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Sometimes the First Problem Is Figuring Out What the Problem Is

Before you pick the tool, name the thing that keeps making the work harder than it needs to be.

Kelly Hodsdon1 min read
Related episodeThe Problem Before the Problem
Six raccoons working around a basement workshop filled with computers, tools, and server equipment

The problem is not always the problem. Sometimes the first problem is figuring out what your problem actually is.

A business may ask for a new tool, a plugin, an automation, or an AI assistant. But the repeated pain underneath is often smaller and more ordinary: the common path is too hard, the defaults are wrong, or too much context lives in one person’s head.

Name the friction first

Before choosing software, ask:

  • What task does everyone avoid?
  • What keeps getting re-entered?
  • What does someone have to remember every single time?

If you can’t clearly name the friction yet, you’re probably not ready to pick the tool.