This document discusses achieving problem-solution fit by properly framing problems. It emphasizes spending more time understanding the problem before developing solutions. Proper problem framing involves gathering input from stakeholders, analyzing root causes, and reframing the problem as an opportunity. Developing a clear problem statement is important, as is considering different perspectives and how success would look. Mapping stakeholders and exploring problem types can provide useful context. Overall, the document stresses the importance of rigorous problem definition to develop effective solutions.

1. Attaining Problem-Solution Fit
Problem Solving Canvas
Dipan Sahu
Asst. Innovation Director
Ministry of Education's Innovation Cell AICTE,
New Delhi

3. Achieving Fit
• Product-Market fit: Is achieved when you test your
solution in the market and get traction of your value
proposition directly with customers. Often this isn’t a
perfect fit and you will need to pivot and refine your
value proposition to improve product-market fit.
• Business Model Fit: Is achieved when you design how a
business is organized (resources, activities, partners) to
create a profitable (revenue model) business model that
is scalable.
The fit is achieved when your customer recognizes your value proposition and takes action.
The goal of the process is to test and refine your value proposition until you get fit across
three stages.
• Problem-Solution fit: Is achieved when you have evidence of the jobs, pains and gains that customers care
about. At this stage, you are developing the value proposition and validating your ideas.

4. “If I had an hour to solve a problem
I’d spend 55 minutes thinking about
the problem and five minutes
thinking about solutions.”

5. Consequence if we don’t spend time framing problems.
• We will focus on ‘solving’ the wrong problems
• We will keep using ‘solutions’ that we know are not working
• In many organizations and industries we have a cultural bias towards
execution rather than rigorous problem definition
• Too often we have a ‘one-size fits all’ approach to problems

6. Why focus on problems?
We could equally focus on opportunities or challenges
What is the problem
we are actually
solving for?

7. Problem Framing should
constitute the first half of any
design or innovation process -
it enables us to actually define
the problem we are designing
for, and helps us to really make
sense of the problem we are
focusing our innovation on.
Source: Based on Design Council UK (2019) Double Diamond Design Framework.
Problem Framing

8. Analysis is about breaking down
complex concepts and problems into
smaller, easier-to-understand
constituents.
Synthesis, on the other hand,
involves creatively piecing the puzzle
together to form whole ideas.
Collating data from the
observation stage
Meaningful &
Actionable Problem
Statement
How Might We /
Why-How Ladder

9. Techniques:
• One-to-one depth
interviews.
• Ethnography.
• Focus groups.
• Call center listening.
• Well-crafted
quantitative
surveys.

12. The problem statement provides a starting point for
moving the problem out of our heads and onto a page. It
can also give us some clues about what assumptions we
are making in framing the problem.
The five Ws (who, what, where, when and why) can help
you with your first cut problem statement and you can
use these to frame your problem.
Aim for a short, clear statement of the problem, who it
impacts, what needs to change (or what the need is), and
why this is a problem.
The Problem Statement
The last question here is important - many a problem
statement is disguised as a solution...so make sure you
are not locking yourself into a narrow solution space from
the start!

13. The Problem Statement
Refine your problem by asking yourself
some key questions about the statement.

14. Draw out the problem - create a rich picture
ASK: What is the story of this problem?
How does the problem ‘work’?
What does this picture reveal about how you ‘see’ the problem?

15. Holistic Problem Analysis Technique – Context Analysis
• Feeling Uneasy/Excited Regarding a Situation or Problem.
• Identify the Real Problem. A well defined problem contains 50% of its solution.
• Define Problem Context and Identify the Relevant Concepts:
• Prepare Affinity Diagram
• Build Relations Diagram
Clustering Cause & Effect

16. Is there a problem behind the problem?
Any insights from the 5 whys?
The ‘Five Whys’ is a technique that was developed
by Sakichi Toyoda, the founder of Toyota, who
used it as a root cause analysis technique.
Example: A clear problem - young people in an employment training
are not attending training regularly

17. Is there a problem behind the problem?
Example: A complex problem - homelessness amongst young people
across the city is increasing

18. Framing problems differently
‘Frames’ are interpretations, perspectives, boundaries
that we put around our worlds in order to make sense
of them. They are shaped by our cultural contexts,
experiences, training, and by our inherent mindsets.
They can either limit or expand our perspectives of
problems

19. Problem framed as an opportunity question - How Might We......?
Four good questions to ask of your HMW questions which make
them more powerful as openers of good response generators.

20. Problem framed as an opportunity question - How Might We......?

21. Mapping + Depicting Actors + Stakeholders + Beneficiaries

22. Mapping + Depicting Actors + Stakeholders + Beneficiaries
Three typical frameworks for mapping

23. Sources: Dave Snowden https://tinyurl.com/4jutrdsc; Vasily Pantyukhin https://tinyurl.com/2hnphcj2
Types and Domains of problems - problems are different!

24. Types and Domains of problems - problems are different!
Basically problems tend
towards one of two domains.
• Ordered domain, where
problems are knowable,
predictable, and where
there is a clear connection
between cause and effect;
• Unordered domain, where
problems are messy, and
therefore less knowable,
predictable, and where
there is no clear linkage
between cause and effect.

25. Complex Problem Characteristics & Solution Pattern

26. Any changes to your first cut problem statement?
Revisit your first cut problem statement and ask yourself some questions:
• Did you ‘see’ anything in your rich picture which could add nuance or perspective to your
problem statement?
• Did you uncover some deeper problems or root causes which have shifted where you
think your response should focus?
• Did you identify any assumptions in your framing of the problem which reframing the
problem statement could help to address?
• Did framing your problem as an opportunity open up any potentials for shifting your
problem statement?
• Have you opened up any perspectives from examining the actors and stakeholders of the
problem that are important to capture in your problem statement?

27. Switching from Problem Framing to Idea Testing

28. Switching from Problem Framing to Idea Testing
Example: a problem statement:
“Young people at the fringes of a
capital city are four times more
likely to be disconnected from
employment and education. In this
region employers believe that local
young people don’t want to work
and they are increasingly recruiting
people from neighboring regions.
The growing gap between local
employers and local young people
needs to be addressed if the region
is to thrive both economically and
socially.”

29. What if the problem was resolved
Five Ways to Imagine + Frame ‘Success’

30. Value Proposition Canvas
Characteristics:
• Focus on unsatisfied jobs,
unresolved pains and unrealized
gains.
• Target few jobs, pains and gains.
• Go beyond functional jobs and
address social and emotional
jobs.
• Align with how customers
measure success.
• Differentiate themselves from
the competition on jobs, pains
and gains customers care about.
• Outperform the competition on
at least one dimension.

31. Customer Segments
Identify who is your value proposition targets.
• Who are you creating value for?
• Who are your most important customers?
• What are they like?
• What do they need?
• What do they enjoy?
• What is the customer market like?
• Are you targeting a small niche community or a mass market?

32. deepun.sahu@gmail.com
dipan.sahu@aicte-india.org
+91-9937138206
Thank You
https://www.linkedin.com/in/deepansahu/