Insights from Mike Holleran, VP of Product
The phrase ‘Fall in love with the problem, not the solution’ arguably did not originate within Product Management. Credit for popularizing it is commonly attributed to Waze founder and entrepreneur Uri Levine who used it to describe the secret to launching a successful startup. Regardless, while it may not have originated within the field, it encapsulates a crucial mindset for success. This advice has become a mantra for me—one that I quote often, as it can be so easy to do the opposite without realizing it.
I was recently reminded of this lesson during a review session with my Product team for a new feature solution I had drafted. Confident in my thorough discovery, I presented my solution. However, as the team discussed it, new considerations emerged, and I found myself amending the solution on the fly. The conversation shifted from solving the original problem to addressing new issues, complicating the solution further. A Product Manager on my team pointed out that I was doing exactly what I always cautioned against—forcing a solution to fit. 
They were right. I was so committed to my idea that I ignored the fact that it was becoming less valuable. I needed to remember that the goal is to solve the customer’s problem, not to develop a particular solution. Sometimes, this means accepting that a good idea might not be the right idea.
General George Patton’s advice, “Don’t tell people how to do things, tell them what to do and let them surprise you with their results,” resonates here. For a Product Manager, this means writing OKRs, features, and user stories in a way that allows for independent implementation. Trust your delivery teams as experts in their field. When you tell them what you need, they will find the best way to achieve it. This alignment on solving the problem creates space for innovation.
The opposite scenario occurs when features or stories are written with a predetermined solution embedded in the desired outcomes. You might encounter user stories that include statements like, “As a customer service rep, I need x column in the database to accept null values,” which no actual user would articulate this way. While this approach might seem more expedient—avoiding lengthy discussions with the development team—it often backfires. When the original solution doesn’t work as expected, you’re left scrambling to revise all your requirements. Worse, the team may deliver exactly what you specified without addressing the root problem because they were excluded from understanding it. This not only fails to solve the issue but also results in wasted time and resources, leaving you to explain the inefficiency to the business.
A problem-centric approach benefits the entire organization. Every employee involved in an initiative should understand how their work contributes to delivering larger value. Initiatives should stem from strategic objectives focused on results, not solutions. As solutions take shape, understanding the business problem provides the necessary context for making informed decisions. This outcome-based approach ensures that the real goal is never lost, maximizing the value delivered.
By prioritizing the problem and empowering your team, you create a pathway to effective solutions and foster innovation. Embrace the mindset of falling in love with the problem, not the solution—it’s the cornerstone of successful product management and a catalyst for driving meaningful results.
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