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I constantly am in disagreement with those who say "what problem does this solve?". Many, if not most, start-ups don't solve real world problems, and I'd argue

I constantly am in disagreement with those who say "what problem does this solve?". Many, if not most, start-ups don't solve real world problems, and I'd argue that those with the most opportunity capitalize on a consumers want vs. need. We can start at the top, Twitter, Facebook (contrary to what the article says), Skype, Angry Birds, Little Wings, Pintrest, etc. did not solve a problem. They created something that people wanted. Basecamp, MailChimp, SalesForce solved problems. You don't have to solve a problem to have a business.

jmarbach 14y ago
I'd argue that Twitter, Angry Birds, and Pinterest type startups solve the problem of a need for entertainment. The bored at work market is massive.
- keeptrying 14y ago
  That might be true but do you think they knew that apriori? I dont think so ...
- sadlyNess 14y ago
  >solve the problem of a need for entertainment That's just skewing it to fit the post. More appropriate is robomartin's 'solved a problem, filled a need or fed an interest' tag.
- mbesto 14y ago
  Or let's say it this way - people have the problem of feeling unsatisfied or accomplished. This is a MASSIVE problem and can be solved in many different ways. That's why video games exist. It's also why people run marathons, triathlons, etc. They provide people a sense of accomplishment. For many people this is unattainable elsewhere (work and home, perhaps). I don't think boredom in and of itself is a problem.
mp3jeep01 14y ago
Sometimes it's hard to understand what problem something solves because you may not be in the target market/demographic. Pinterest? I have a large number of friends that have used Pinterest to help come up with ideas for apartments, weddings, etc., Previously the only place they could look for inspiration was through online searches or magazines. Skype? How did you call overseas <edit>for free</edit> prior to Skype? I was able to do it with my Ham Radio license, but for that I had to take a test and buy equipment -- with Skype you just had to install an application and you could run with it. As for the other game categories, I agree with John, entertainment has a huge demand with a market that seems to be ready for the next exciting game at every corner, Angry Birds and Little Wings filled that demand.
intev 14y ago
I disagree :) Twitter - How can I message with a large group of people, and also receive alerts from people I'm interested in? Facebook - How do I keep in touch with my friends easily? Skype - How can I call cheaply? Games - How do I waste my time? Pintrest - How do collect snapshots of things I'm interested in? EDIT: Admittedly games are the most vague when you try to define the problem.
chime 14y ago
> Skype Skype solved a real problem for people with friends and families around the world. It was near impossible for regular users to make real-time audio/video conferencing work (NetMeeting, ICQ voice plugins) until Skype came along and made it possible.
- ra 14y ago
  Skype allows my son to have a relationship with his grandparents who live more than 10,000 miles away. That's a huge problem solved for an absolutely enormous market.
whatusername 14y ago
I'm bored at work is a large problem for many white collar workers. See also the reason for HN's success.
AznHisoka 14y ago
I agree. For consumer startups, it's not that important to solve a problem. As you mentioned, Angry Birds and Pinterest do not solve problems - they give us dopamine and entertainment instead. Consumer products need to be like crack, and you also need to be a well-networked crack dealer (marketing). Entreprise startups do need to solve problems though, or at least help you make more money.
- benjaminwootton 14y ago
  But nor do people pay for a lot of the fashionable consumer products such as Pinterest. If people aren't prepared to pay then they do not have a viable sustainable business. They can keep taking VC investment and hope to sell to Google or whatever but thats a different thing. I believe that if you solve a real problem that people are having, consumers will be more likely to open their wallets for it. [Angry Birds is an interesting one. It's obviously a profitable franchise but the pricing model of mobile apps makes is such that they can be sold as a very cheap impulse buy. Micro payments perhaps make the model of building for desire rather than problem solving more viable.
Retric 14y ago
Twitter solves much the same problem as CB radio without the spectrum or distance limitations. Just because there is also a lot of frivolous chatter does not mean 'stuck in traffic behind a 3 lane accident on 495 south mile marker 77' or 'EC2 zone Y is down' is useless.
brackin 14y ago
Twitter - fixed the same problems at text messages but went public to put a different dynamic on it. Facebook - solved Photo Sharing, a constantly updated contacts book that is up to date with all of your info. Skype - Huge disruption, one of the biggest out of any startup. I stay connected with my Dad who travels a lot and with my family in Canada and America. Angry Birds/Tiny Wings - They're games, the same problems that people have been solving for thousands of years, Boredom. Pinterest - They made a huge distributed store and it'll become more like this over time, offers consumers millions of choices and lets friends curate those into boards making it easier to find cool things. Letting the small sellers rival amazon.

