The unintuitiveness of defining problems

People skip straight to solutions.

It feels natural. A problem arises, and we instinctively want to fix it. But defining the problem first is more important. It’s the foundation of any meaningful solution. Yet, this way of thinking isn’t intuitive.

Designers, startup founders, product managers—they’re all told to focus on the job to be done, the pain points, the user problems. It’s common advice. Focus on the problem, not the solution.

But even with this advice, we struggle. It’s easier to chase the thrill of the fix. To jump ahead to the answer. The unintuitiveness of defining the problem is where we falter.

To make progress, we need to stop. To resist the pull of the quick solution. To think deeply about what the problem truly is. Only then can we create something that lasts.