The problem-solution paradox

I’m an engineer.
A problem solver.
Solution creator.

That’s what I love.
Conjuring up solutions out of thin air.
Solutions that light up faces
Make you wonder

Solutions, in my case, are usually things.
Drawings, designs, products
Things that can be admired in their own right
Things that make the puzzle pieces click into place
Things that allow you to use it as a tool

And always I’ve been presented with problems
Problems, more or less “pre-packaged”.

For the longest time I have worked as a consultant
Moving on from one problem
To the next

And yet now I find myself in a different role
Responsible, truly, for a product
Not just the initial inception of it
But its continuation

I find it challenging
Challenging to no longer be presented with a pre-packaged problem
Challenging to go on the hunt for problems

Because problems are abundant
I love talking with customers, hearing their problems
I love ideating solutions
But I felt I had to hold myself back

I’ve been hunting for problems
With a solution already in a backpack
Selling instead of helping
That doesn’t feel great

I want to help, to solve, to create
Not to push

And therein, I believe, lies my challenge
Not to give up right now

And move on to solve the next problem
Instead, to step back from my solution

Step back from my product for a little bit
Reconnect with the problem I was originally trying to solve

Connecting with that
So I can bring that value to my product
To make my solution, a true solution
Something truly of value