Problem Validating

Validate and prioritize problems by severity, frequency, and willingness to pay.

Canvas Files

• Reads: 04.segments.md (primary segment for problem context)

• Reads: 01.context.md (beliefs about problems to validate)

• Writes: 05.problem.md

Prerequisites

Before validating problems:

• strategy/canvas/04.segments.md must exist with primary segment defined

If missing:

"Problem validation requires customer segments from 04.segments.md.

Problems must be anchored to specific segments — 'everyone has this problem' is not validatable.

Run fnd.r-segmenting-customers skill or fnd-researcher agent first."

Process

Step 1: Load Context

Read from canvas:

• Primary segment from 04.segments.md

• Segment pain signals from 04.segments.md

• Beliefs about problems from 01.context.md (if exists)

Step 2: List Problem Hypotheses

For the primary segment, identify candidate problems:

• What pain points emerged from research?

• What jobs-to-be-done are underserved?

• What workarounds exist (signals real pain)?

• What do they complain about?

Aim for 5-7 candidate problems to evaluate.

Step 3: Score Each Problem

Frequency (1-5):

Score Frequency Example

5 Multiple times daily Email overload

4 Daily Expense reporting

3 Weekly Team coordination

2 Monthly Quarterly planning

1 Rarely Annual audit

Intensity (1-5):

Score Intensity Signal

5 Business stops Critical system down

4 Significant loss Revenue/time impact

3 Notable pain Frustration, inefficiency

2 Mild annoyance Workaround exists

1 Trivial Nice to fix

Willingness to Pay (1-5):

Score WTP Signal Evidence

5 Actively buying Budget allocated, RFPs out

4 Would pay Direct P&L impact, clear ROI

3 Might pay Indirect benefit, needs business case

2 Reluctant Nice-to-have, low priority

1 Won't pay No budget, no urgency

Calculate Severity:

Severity Score = Frequency × Intensity × WTP (max 125)

Step 4: Gather Evidence

For each problem, document evidence:

Strong Evidence (prioritize):

• Customer interview quotes

• Job postings for roles addressing this problem

• Competitor funding rounds (market validation)

• Industry reports citing this problem

Moderate Evidence:

• Survey responses (n>30)

• Review site complaints

• Forum discussions

• Search volume trends

Weak Evidence (flag uncertainty):

• Founder intuition

• Secondary research only

• Analogies from other markets

Step 5: Identify Current Solutions

For each problem, document:

• Existing alternatives: What do they use now?

• Workarounds: Manual processes, spreadsheets

• Shortcomings: Why current solutions fail

This informs differentiation opportunity.

Step 6: Apply JTBD Frame

Convert top problems to Jobs-to-be-Done:

When [situation/trigger], I want to [motivation/action], So I can [expected outcome].

JTBD focuses on outcome, not solution — keeps problem definition clean.

Step 7: Rank and Select

Rank by Severity Score. Select:

• Top 3 for solution design (05.problem.md)

• #4-5 as expansion opportunities

Step 8: Write Output

Write to strategy/canvas/05.problem.md using output format below.

Output Format

05. Problems

Primary Segment

[From 04.segments — who has these problems]

Problem Stack (Ranked by Severity)

Problem 1: [Name]

JTBD: When [situation], I want to [action], so I can [outcome].

Severity Score: [X]/125

Current Solutions:

Root Cause: [Why this problem exists]

Cost of Problem: $[X]/[period] — [calculation basis]

Problem 2: [Name]

[Same structure]

Problem 3: [Name]

[Same structure]

Problem Validation Status

Problems NOT Prioritized

Quality Criteria

Before finalizing, verify:

• Exactly 3 problems in final ranking

• Each has all three scores with evidence

• Evidence cited (not just scores)

• Current alternatives documented

• JTBD statement for each

• Problems anchored to specific segment

• Cost of problem quantified where possible

Interview Questions

For customer discovery:

Question Purpose

"When did you last experience [problem]?" Validates frequency

"Walk me through what happened" Reveals intensity, context

"What did you do about it?" Exposes current solutions

"What did this cost you?" Quantifies impact

"If you could wave a magic wand..." Reveals desired outcome

Red Flags (Problem May Be Weak)

Signal Interpretation

"It would be nice if..." Low intensity

Can't recall last occurrence Low frequency

No workaround exists May not care enough

Won't quantify cost Not actually painful

"We've always done it this way" Accepted status quo

Green Flags (Problem Is Real)

Signal Interpretation

Emotional response High intensity

Specific recent example High frequency

Built internal tool High WTP

Quantifies cost readily Tracked the pain

"I would pay for..." Validated WTP

Boundaries

• Does NOT validate solution fit (separate concern)

• Does NOT assess market size for problem (see fnd.r-sizing-markets)

• Does NOT interview customers (provides framework for interviews)

• Problem scores are hypotheses until validated with customers

• Requires segment context — generic problems are not actionable

• Does NOT prioritize based on ease of solution (that's Solution Design)

• Evidence quality matters — flag low-confidence scores