Finding Problems Worth Solving: Stop Treating Symptoms

Great problem-finders don’t wait for issues to be handed to them—they spot friction where others see routine. The ability to uncover high-value problems starts with how you think, not just what you know.

In this lecture, you’ll explore:

• How curiosity and empathy help you recognize overlooked frustrations

• Why challenging the status quo often reveals untapped opportunities

• The dangers of fixating on your first solution instead of the real issue

• Ways to build a culture where raising and reframing problems is encouraged

By the end, you’ll know how to approach your day-to-day work like a detective—always scanning for what’s not working and why.

Not all problems are obvious—and the ones worth solving are often hiding in plain sight. This lecture shows you how to tune into the subtle signals: frustrations, inefficiencies, and silent workarounds that hint at deeper issues beneath the surface.

In this lecture, you’ll learn how to:

• Use direct observation to spot problems as they happen in real time

• Identify pain points through interviews and everyday frustrations

• Recognize workarounds as evidence of system failures or unmet needs

• Extract patterns from customer feedback and operational data

• Map workflows or customer journeys to uncover breakdowns and bottlenecks

Once you know where to look, valuable problems become a lot easier to find.

Sometimes the real challenge isn’t solving the problem—it’s figuring out what the problem actually is. This lecture introduces Design Thinking as a powerful approach to defining the right problem from the start.

In this lecture, you’ll learn how to:

• Apply the first two stages of Design Thinking—Empathize and Define—to uncover user-centered insights

• Conduct empathy interviews and observations to understand what people really need, not just what they say

• Write strong, human-centered problem statements that guide meaningful solutions

• Transform insights into “How Might We” questions that fuel creative thinking

• Reframe surface-level challenges into deeper, more impactful opportunities to solve

A better solution starts with a better definition of the problem.

When a problem keeps resurfacing no matter how many times you "fix" it, chances are you’ve only addressed the symptom—not the root cause. In this lecture, we’ll show you how to go deeper and solve the real issue at its source.

In this lecture, you’ll learn how to:

• Distinguish between surface-level symptoms and deeper systemic causes

• Apply the 5 Whys technique to trace a problem back to its root

• Use Fishbone Diagrams to uncover complex, multi-factor issues

• Avoid common traps like blaming individuals or stopping too soon

• Combine structured tools with real-world examples to get to the heart of the problem

Solving the right problem starts with knowing what’s really causing it.

Not every problem deserves your full attention—or your team’s resources. Knowing how to size up a problem and decide whether to tackle it now, later, or not at all is a make-or-break leadership skill.

In this lecture, you’ll learn how to:

• Evaluate problems by their impact, urgency, and scale across users or teams

• Estimate the tangible and intangible value of solving a given problem

• Weigh the cost and effort of solving versus the payoff—using tools like the Impact/Effort matrix

• Identify "quick wins" and steer clear of low-value time wasters

• Align problems with your team’s strategic strengths so your efforts get traction

This lecture is all about making smart decisions on where to invest your problem-solving energy.

Today’s most valuable problems won’t always be the ones sitting in plain sight. As industries blur, customer needs shift, and new technologies emerge, the way we find and frame problems must evolve too.

This forward-looking lecture explores five major trends shaping the future of problem-finding, including:

• Why human-centered innovation is now a strategic necessity, not a trend

• How digital transformation and industry convergence create entirely new categories of problems

• The innovator’s dilemma—and how companies can avoid being disrupted by unseen problems

• Using data, AI, and analytics to discover hidden friction points before they escalate

• Why tackling social and global challenges is becoming a business imperative

If you want to stay ahead, you need to know where new problems are likely to show up—and how to spot them before others do.

Even the most well-meaning teams can fall into traps that sabotage their efforts—long before they write a single line of code or sketch out a solution. In this lecture, we break down the most common missteps in identifying problems and how to catch them before they cause wasted time and effort.

You’ll learn how to:

• Avoid jumping to solutions too quickly—and why it’s so tempting

• Recognize and overcome confirmation bias in problem diagnosis

• Distinguish between solving symptoms and solving root causes

• Refine vague or overly narrow problem definitions

• Involve the right people early so you don’t miss critical context

• Stay objective and let go of pet problems or passion projects that don’t add real value

Think of this as your quality-control checklist for smarter, more strategic problem-finding.

Sometimes the most transformative ideas come from unexpected places—not through brainstorming or strategy decks, but by paying attention to the real friction in our daily work. In this lecture, we unpack the origin story of Slack and how a failed game studio accidentally built one of the most successful workplace tools of the decade.

You’ll explore how:

• Slack emerged from solving a team’s internal workflow pain, not a market-sized idea

• Paying attention to friction led to an unexpected pivot with massive impact

• Letting go of sunk costs opened the door to a better, more scalable problem

• The product succeeded not by being technically superior, but by solving a deeply felt pain

• Real-world problem-finding can spark entire companies—not just better features

This story is more than a startup legend—it’s a practical reminder of what happens when you listen closely and solve what truly matters.

What separates busy work from meaningful progress? The ability to find—and focus on—the right problems. In this closing lecture, we’ll step back from the tools and techniques and reflect on the deeper mindset you’ve been building throughout the course.

You’ll review key takeaways and learn how to:

• Apply curiosity, empathy, and patience as daily habits in your work

• Stay anchored in real-world insights using observation, data, and interviews

• Prioritize problems that are both high-value and solvable

• Build lasting habits for ongoing discovery and strategic thinking

• Explore next-step resources to keep developing your problem-finding skills

You don’t need a fancy title to drive change—you just need to start noticing what others ignore. Let’s make sure you leave this course ready to do exactly that.