very interesting perspectives on the development of ‘new’ products. New becomes very debatable because the various iterations of products that come to the market are trying to solve the same old problem.
What problem does the mobile phone solve? To answer this question, think of the why. And no, the answer is not to look cool. Mobile phones, land phones, faxes, telegrams and the likes solve a communication problem.
Let’s talk about streaming services. What problem do they solve? You guessed right, it solves an entertainment problem. If you understand the problem statement which is based on a purpose, then you will not be tied to the process or the product that is put together to address that problem.
Hundreds of years ago, entertainment only happened at physical locations and so people would go to the theatre. The process to put on the performance was huge. Radio comes in, and the process changes and so does the product. TV comes, then video tapes, then DVD’s and we end up with streaming services. Each one has its own process and product and anyone that is stuck on the process and product of the old would have missed out on the opportunity of the new.
Take a step back and look into various areas of your life and uncover the problem statement that is linked to a purpose. Are there new enablers like advancements in technology that can help you solve this problem? If so, ditch the old process and product and reinvent your response based on purpose.