ENT102 · Finding and Validating Problems Worth Solving
About Course
Learn to describe customer problems precisely, run unbiased problem interviews and design cheap experiments that show whether a problem is painful enough for people to act on.
Who it is for
Aspiring founders and product people who have an idea or an opportunity area and want evidence before investing time in building.
Prerequisites
ENT101 is recommended, especially the opportunity log you created there.
What you will be able to do
- Write a problem statement using the jobs-to-be-done format
- Conduct at least five problem interviews that focus on past behavior rather than opinions
- Design a landing-page smoke test with a clear success threshold
- Classify evidence on a strength ladder and make a continue, pivot or stop decision
Lessons
- Lesson 1 · Describing problems precisely
- Lesson 2 · Running problem interviews without bias
- Lesson 3 · Cheap experiments and the evidence ladder
- Lesson 4 · Lab and assignment
Lab: Interview kit and smoke-test page
You build an interview script and a note-taking template, then publish a simple one-page Google Sites page with a Google Forms waitlist that describes the problem and a proposed solution. You define the visitor and sign-up targets before sharing the page with relevant online communities.
Free tools: Google Docs, Google Forms and Google Sites (free)
Assessed assignment
Interview at least five people who match your target customer, using your script. Summarize the results in a synthesis table showing the job, the current workaround, how often the problem happens, what it costs and any evidence of action already taken. Run your smoke-test page for at least five days and report visits, sign-ups and conversion rate against your predefined threshold. Conclude with a continue, pivot or stop decision justified by the evidence ladder.
| Criterion | Weight | What excellent work looks like |
|---|---|---|
| Interview quality | 30% | Questions focus on specific past events and avoid pitching; notes include direct quotes and concrete numbers. |
| Synthesis | 25% | Patterns across interviews are clearly identified, with contradictions and outliers noted honestly. |
| Smoke test design | 25% | The page states one clear problem and offer, the success threshold is set in advance and the metrics are reported accurately. |
| Decision | 20% | The continue, pivot or stop decision follows logically from the strongest evidence collected. |
Portfolio piece
A problem validation report with interview synthesis and smoke-test metrics that you can show to future partners or reuse in your pitch.
Next step
Continue with ENT103 · Business Models and Pricing for Tech Products · 6 hours · $42.00
Course Content
ENT102 · Finding and Validating Problems Worth Solving (4 h)
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Lesson 1 · Describing problems precisely
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Lesson 2 · Running problem interviews without bias
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Lesson 3 · Cheap experiments and the evidence ladder
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Lesson 4 · Lab and assignment
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ENT102 Assessment · Finding and Validating Problems Worth Solving