jmarbach 14y ago

I'd argue that Twitter, Angry Birds, and Pinterest type startups solve the problem of a need for entertainment. The bored at work market is massive.

keeptrying 14y ago
That might be true but do you think they knew that apriori? I dont think so ...
sadlyNess 14y ago
>solve the problem of a need for entertainment That's just skewing it to fit the post. More appropriate is robomartin's 'solved a problem, filled a need or fed an interest' tag.
mbesto 14y ago
Or let's say it this way - people have the problem of feeling unsatisfied or accomplished. This is a MASSIVE problem and can be solved in many different ways. That's why video games exist. It's also why people run marathons, triathlons, etc. They provide people a sense of accomplishment. For many people this is unattainable elsewhere (work and home, perhaps). I don't think boredom in and of itself is a problem.

mp3jeep01 14y ago

Sometimes it's hard to understand what problem something solves because you may not be in the target market/demographic. Pinterest? I have a large number of friends that have used Pinterest to help come up with ideas for apartments, weddings, etc., Previously the only place they could look for inspiration was through online searches or magazines. Skype? How did you call overseas <edit>for free</edit> prior to Skype? I was able to do it with my Ham Radio license, but for that I had to take a test and buy equipment -- with Skype you just had to install an application and you could run with it. As for the other game categories, I agree with John, entertainment has a huge demand with a market that seems to be ready for the next exciting game at every corner, Angry Birds and Little Wings filled that demand.

intev 14y ago

I disagree :) Twitter - How can I message with a large group of people, and also receive alerts from people I'm interested in? Facebook - How do I keep in touch with my friends easily? Skype - How can I call cheaply? Games - How do I waste my time? Pintrest - How do collect snapshots of things I'm interested in? EDIT: Admittedly games are the most vague when you try to define the problem.

chime 14y ago

> Skype Skype solved a real problem for people with friends and families around the world. It was near impossible for regular users to make real-time audio/video conferencing work (NetMeeting, ICQ voice plugins) until Skype came along and made it possible.

ra 14y ago
Skype allows my son to have a relationship with his grandparents who live more than 10,000 miles away. That's a huge problem solved for an absolutely enormous market.

whatusername 14y ago

I'm bored at work is a large problem for many white collar workers. See also the reason for HN's success.

AznHisoka 14y ago

I agree. For consumer startups, it's not that important to solve a problem. As you mentioned, Angry Birds and Pinterest do not solve problems - they give us dopamine and entertainment instead. Consumer products need to be like crack, and you also need to be a well-networked crack dealer (marketing). Entreprise startups do need to solve problems though, or at least help you make more money.

benjaminwootton 14y ago
But nor do people pay for a lot of the fashionable consumer products such as Pinterest. If people aren't prepared to pay then they do not have a viable sustainable business. They can keep taking VC investment and hope to sell to Google or whatever but thats a different thing. I believe that if you solve a real problem that people are having, consumers will be more likely to open their wallets for it. [Angry Birds is an interesting one. It's obviously a profitable franchise but the pricing model of mobile apps makes is such that they can be sold as a very cheap impulse buy. Micro payments perhaps make the model of building for desire rather than problem solving more viable.

Retric 14y ago

Twitter solves much the same problem as CB radio without the spectrum or distance limitations. Just because there is also a lot of frivolous chatter does not mean 'stuck in traffic behind a 3 lane accident on 495 south mile marker 77' or 'EC2 zone Y is down' is useless.

brackin 14y ago

Twitter - fixed the same problems at text messages but went public to put a different dynamic on it. Facebook - solved Photo Sharing, a constantly updated contacts book that is up to date with all of your info. Skype - Huge disruption, one of the biggest out of any startup. I stay connected with my Dad who travels a lot and with my family in Canada and America. Angry Birds/Tiny Wings - They're games, the same problems that people have been solving for thousands of years, Boredom. Pinterest - They made a huge distributed store and it'll become more like this over time, offers consumers millions of choices and lets friends curate those into boards making it easier to find cool things. Letting the small sellers rival amazon.