5 Telltale Signs You've Found a 'Good Problem' to Solve

Stop building solutions to problems that don't actually matter

Woke up feeling fresh today, thank God. My mornings set the tone like the first sip of coffee - divine or disappointing, and there is no in-between.

Getting ready in my bathroom (which I wished had at least some natural light), I found myself thinking about problems. Specifically, the difference between problems that keep you awake at night versus problems that are just mildly annoying. Because here's the thing - not every problem is worth building a business around.

Heading out to my workspace with coffee in hand, I realise something that's been nagging at me: the quality of the problem you choose determines everything that comes after.

You can have the most beautiful product, the cleverest marketing, and the slickest pitch deck, but if you're solving the wrong problem, you're basically polishing a turd. A very expensive, time-consuming turd.

TL;DR: The 5 Signs of a Good Problem

• People are already throwing money at terrible solutions
• The problem gets worse over time, not better
• Multiple groups of people suffer from the same issue
• Current solutions make people genuinely angry (not just mildly annoyed)
• People actively search for solutions regularly

Why Most "Problems" Are Actually Just Minor Inconveniences

Right, let's get brutally honest about something. Most startup ideas solve problems that aren't actually problems. They're mild inconveniences at best, or worse - solutions looking for problems.

I've been guilty of this myself. With my homeware business, I was solving aesthetic problems rather than functional ones. People didn't lose sleep over the shape of their dinner plates, but I convinced myself they did. The harsh reality? If someone can easily live without your solution, they probably will.

The difference between a real problem and wishful thinking:

• Real Problem: "I spend 3 hours every Sunday planning meals and I still end up ordering takeaway twice a week"
• Minor Inconvenience: "Sometimes I can't decide what to have for lunch"
• Real Problem: "Small business accounting is so confusing I'm paying an accountant £300/month to do basic bookkeeping"
• Minor Inconvenience: "I wish invoicing was slightly prettier"

The good news? Once you know what to look for, good problems are everywhere. People are literally screaming about them on Reddit, complaining to friends, and throwing money at terrible solutions because they're desperate.

Sign #1: People Are Already Paying for Bad Solutions (The Money Trail)

This is the golden signal that separates real problems from imaginary ones. When people are actively spending money on solutions that suck, you know the problem hurts enough to open wallets.

I learned this the hard way with my luxury homeware brand. I thought people desperately needed "better" plates and serving pieces, when actually they were perfectly content with what they already had. Spoiler alert: beautiful crockery isn't solving a painful problem - it's solving a want, not a need. And wants don't open wallets the same way genuine pain points do.

What to Look For:

• Expensive manual workarounds - People hiring VAs for tasks that should be automated
• Multiple tool combinations - Using 3 different apps to solve one problem
• Premium pricing for basic solutions - £50/month for something that should cost £5
• Long waiting lists for subpar services
• High-priced consultants doing repetitive work

For example, before Calendly, people were paying assistants to go back and forth via email just to schedule meetings. The worse the current solution, the bigger the opportunity.

Sign #2: The Problem Gets Worse Over Time (The Compound Effect)

Good problems don't solve themselves - they get worse. Like that HMRC situation that's been haunting me since the business closed. Some problems are like financial herpes - they just keep coming back until you deal with them properly.

Time-Sensitive Problem Indicators:

• Accumulated damage - Messy finances get messier, disorganized systems get more chaotic
• Scaling pain - What works for 10 customers breaks at 100
• Compound stress - The longer you wait, the more it costs (financially and mentally)
• Deadline pressure - Tax returns, project deadlines, compliance requirements
• Growth bottlenecks - Problems that prevent people from moving forward

Take accounting for small businesses. It doesn't get easier with time - it gets exponentially worse. Miss a few months of bookkeeping and suddenly you're drowning in receipts, facing HMRC penalties, and considering burning it all down and becoming a yoga instructor.

Sign #3: Multiple Different Groups Share the Same Pain (Market Size Validation)

If only one very specific type of person has this problem, you're looking at a niche market at best. Good problems cut across different demographics, industries, and user types.

When I was researching meal planning pain points, I found the same frustrations in:

• Working parents trying to feed families
• Fitness enthusiasts tracking macros
• Budget-conscious students avoiding takeaway
• People with dietary restrictions navigating limited options
• Busy professionals who eat sad desk salads

Cross-Demographic Problem Signals:

• Different subreddits complaining about the same thing
• Various job titles facing similar challenges
• Multiple age groups struggling with the issue
• Different income levels all affected
• Geographic spread - not just a London or Silicon Valley problem

Red flag: If you have to explain why someone should care about your problem, it's probably not a good problem.

Sign #4: Current Solutions Make People Genuinely Angry (Emotional Intensity)

Mild annoyance doesn't open wallets. Genuine frustration does. You want problems that make people rant in Reddit comments, complain to friends, and leave scathing reviews.

I can spot a good problem by the emotional language people use:

• "I fucking hate..." (Strong emotional reaction)
• "drives me absolutely mental" (Regular frustration)
• "I'm so sick of..." (Long-term pain)
• "there has to be a better way" (Active solution-seeking)
• "I'd pay anything to fix this" (Financial desperation)

Versus weak problem indicators:

• "It would be nice if..." (Lukewarm interest)
• "Sometimes I think..." (Occasional concern)
• "Maybe there's a way to..." (Casual curiosity)

Take wellness advice about optimal banana consumption - nobody's genuinely angry about fruit guidelines. But people are genuinely furious about terrible project management software that makes their job harder.

Sign #5: People Actively Search for Solutions Regularly (Search Intent)

Good problems generate consistent search volume because people are actively looking for solutions. They're not waiting for you to educate them about why they should care - they already know they need help.

High-Intent Search Behaviors:

• "How to" queries that get searched thousands of times monthly
• Tool comparison searches - "X vs Y vs Z"
• Problem-specific forums and communities
• YouTube tutorials with high view counts
• Reddit threads asking for recommendations

When I was validating Problem Pop, I found people constantly searching for:

• "How to find product ideas"
• "Customer research tools"
• "Reddit business ideas"
• "Market research for startups"

The search volume was there because the pain was real.

The Reality Check: Is Your Problem Actually Worth Solving?

Here's the uncomfortable truth: most problems aren't worth building businesses around. They're either not painful enough, not widespread enough, or people have already figured out good enough solutions.

But when you find a real problem - one that ticks all five boxes - magic happens. People don't just buy your product, they become advocates. They tell their friends. They stick around because you've genuinely made their life better.

The Good Problem Checklist:

• ✅ Are people already paying for bad solutions?
• ✅ Does the problem compound over time?
• ✅ Do multiple different groups struggle with this?
• ✅ Does it make people genuinely angry/frustrated?
• ✅ Are people actively searching for solutions?

If you can't tick at least 4 out of 5 boxes, you might be building an expensive hobby rather than a business. And trust me, I've built enough expensive hobbies to know the difference.

Stop Building Solutions to Problems That Don't Matter

The hardest part isn't building the solution - it's having the discipline to only solve problems that actually matter. Problems that keep people awake at night, not problems that cross their mind once a month.

Your time, energy, and sanity are finite resources. Spend them on problems that people are desperate to solve, not problems you think they should have.

The market will tell you if your problem is worth solving - you just have to listen. And if you need help finding those problems faster, well... that's exactly why I'm building Problem Pop. Because manually hunting for good problems is itself a problem worth solving.

Now stop building solutions to imaginary problems and start solving ones that actually matter. Your future self (and your bank account) will thank you for it.

‍