We Do NOT Have a Problem
Solving Problems is a bad Growth Strategy
Technical founders and their investors are stuck in a Newtonian model of innovation:
Observe a problem → Build a solution → Ship and scale.
But markets often doesn’t follow this logic. Customers aren’t always looking to buy just a solution. They buy meaning, status, emotion, aesthetic, and possibility, especially in markets where problems are vague or already “solved.”
In order to differentiate in crowded markets, winning market share isn’t just problem-solving. It’s about bein an attention architect and a value re-framer.
The ‘Newtonian’ Model of Innovation
The term “Newtonian” here is a metaphor, borrowed from Newtonian physics, which views the universe as a predictable, mechanical system. Everything has a cause and effect. If you apply a force, you get a result. It’s linear, logical, and deterministic.
VCs and technical founders often apply the same deterministic thinking to innovation and product development:
Observe a problem → Engineer a solution → Ship it → Market responds → Scale.
This model assumes:
Problems are clearly defined and objective.
Solutions are direct and measurable.
Markets behave rationally and predictably.
It’s a comforting framework, especially for those trained in engineering, where systems are closed, logic prevails, and inputs yield expected outputs.
But…
Customers don’t always know what they want (or why).
Demand often emerges from emotion, status, timing, or cultural momentum and not from unmet utility.
“Success” is frequently nonlinear. An idea can fail for years before exploding, or win for seemingly irrational reasons.
The Newtonian model works well for code and machines. It breaks down when applied to culture, attention, or desire.
The Challenge to the Status Quo
1. Engineering culture assumes that value = problem-solving.
This is reductive. It ignores emotional utility, cultural relevance, and market psychology. It over-prioritizes logic and underestimates desire.
Dubai Chocolate doesn’t fix anything. Branded chocolate is not the solution for hunger - there are much better ‘solutions’ for that. And yet, Dubai chocolate is everywhere and enjoying incredible success off the back of influencers and trend-setters and Tik-Tok.
2. Branding helps differentiate your ‘solution’ from all the others.
Last week, I talked about how to differentiate yourself in crowded markets where the ‘solutions’ all seem the same and competing on price destroys value. Changing your approach so that your solution brings your customer closer to aspiration, and downplays messaging about pain allows you to frame your offer in a more positive way.
Instead of your feedback loops capturing disappointment, the real opportunity becomes decoding aspiration.
A Marketing Perspective.
Instead of asking “What problem are we solving?” Involve your fractional CMO to ask a different set of questions
What type of utility does our customer get from using our product? (form, place, time, and or possession).
What emotion do we amplify in the moment of use?”
Strategic Opportunities
If everyone is building a similar solution that is based on form utility there is an opportunity to build a business to elevate, entertain, express, or expand.
If your product is useful but uninspiring, you’ve built a utility. If it’s desirable without needing to justify itself, you’ve built a defendable business. In markets shaped by AI, abundance, and speed - inspiration outperforms optimization.