All language subtitles for 2.Finding your idea_

In this lesson, I'm going to teach you how
to use a problem first approach to coming

up with an idea for your e-commerce brand.

This is the exact framework I've used to
come up with four very different ideas for

my multimillion dollar e-commerce brands.

This process will help you not only
come up with a product to sell, but

also help you create more clarity
around your brand vision, something

you'll return to again and again.

So first up, if you already have a
product on the market, this lesson

will be equally as important for you
because it's going to get you thinking

about your brand an entirely new way.

So definitely pay attention here.

So right now you're probably thinking,
Greta, what do you even mean by a

problem first approach to ideation.

So what I mean here in its simplest
state is that your product should

be the solution to a problem, and
this is the very first thing to know

before starting an e-commerce brand.

You're not just creating a
product, you're solving a problem.

Something that I've said time
and time again is that the world

doesn't need more products.

What it does need is better
solutions to existing problems.

So rather than asking yourself,
what product can I sell instead ask

yourself, what problem can I solve?

By flipping this thinking on its head
from finding a product to finding a

problem is important for several reasons.

First up, if we're thinking differently
to others, we're more likely to

come up with something different and
better than what's already out there.

So this method gives you the
opportunity to find a better

solution to the problem than other
standard products on the market.

Also, if your product is solving
an existing problem that your

target market or customer already
experiences, you know, it's going to

add value and be of value to them.

And using a problem first approach
will also make it easier down the

track to create more products that
make sense for your brand, because

you'll always have that starting
point or brand vision to work from.

In fact, coming up with a solution
before you know the product you're

solving can actually be seriously
detrimental to innovation.

Once you have a solution in mind,
it's really hard to shift from that,

even if you know in your gut that it
might not be the best possible one.

It's a little like answering
a question before you know

what the question even was.

It even if you take a good
guess, it's always going to

be a little bit off the mark.

Identifying the problem that you want to
solve before making your product will make

sure that you never lose sight of what
your brand is trying to achieve or end up

with a product that does miss the mark.

Finding your problem and coming up
with multiple solutions means that

you're better equipped to find the best
possible product for your brand to sell.

So what we wanna do here is find a
problem that you already know exists, or

better yet you've experienced yourself.

This is what I often refer to
as scratching your own itch.

That means you felt the pain point
yourself, so you're better able to

empathize with your target audience.

Ideally, the problem that you're
looking to solve will be in a niche

or area that you're truly passionate
about as this is going to be something

that you want to be able to do day in,
day out for the foreseeable future.

So let's use an example that I've spoken
about on Founder's YouTube channel before.

Something I'm truly interested
in is protecting our shared

environment for future generations.

My interest in this might
stem from the fact that my mum

is a little bit of a hippie.

She's taken to doing things like lining
her bin with old newspaper instead of

plastic bags, and she religiously takes
her own reusable bags to the supermarket,

including the ones that you put your
fruit and veggies in to be weighed.

So a huge environmental issue is
our unprecedented production of

waste, both landfill and recyclable.

So the problem I'd like my brain
to solve is decreasing waste

from everyday disposable items.

A good way to come up with your
solution here is by turning your problem

into a question, and your solution
will be the answer to that question.

So the question could be,
how do I decrease waste from

everyday disposable items?

And one answer would be to
make those items reusable.

And this is something that I do a
lot when coming up with solutions.

I come up with a problem and ask
myself what the polar opposite

of that problem would be.

Like I said, here, the opposite
of disposable is reusable.

This is another strategy that you can use.

So we have our problem, the waste
from disposable everyday items and

our solution making them reusable.

Now we wanna have a bit of a
brainstorm around what some of these

disposable everyday items could
be that we could make reusable.

And this is gonna help us come up
with some potential product ideas.

So now let's start thinking of some
items that you use daily, a disposable

that you could make reusable.

So the first things that come
to mind just off the top of my

head, are razors, toothbrushes,
takeaway coffee cups or straws.

So now you want to begin to have a
think and do some research around each

of these potential product ideas in
terms of what you think has the biggest

market potential and which aren't being
done as well as others by other brands.

So let's fast forward and go for the
item of those which has the least market

saturation, which is disposable straws.

Then we wanna focus in and start
to do some additional research

around our problem and solution.

So we wanna look at some facts and
figures that you can focus on to highlight

the problem of disposable straws.

So apparently an estimated 500 million
straws are used each day in the US alone.

This is a powerful number
and will help your potential

customer instantly understand the
importance of making a change.

Then you want to highlight the fact
that plastic straws cannot be recycled

and that they sit in our landfill
for years or pollute our waterways.

So you're starting to create a
compelling reason for your prospective

customer to switch to a reusable
straw by getting them to understand

and even empathize with the problem.

So as you can see, your stat is
really important in adding context

and highlighting the problem at hand.

Next lesson will go through exactly how
to really begin linking a problem and

solution together with context to be
able to come up with a product idea.

So to recap and as an action item
for this lesson, you wanna think

about the areas that you're truly
passionate about or interested in.

Then you wanna think about what
the problems that these areas

are and how you can solve them.

And remember, it's always best if the
problem or pain point you solving is

something you've experienced yourself
or have some kind of expertise in.

If you felt the pain point yourself,
you're not only going to be more motivated

to solve it, but you are actually going
to be more equipped to solve it as well.

If you ask yourself your problem as
a question, your solution can be the

answer or another approach is thinking
of the polar opposite of your problem.

For example, disposable and reusable
dehydration and hydration, or in the case

of skinny met Tea Toxins and D Detox.

If you're stuck in ideas, you
can look at websites like Trend

Hunter or Kickstarter, for example.

On Trend Hunter, you can search according
to a category you're interested in.

You can be like, okay, I'm
interested in health and wellness.

Then you can go into the health category
and maybe look at some of the top

trends for that month in the health
and wellness space, or you can see

if anything really catches your eye.

For me, obviously a detox
tease was written down.

I would've found that really
interesting and I would've tried to

think about some of the ways that I
could solve that problem differently

to what was already being presented.

Another good place to do
some research once you have

a general idea, is Pinterest.

You can type in things like the
benefits of hydration or dehydration

or detox tea recipes, and look at
some of the DIY tips and trends there.

So as an action item, I'd like you
to come up with five broad problems

that you're looking to solve.

You'll see why I've asked you to come
up with five ideas very soon, but a hint

is that not every product is necessarily
going to be viable for e-commerce.

So go ahead, do that now, and
I'll see you in the next lesson.