Of problems and solutions…

Solving problems. Sounds challenging and exciting right?

Depends. On the problem that you claim to solve.

A standard question in VC funding lingo is – what is the problem that you are solving?

Another is – what are you disrupting?

The real question is – are those problems really worth solving? Are they problems at all?

Some are first world problems. Delivery in 10-15 minutes is one such problem. Even an ambulance takes longer in some instances. What do you really need in 15 minutes that you could not have gone and got yourself?

Was speaking with a startup founder and a very vocal VC (Venture Capital) critic earlier today. “The rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer”, he thundered. I agreed. It’s all about solving the valuation, not alleviating any suffering. Yes, you are in for the money, but where is the end game here?

That I got my sandwich in 15 minutes or 30 isn’t going to change my life. Providing a lifeline to someone, helping them get out of the viscous circle of poverty, educating them (non-Byjus style), helping someone up skill and earn a better living – now these are problems worth solving.

But are these problems lucrative enough to solve? Now that’s the moral question that no one wishes to answer at this point in time. Sigh.