Finding Problems Worth Solving: Stop Treating Symptoms

Diagnose, reframe, and prioritize high-impact problems using research, Design Thinking, and Root Cause Analysis.

What you’ll learn
Write clear, solution-free problem statements focused on user impact.
Use observation, interviews, and journey maps to uncover hidden friction and workarounds.
Apply Design Thinking (Empathize/Define) to reframe problems around real user needs.
Run Root Cause Analysis using the 5 Whys and Fishbone diagrams to avoid fixing symptoms.
Prioritize problems with impact/value vs. effort/feasibility and strategic alignment.
Recognize and avoid common pitfalls: bias, vague scope, and “pet” solutions.

Requirements
There are no prerequisites for this course

Description
Have you ever shipped something “successful” on paper—features delivered, project completed, stakeholders pleased—only to realize nothing important actually changed?

That usually isn’t an execution problem. It’s a problem-selection problem.

Consider this: in a Harvard Business Review survey, more than 85% of leaders said their organizations struggle to diagnose the real problem before jumping to solutions—and nearly 90% said this leads to serious, avoidable costs. When teams aim at the wrong target, every meeting, sprint, and deliverable becomes expensive motion… without meaningful outcomes.

This course teaches you the skill that drives better strategy, better products, and better leadership: identifying the right problem before you build the solution.

You’ll learn how to spot “distractions in disguise,” dig beneath symptoms, and reframe challenges around real user needs. You’ll also learn how to evaluate multiple problem options and confidently choose the ones that create the biggest impact.

In this course, you’ll learn how to

– Build a problem-finding mindset (curiosity, empathy, and challenging assumptions)

– Discover real problems through observation, interviews, feedback, and data

– Identify friction and workarounds as signals of unmet needs

– Define problems clearly using Design Thinking (Empathize/Define) and “How Might We” questions

– Separate symptoms from causes using Root Cause Analysis, the 5 Whys, and Fishbone diagrams

– Prioritize what to solve using impact, value, feasibility, and strategic alignment (including Impact/Effort and RICE-style thinking)

– Avoid common traps like rushing to solutions, confirmation bias, vague problem statements, and pet projects

You’ll also see these ideas come to life through real-world examples (from airports to product launches) and a focused case study on how Slack emerged by solving an internal problem that turned out to be universal.

If you want to waste less effort, make better decisions faster, and lead work that actually moves outcomes—not just outputs—this course will give you practical tools you can apply immediately in your role and industry.

Who this course is for
Product managers, product owners, and UX/UI practitioners
Founders, entrepreneurs, and early-stage startup teams
Team leads, managers, and executives driving strategy or change
Operations, process improvement, and continuous improvement professionals
Business analysts, consultants, and project/program managers
Customer success, support, and service leaders who hear pain firsthand
HR and people ops leaders tackling retention, hiring, and engagement problems
Engineers and cross-functional builders who want to validate the right target before building