shield_lock
JinDaGe
← Back to skills
extension
Category: Marketing & GrowthNo API key required

fnd.r-scoring-problems

Scores problem severity, frequency, and willingness to pay. Use when ranking problems, validating problem-solution fit, assessing pain intensity, or prioritizing which problems to solve.

personAuthor: jakexiaohubgithub
open_in_newRepositorydownloadDownload package

Problem Validating

Validate and prioritize problems by severity, frequency, and willingness to pay.

Canvas Files

  • Reads: 04.segments.md (primary segment for problem context)
  • Reads: 01.context.md (beliefs about problems to validate)
  • Writes: 05.problem.md

Prerequisites

Before validating problems:

  • strategy/canvas/04.segments.md must exist with primary segment defined

If missing:

"Problem validation requires customer segments from 04.segments.md.

Problems must be anchored to specific segments — 'everyone has this problem' is not validatable.

Run fnd.r-segmenting-customers skill or fnd-researcher agent first."

Process

Step 1: Load Context

Read from canvas:

  • Primary segment from 04.segments.md
  • Segment pain signals from 04.segments.md
  • Beliefs about problems from 01.context.md (if exists)

Step 2: List Problem Hypotheses

For the primary segment, identify candidate problems:

  • What pain points emerged from research?
  • What jobs-to-be-done are underserved?
  • What workarounds exist (signals real pain)?
  • What do they complain about?

Aim for 5-7 candidate problems to evaluate.

Step 3: Score Each Problem

Frequency (1-5): | Score | Frequency | Example | |-------|-----------|---------| | 5 | Multiple times daily | Email overload | | 4 | Daily | Expense reporting | | 3 | Weekly | Team coordination | | 2 | Monthly | Quarterly planning | | 1 | Rarely | Annual audit |

Intensity (1-5): | Score | Intensity | Signal | |-------|-----------|--------| | 5 | Business stops | Critical system down | | 4 | Significant loss | Revenue/time impact | | 3 | Notable pain | Frustration, inefficiency | | 2 | Mild annoyance | Workaround exists | | 1 | Trivial | Nice to fix |

Willingness to Pay (1-5): | Score | WTP Signal | Evidence | |-------|------------|----------| | 5 | Actively buying | Budget allocated, RFPs out | | 4 | Would pay | Direct P&L impact, clear ROI | | 3 | Might pay | Indirect benefit, needs business case | | 2 | Reluctant | Nice-to-have, low priority | | 1 | Won't pay | No budget, no urgency |

Calculate Severity:

Severity Score = Frequency × Intensity × WTP (max 125)

Step 4: Gather Evidence

For each problem, document evidence:

Strong Evidence (prioritize):

  • Customer interview quotes
  • Job postings for roles addressing this problem
  • Competitor funding rounds (market validation)
  • Industry reports citing this problem

Moderate Evidence:

  • Survey responses (n>30)
  • Review site complaints
  • Forum discussions
  • Search volume trends

Weak Evidence (flag uncertainty):

  • Founder intuition
  • Secondary research only
  • Analogies from other markets

Step 5: Identify Current Solutions

For each problem, document:

  • Existing alternatives: What do they use now?
  • Workarounds: Manual processes, spreadsheets
  • Shortcomings: Why current solutions fail

This informs differentiation opportunity.

Step 6: Apply JTBD Frame

Convert top problems to Jobs-to-be-Done:

When [situation/trigger],
I want to [motivation/action],
So I can [expected outcome].

JTBD focuses on outcome, not solution — keeps problem definition clean.

Step 7: Rank and Select

Rank by Severity Score. Select:

  • Top 3 for solution design (05.problem.md)
  • #4-5 as expansion opportunities

Step 8: Write Output

Write to strategy/canvas/05.problem.md using output format below.

Output Format

# 05. Problems

## Primary Segment
[From 04.segments — who has these problems]

## Problem Stack (Ranked by Severity)

### Problem 1: [Name]

**JTBD:** When [situation], I want to [action], so I can [outcome].

**Severity Score:** [X]/125

| Dimension | Score | Evidence |
|-----------|-------|----------|
| Frequency | [1-5] | [How often, evidence] |
| Intensity | [1-5] | [How painful, evidence] |
| WTP | [1-5] | [Budget signals, evidence] |

**Current Solutions:**
| Alternative | How Used | Why Inadequate |
|-------------|----------|----------------|
| [Alt 1] | [Usage] | [Limitation] |
| [Alt 2] | [Usage] | [Limitation] |

**Root Cause:** [Why this problem exists]

**Cost of Problem:** $[X]/[period] — [calculation basis]

---

### Problem 2: [Name]

[Same structure]

---

### Problem 3: [Name]

[Same structure]

---

## Problem Validation Status

| Problem | Evidence Type | Confidence | Next Step |
|---------|---------------|------------|-----------|
| P1: [Name] | [Interview/Survey/Research] | High/Med/Low | [Action] |
| P2: [Name] | [Type] | [Level] | [Action] |
| P3: [Name] | [Type] | [Level] | [Action] |

## Problems NOT Prioritized

| Problem | Severity | Why Deprioritized |
|---------|----------|-------------------|
| [P4] | [Score] | [Reason] |
| [P5] | [Score] | [Reason] |

Quality Criteria

Before finalizing, verify:

  • [ ] Exactly 3 problems in final ranking
  • [ ] Each has all three scores with evidence
  • [ ] Evidence cited (not just scores)
  • [ ] Current alternatives documented
  • [ ] JTBD statement for each
  • [ ] Problems anchored to specific segment
  • [ ] Cost of problem quantified where possible

Interview Questions

For customer discovery:

| Question | Purpose | |----------|---------| | "When did you last experience [problem]?" | Validates frequency | | "Walk me through what happened" | Reveals intensity, context | | "What did you do about it?" | Exposes current solutions | | "What did this cost you?" | Quantifies impact | | "If you could wave a magic wand..." | Reveals desired outcome |

Red Flags (Problem May Be Weak)

| Signal | Interpretation | |--------|----------------| | "It would be nice if..." | Low intensity | | Can't recall last occurrence | Low frequency | | No workaround exists | May not care enough | | Won't quantify cost | Not actually painful | | "We've always done it this way" | Accepted status quo |

Green Flags (Problem Is Real)

| Signal | Interpretation | |--------|----------------| | Emotional response | High intensity | | Specific recent example | High frequency | | Built internal tool | High WTP | | Quantifies cost readily | Tracked the pain | | "I would pay for..." | Validated WTP |

Boundaries

  • Does NOT validate solution fit (separate concern)
  • Does NOT assess market size for problem (see fnd.r-sizing-markets)
  • Does NOT interview customers (provides framework for interviews)
  • Problem scores are hypotheses until validated with customers
  • Requires segment context — generic problems are not actionable
  • Does NOT prioritize based on ease of solution (that's Solution Design)
  • Evidence quality matters — flag low-confidence scores