Are You Solving the Right Problem

On a trip to Austin, Texas, some years ago, my granddaughter and I decided to give the excursion an extra edge of fun and try out the Segway. There were tours advertised where you could ride them, and it sounded like a memorable way to see the city.

Those incredible machines may have been made famous by mall and store security (remember them?), but their value was indeed priceless on that trip because of all the exploring we were able to do together.

I became curious about them because most inventions are the result of someone solving a personal problem. I learned that its inventor, Dean Kamen has an impressive body of work. Not only because of the patents he holds but because of why he makes things. His inspiration isn’t things really; it’s ideas and quality of life. After September 11, 2001, the Segway came to us when public transportation in large cities, particularly New York, was a growing concern. It was a revolutionary idea that created ease in personal transport previously never achieved.

Its name was inspired by the word seque, which means “smooth transition from one thing to another.”  Since I am always looking for what else something makes possible, riding on a device designed to create a smooth transition from one place to another was a perfect nod to that philosophy.

Shortly after that trip, I coincidentally watched a documentary where Dean Kamen’s work was highlighted. The theme was bringing the Dreamers back into focus. Those people who are working to create things we haven’t even thought of yet.  Part of what they talked about was the need to see the problem differently. To see to the heart of it and make sure we are solving the right problem.

In that interview, Mr. Kamen offered this insight: “If you misdiagnose your problem, you’re unlikely to solve it.”

When we think about where we will invest our time and energy, we must start by knowing the real problem we need to solve.

He didn’t see the lack of public transportation as the problem. He saw the real problem. People needed to be able to move themselves. He didn’t solve a problem about public transit. He solved the real problem. Independent movement.

Which problem are you solving? Is it the right one to solve?  Is it the right one for you to solve?

I find those questions especially relevant for these days we are in. So many challenges surround us. Many of them seem well beyond what we can solve ourselves. But many are not. We need to shift our perspective and focus on where we can make a difference.

Our garages may not turn into a shrine for all our latest inventions, but I suspect some among us can come up with real solutions to many things we are facing.

In his book, Inventology: How We Dream Up Things That Change the World, Pagan Kennedy shared this inspiring thought: 

At some point in your life, you have glimpsed a connection that no one else has seen in the same way. Truly, we are at the dawn of a golden age for problem-solving.

What does that mean? There are problems that each of us can solve.  There are problems we are each meant to solve. Whenever it seems that what you’re doing doesn’t matter, remember that. Invest yourself in solving the right problem. We’re counting on you!