How do you separate personal friction from a shared product need?
Record your situation separately from another person's recent behaviour. Shared complaints are clues; different constraints, frequency and alternatives may turn a similar frustration into different needs.
Compare situations before solutions
- Describe your most recent task and trigger.
- Ask willing participants how they handled a similar recent occasion.
- Compare constraints, effort and existing tools before presenting your solution.
Notice what makes your case unusual
A directory of late-night rehearsal rooms may matter to shift workers but not musicians with flexible daytime schedules. Recording when access is needed reveals more than labelling both people music lovers. A few interviews still cannot estimate market size.
What to do with your observation
| Observation | Next action |
|---|---|
| Same trigger, different constraints | Describe separate situations before choosing whom to serve. |
| Praise without a recent example | Keep it as an unverified lead. |
A worksheet you can use
My trigger: __. Their trigger: __. Constraints: __. Current approaches: __. Shared element: __. Difference: __.
Does enthusiasm establish a need?
Record it as an opinion. Ask about a recent relevant task to distinguish praise from an experienced problem.
Evidence and scope
This original comparison is exploratory, not a representative survey or evidence of willingness to pay.
Graham discusses exploring actual problems. These worksheets are original. Paul Graham (2012) — How to Get Startup Ideas
Sources and further reading
This collection in Chinese and English · Life possibilities library