Finding Question-Problem Fit

No matter your title, your job is to solve problems. Before you can solve, you must understand. Preliminary data will be limited, so it's up to you to ask questions. Putting together the pieces, building a foundation to act from.

Problems are often framed as either symptoms or requests. Symptoms are too broad.

"Customer wait times are too long."

You'll need to ask "what?" to uncover the underlying condition you're facing, before you can prescribe the appropriate treatment.

"What is the support process?"

"What evidence demonstrates this problem?"

"What is the current wait time and what is the target time"

Requests are the reverse. Too specific.

"We need you to build a new onboarding email with XYZ features."

To move forward with purpose (or to uncover if the action is even needed), focus on "why?".

"Why do we need a new experience?"

"Is it because of we're targeting a new customer base?"

"Is it because the current design is now outdated?"

Understand before solving. When problems are too broad, ask "what?", too narrow, ask "why?".

Comments

Today's Special: Humble Pie

You champion a project, fight for an idea, and then...reality sets in. That churning in your stomach isn't butterflies, it's the realization you've missed the mark. Pride will puff up your chest, and kick in the "defend at all costs" instinct. But arguing with the umpire never changed a call. Admitting you're wrong isn't a sign of weakness. It can strengthen your professional standing. In a world obsessed with the illusion of infallibility, the courage to adjust course is a breath of fresh air. It shows you're confident enough to be wrong, and adaptable enough to learn from it. Do your research, think critically, and stand behind your decisions. But when the data whispers (or screams) otherwise, don't be afraid to swallow that slice of humble pie. Be the first to acknowledge. Don't wait for someone to point out your mistake. Be open, take responsibility, and most importantly, focus on what you're going to do to address it. Don't dwell ...

When Perfect Becomes a Problem: The iCar Story

Let's talk about Apple's iCar, or rather, the ghost of it. A decade. Ten billion dollars. Poof. Gone. Like a puff of smoke from a dream that never quite woke up. They wanted to launch a revolution, a fully-formed, flawless chariot. But revolutions aren't born in secret labs; they're forged in the messy, chaotic crucible of the real world. You don't build a movement by hiding in the shadows. You don't create a product people love by ignoring them. You don't change the world by waiting for perfection. It's about the minimum viable. It's about shipping early, shipping often, and listening—really listening—to the people you're trying to serve. Apple built a cathedral of secrecy. A monument to what might have been. And then, they tore it down. They spent billions on a dream, while ignoring the simple truth: the market doesn't care about your dreams. It cares about solutions. It cares about things that work. So, here's the lesson: stop chasing...

Why We Shouldn't Be Afraid of Ambiguity

Ambiguity. That fuzzy monster that chases us down darkened hallways, whispering doubts about our roadmap and feature sets. You know the feeling. You constantly wrestle with unknowns: Will users like this? Is this the right direction? Frankly, if you had a nickel for every time the answer wasn't crystal clear, well, you might actually want to chase that ambiguity down the hall. But here's the thing: ambiguity isn't your enemy. It's your dance partner. Innovation rarely happens in a land of perfect clarity. Sure, there's a time for well-defined processes. But when you're creating something new, there are bound to be more questions than answers. The key is to learn to waltz with the unknown . Embrace the experiment. Don't be afraid to throw some spaghetti at the wall and see what sticks. Focus on outcomes, not outputs. Don't get hung up on features. What problem are you trying to solve? How will you measure success? Get comfortable with "go...

Herman Ye

Search