Every product starts with a problem
First comes the problem. Then comes the attempt to solve it.
A product doesn't start with a technology. It starts with a problem worth solving.
First, solve it for yourself
A company can build its own tool to meet an internal need. At this stage, the goal isn't to sell software. It's to make its own process work better.
Problem
Internal solution
A more organized process
That process also reveals things you couldn't see from the outside:
- Who actually uses the solution
- What problem really needs to be solved
- Which steps are unnecessary
- What information actually matters
- Where the exceptions are
- What actually generates value
What if other companies had the same problem?
If other companies face a similar pain point, a solution built internally may have the potential to become a product. That doesn't mean every internal problem will turn into a product. It's a possibility, and every possibility like this needs to be validated.
From internal solution to product
Internal problem
Internal solution
Recurring problem
MVP
Product
You don't need to start big
An MVP doesn't need to be a massive platform. It can be a small solution that solves an important part of a specific problem.
A company notices, for example, that its customers need to track their requests. Instead of building a complete platform with dozens of features, it can start with:
- Registration
- Request tracking
- Status updates
- Notifications
Then, as usage reveals new needs, the product can evolve.
When a solution can become a product
A few signals help you see it:
- The problem comes up frequently
- Other companies face the same difficulty
- There's a process that can be standardized
- The solution generates clear value
- There's willingness to pay for the solution
- The problem keeps existing even after the first solution
From internal tool to SaaS
SaaS can turn a specific solution into a product used continuously by other companies. MicroSaaS is a similar possibility, but for smaller, tightly focused solutions: they solve one specific problem, without trying to do everything.
Internal tool
MVP
First users
Validation
SaaS / MicroSaaS
Before it can be sold, a product needs to make sense to someone.
Validating the problem and the need comes before investing in a complex platform. The question shouldn't be “what can we build?”
It's: which problem is worth solving?
Start small
Identify
Understand
Prototype
Validate
Build
Evolve
The product can grow as evidence shows that the solution actually solves a problem.
Sometimes, your company's next product is hiding inside a problem it already solved.
A tool built to organize your own operation can reveal a process other companies need to solve too.
The first step isn't building a huge platform. It's understanding whether there's a real, recurring problem, relevant enough to become a solution.
Is there a problem your company has already solved internally?
The first step can be simple: understanding whether other companies share that same problem.
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