3 ms·

Aren't There Any Real Problems Left To Solve?

25 points by socalsamba 18y ago

mattjung 18y ago
The title of the blog-post is "Aren’t There Real Problems To Solve?", which is something completely differnet than "Aren't There Any Real Problems Left To Solve?". The latter sounds like a rhethorical question that suggests that progress has come to an end. The first one is a really good one (and I therefore recommend the blog-posting): are we often trying to solve problems that was caused by technology that not even solved a real problem. Are we getting into a problem-solving spiral that feeds itself?
crxnamja 18y ago
Lately I have noticed there aren't ANY new sites out that are really revolutionary. Only minor tweaks on whats currently available. A bit disappointing;/
edw519 18y ago
"Aren’t There Real Problems To Solve?" I have always spent a lot of my time in small or midsize companies (10 to 200 employees), and I can assure you the answer is ABSOLUTELY. These are hard working people who are in a different world than most of the readers here. They don't facebook, twitter, or IM at work. But they are unbelieveably busy trying to get things done while depending upon software and systems that most of us here would laugh at. Many of them don't have time to get to all their emails and voice mails. They have to make snap decisions all day long without enough information because their software just doesn't give them what they need easily enough. They have constant problems with interpersonal communication, instruction, and understanding. Just a sample of what I've witnessed in the past 3 weeks: - We need multiple "ship to" addresses for this institutional customer. The software doesn't support it. - The exchange server is down. - We need multiple prices for the same item, depending on the scenario. The shopping cart won't allow it. - 300 "smart part numbers" were configured incorrectly because no one gave Jane the correct Vendor Codes last week. But now, we have orders, inventory, and history for those items, so the software won't let us change or delete them. - The exchange server is down. - No one remembered to reset the warehouse server last night, so everything came in today with the wrong date. - The new stockroom printer doesn't support HP PCL, so the bar code labels are all wrong. - We think that $90,000 order acknowledgement from XYZ Company was deleted by the spam filter, but we're not sure. - There was a bad pointer in the UPS data base last Tuesday, so 72 packages all went to the same customer in Duluth. - The wrong 800 number is being printed on our invoices. Our customers are calling a sex hotline. - The exchange server is down. These are not jokes. I see them all the time. And while we regale all the cool stuff WE are doing, I can honestly say that the situation in many small businesses hasn't improved all that much. And there are 7 million of them. They need help. The good news? This is a fantastic opportunity for those with our skills and technology. Yes, there are plenty of real problems to solve. Stay tuned.
- mosburger 18y ago
  Thank you for describing the mundaneness (is that a word?) that is currently my everyday life, and is the everyday life for a huge portion of the working world. It's not sexy or glamorous, but there are small opportunities everywhere in the nitty-gritty of daily business that often don't involve social networks or the cool technology du-jour. Maybe that's the problem with getting youthful entrepreneurs straight out of college. PG discourages young entrepreneurs from settling down, and getting trapped by employment by someone else. In so doing, these people never see the opportunities for solving problems that small businesses or mega-corporations need. Perhaps it's just the makeup of this little YC-centric microcosm that is tilting my perspective on entrepreneurship. Oh, and I don't know why anybody hasn't fixed the Exchange server problem yet. If Linux and Apple can mount a real challenge to something as complex as Redmond's operating system, why not something silly like their groupware server?
  - edw519 18y ago
    Nice to see I'm not the only one here in my situation, mosburger. I think our everyday "mundaneness" and yc/hn are perfect compliments for each other. I've always had more problems to solve than I could get to and I've always found the technology to do a better job of it. With this group here, now I have that additional "oomph" I sometimes need to do something. It's silly to whine about bad database schemas when our compatriots are using the same skills and technology to change the world. (And don't even get me started about Microsoft. Fodder for another rant, er a I mean post.)
    - kirubakaran 18y ago
      Dude do you have a blog?
      - edw519 18y ago
        Nope, this is my "blog". kirkubakaran, I am hoping to finally meet you sometime this weekend. Let's touch base offline sometime today.
LPTS 18y ago
There are lots of people who need food and water. They might like a solution to their starving to death and have no water problem.
incomethax 18y ago
I think what Spalding wants to get at is the fact that as entrepreneurs, we're overlooking the real change that we can induce at the whims of the VC community. There are other ways to finance. There are other ways to innovate. Isn't it time that we decided to take action on this "problem"? I think that there are plenty of problems to tackle, especially in the way we handle information. Let's get out there and change the world.
ardit33 18y ago
Of course there are, but I have to say that problems will be solved when they are painful enough for people to pay for a solution, or to work one themselves, (opensource).

