Article · about 8 min read

Be Wary of Solving a Small, Rare Problem

Des Traynor (Intercom) · ycombinator.com Free Intermediate

Traynor gives you a simple two axis test: how many people have the problem, and how often does it hurt. Ideas that are both rare and mild are the ones to avoid, and this piece helps you place your own idea on that grid. Read it for a fast gut check on whether your problem is frequent and widespread enough to matter.

• Score a problem on how many have it and how often it recurs
• Rare plus mild problems rarely support a real business
• Frequent, painful, widespread problems are the ones worth pursuing