Entrepreneurism and a Tree of Problems
From Leaf Problems to Root Causes: The Art of Divide and Conquer for Entrepreneurs
One way to define entrepreneurism is to discover and build a scalable solution to a problem that helps society in any aspect. If you look at big problems, they are usually small problems merged into one. For example, in order to solve autonomous vehicles, you first need to solve an algorithm for traffic management, computer vision, a hardware that can fit in a car, and many other things, such as a sustainable revenue model to balance costs.
This is a classic divide-and-conquer idea: you can approach the problem by slicing and working your way up the tree until you get to the root. However, as you move forward, unexpected new problems will show up that can slow your progress, such as regulations and cost efficiency.
I find it interesting that sometimes when you solve a leaf problem, it's already enough to make a successful business. You can discover hidden opportunities, and many great companies were created by "happy accidents." For instance, YouTube started as a video dating app where users had to upload an intro video to create a profile:
(See https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3493884/YouTube-started-life-dating-app-founder-reveals-site-singles-upload-video-themselves.html for more information.)
An entrepreneur is all about solving problems; it's truly the DNA of the profession. That means if you're not facing issues, you're not climbing up your tree. Don't see problems as a success indicator; it's common to lose motivation when problems start to pop up, but it's natural and happens to every project. It's part of the joy and pain of being an entrepreneur.
Tips:
Don't try to solve future problems; wait until they are real.
The more complicated the problem, the more creativity you need to use.
Break everything into the smallest pieces.
Understand why you're trying to solve something; sometimes the cost of solving something can be higher than the benefit.
You can't solve every single problem.