"We start from the perspective of what problems we do have."

Published by Andrew on June 13, 2008

That’s a quote from Google’s Chief Mastermind Eric Schmidt, and it’s a really insightful commentary on how people should be building a business and conducting themselves in society. The quote is reflected in their charitable wing of Google.org and reflected across their entire network (ignoring their issue with monetizing YouTube aside). I wanted to specifically talk about web 2.0 since that is the space we play in and we can apply the most insight.

What Issue Are You Solving For Your Customer?


I hope every investor you’ve had has asked you this question and you have a damn good answer or you’re really good at avoiding the question.. Regardless, whatever your product or service you’re developing is it should be answering an innate need for people.

  • Do you play to people’s need for attention? Myspace
  • Do you give people an answer to their question? Google
  • Do you create an online marketplace for users? eBay

The above are examples of really strong needs being addressed for people. Humans are very social people that want others to pay attention to them, people are constantly seeking new knowledge (and answers), and people LOVE to shop.

And keep in mind, when addressing these issues, make sure that they’re salient and worthwhile needs. If you realize your product is addressing a smaller market, build your product around that notion. You may have a very viable product that can sustain a 3 person team very well, but if you think you’re building the next Google by creating a gossip blog, think again.

foreclosure help