Startup class · Weekend exercise
Problem discovery tool
Instructor: Zeno · Observe real problems this weekend. Capture at least 10.
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Professor guide
Before the weekend
- Share this URL with students on Friday
- Minimum 10 observations before scoring
- Observe real life — no invented ideas
- Encourage diverse contexts: home, commute, gym, restaurants
Monday class presentation
- Each student presents Top 3 — 3 min max each
- Must answer: who exactly is the user?
- Must answer: where would you find 5 to interview?
- Class votes on the most compelling problem
What to look for
- Is the user specific? ("people" is not a user)
- Did they observe vs. invent a solution?
- Is the problem a situation, not a feature request?
- Curiosity score — do they actually care?
Common mistakes
- Writing a solution instead of a problem
- Vague users: "everyone", "millennials", "companies"
- Inflating every score — push them to differentiate
- Skipping "Where I noticed it" (enforces real observation)
Problem discovery tool · Startup class · Instructor: Zeno
Max score 30 pts · 6 dimensions × 5