25 points by socalsamba 18y ago

The title of the blog-post is "Aren’t There Real Problems To Solve?", which is something completely differnet than "Aren't There Any Real Problems Left To Solve?". The latter sounds like a rhethorical question that suggests that progress has come to an end. The first one is a really good one (and I therefore recommend the blog-posting): are we often trying to solve problems that was caused by technology that not even solved a real problem. Are we getting into a problem-solving spiral that feeds itself?

crxnamja 18y ago

Lately I have noticed there aren't ANY new sites out that are really revolutionary. Only minor tweaks on whats currently available. A bit disappointing;/

edw519 18y ago

"Aren’t There Real Problems To Solve?" I have always spent a lot of my time in small or midsize companies (10 to 200 employees), and I can assure you the answer is ABSOLUTELY. These are hard working people who are in a different world than most of the readers here. They don't facebook, twitter, or IM at work. But they are unbelieveably busy trying to get things done while depending upon software and systems that most of us here would laugh at. Many of them don't have time to get to all their emails and voice mails. They have to make snap decisions all day long without enough information because their software just doesn't give them what they need easily enough. They have constant problems with interpersonal communication, instruction, and understanding. Just a sample of what I've witnessed in the past 3 weeks: - We need multiple "ship to" addresses for this institutional customer. The software doesn't support it. - The exchange server is down. - We need multiple prices for the same item, depending on the scenario. The shopping cart won't allow it. - 300 "smart part numbers" were configured incorrectly because no one gave Jane the correct Vendor Codes last week. But now, we have orders, inventory, and history for those items, so the software won't let us change or delete them. - The exchange server is down. - No one remembered to reset the warehouse server last night, so everything came in today with the wrong date. - The new stockroom printer doesn't support HP PCL, so the bar code labels are all wrong. - We think that $90,000 order acknowledgement from XYZ Company was deleted by the spam filter, but we're not sure. - There was a bad pointer in the UPS data base last Tuesday, so 72 packages all went to the same customer in Duluth. - The wrong 800 number is being printed on our invoices. Our customers are calling a sex hotline. - The exchange server is down. These are not jokes. I see them all the time. And while we regale all the cool stuff WE are doing, I can honestly say that the situation in many small businesses hasn't improved all that much. And there are 7 million of them. They need help. The good news? This is a fantastic opportunity for those with our skills and technology. Yes, there are plenty of real problems to solve. Stay tuned.

mosburger 18y ago
Thank you for describing the mundaneness (is that a word?) that is currently my everyday life, and is the everyday life for a huge portion of the working world. It's not sexy or glamorous, but there are small opportunities everywhere in the nitty-gritty of daily business that often don't involve social networks or the cool technology du-jour. Maybe that's the problem with getting youthful entrepreneurs straight out of college. PG discourages young entrepreneurs from settling down, and getting trapped by employment by someone else. In so doing, these people never see the opportunities for solving problems that small businesses or mega-corporations need. Perhaps it's just the makeup of this little YC-centric microcosm that is tilting my perspective on entrepreneurship. Oh, and I don't know why anybody hasn't fixed the Exchange server problem yet. If Linux and Apple can mount a real challenge to something as complex as Redmond's operating system, why not something silly like their groupware server?
- edw519 18y ago
  Nice to see I'm not the only one here in my situation, mosburger. I think our everyday "mundaneness" and yc/hn are perfect compliments for each other. I've always had more problems to solve than I could get to and I've always found the technology to do a better job of it. With this group here, now I have that additional "oomph" I sometimes need to do something. It's silly to whine about bad database schemas when our compatriots are using the same skills and technology to change the world. (And don't even get me started about Microsoft. Fodder for another rant, er a I mean post.)
  - kirubakaran 18y ago
    Dude do you have a blog?
    - edw519 18y ago
      Nope, this is my "blog". kirkubakaran, I am hoping to finally meet you sometime this weekend. Let's touch base offline sometime today.

LPTS 18y ago

There are lots of people who need food and water. They might like a solution to their starving to death and have no water problem.

incomethax 18y ago

I think what Spalding wants to get at is the fact that as entrepreneurs, we're overlooking the real change that we can induce at the whims of the VC community. There are other ways to finance. There are other ways to innovate. Isn't it time that we decided to take action on this "problem"? I think that there are plenty of problems to tackle, especially in the way we handle information. Let's get out there and change the world.

ardit33 18y ago

Of course there are, but I have to say that problems will be solved when they are painful enough for people to pay for a solution, or to work one themselves, (opensource).