Soaking in problem areas
A common adage for startup founders is to scratch your own itch. This approach has the benefit of increasing the likelihood that the founder has deep empathy and knowledge of the problem they are solving. Can you replicate these benefits without facing the problem yourself firsthand? Definitely!
An alternative approach is “soaking” in problem areas. The gist is basically to immerse yourself in the problem space (ideally as a customer) for a period of time. By loading your brain with the required facts and knowledge, the extended period of time gives your subconscious the opportunity to soak in the idea and unleash its creativity.
How long should you soak for? Until the number of ideas/discoveries that materially impact your solution begin to drop off. Basically wait until the point that actually putting the product in the hands on customers would help you learn faster versus further soaking. This period is likely to be quite different based on your pre-existing knowledge and depth of immersion or research. In general this is likely to be in the range of a few weeks.
The added benefit of delaying the building is that you are less attached to the idea and are more likely to judge it objectively.
Does a few weeks of time really matter? If your idea is any good, you’ll likely be working on it for the next 10 years…
This mirrors the double diamond prices in design - creativity needs time. Rushing to an output might be instantly gratifying but you might be overlooking better problems and solutions. We aren’t assessed on the number of problems/solutions we solve, but instead by the value of the problem and the quality of the solution.