Stop wasting millions on innovation

I’ve seen too many corporate innovations fail — not because of a lack of effort or brilliant minds.

The real problem? Companies rush to build and push new products.

They chase perceived problems. Leadership spots a trend — maybe it’s AI, maybe it’s a competitor’s new feature — and the directive follows:

“Go build that!”

But here’s the truth:

We’re addicted to solutions.

We build solutions in search of a problem.

We get excited by the what, but we don’t deeply understand the why.

Ask yourself:

• How many internal tools just sit unused?
• How many features launched that solved no real pain?
• How much tech was bought without first understanding the core business challenge?

The most impactful innovation doesn’t start with a product idea or technology.

It starts with deep understanding of the problem space.

And that’s hard, uncomfortable work. It means:

• Understanding human behavior — seeing how people struggle and adapt.
• Challenging assumptions — asking why things are done this way instead of accepting the status quo.

• Can you clearly state the problem?
• Is it validated with evidence?
• Does it impact real people?

If not, your solution is a gamble — a shot in the dark that wastes time, money, and energy.

Let’s change corporate innovation culture.

Before you approve the next solution:

• Challenge your teams.
• Make them articulate the problem clearly.
• Demand evidence.

A problem-first approach isn’t slower.

It’s smarter and more impactful.

See also: Technology in search of a customer