There’s a pattern you see time and time again in established businesses. 

Growth slows. Pressure builds. And the response? Focus harder on the product. Tweak it. Improve it. Renovate it. Launch something “new”. 

On the surface, it feels sensible; after all, the product is what you sell. 

But as Michelle Roberts  and Morag Spencer explored in our recent webinar, this instinct is often exactly what holds brands back. 

Growth doesn’t come from obsessing over your product, but from understanding the problem you’re solving; and more importantly, who you’re solving it for. 

The Growth Trap: When Product Becomes the Problem 

Most organisations don’t set out to become product-obsessed; it’s something that happens gradually. 

Teams are structured around categories. Innovation pipelines are built around product formats. Success is measured in incremental improvements - a new flavour, a reformulation, a line extension. And over time, the focus narrows. 

You stop asking “what problem are we solving?” and start asking “what can we launch next?” 

The result? Lots of activity, but very little meaningful growth. 

As Michelle explained, incremental innovation (or renovation) has a role to play but you shouldn’t expect it to deliver step-change growth. If you want that, you have to take a step back and move from product thinking to problem thinking. Remind yourself what problem you’re trying to solve!

The Shift That Changes Everything 

At the heart of Michelle’s approach are three simple questions. Together they act as a filter to cut through internal bias, shiny ideas, and “because we can” thinking. 

Get them right, and you open up real growth opportunities. But get them wrong, and you’ll likely stay stuck in a cycle of small wins and diminishing returns. 

So, the questions...

Question 1. Is it a human problem? 

This is the starting point and where many brands go wrong. 

Too often, businesses define problems in category terms. They focus on what’s happening within their market, their competitors, their shelf space. But consumers don’t live in categories. They live in real life where these boundaries don’t exist. 

A human problem is broader, messier, but far more powerful. It’s rooted in real behaviour, real frustration, and real needs. So when you reframe the challenge in human terms, the opportunity space expands dramatically. 

Uber was given as a clear example. If the problem had been defined as taxis, then it’s narrow and you stay within a fixed category. But if you look at the human problem i.e. getting from A to B conveniently and reliably, then suddenly you unlock entirely new possibilities. 

And that’s where the step-change growth comes from. 

It’s not about doing the same thing slightly better. It’s about solving the problem in a way that creates new demand, new occasions, or even new audiences. 

Question 2. Is it a profitable problem?

Identifying a human problem is powerful but alone it’s not enough. 

So the second question is where reality kicks in: are people willing to pay to solve it? 

It’s surprisingly easy to identify needs that feel compelling. Through research, conversations, or observation, you can uncover all sorts of frustrations and unmet desires. However, not all problems are created equal. 

Some problems are only occasional. Some aren’t that painful. And some simply don’t justify a commercial solution – there are work arounds that people have worked out! 

So this is where discipline matters. You need to understand 3 things. A) How often does it show up? B) How disruptive is it? And C) How motivated are people to fix it? 

Because growth only comes when a problem is both meaningful and monetisable. Without that, you risk building solutions that people like… but won’t actually buy. 

Which brings us to the third question

Question 3. Is it your problem to solve? 

This is the question many brands avoid yet the one that often matters most. 

Even if you’ve found a genuine human problem, and even if it’s commercially viable, it doesn’t automatically mean it’s right for your brand.  As Michelle put it: just because you can, doesn’t mean you should. 

Brands stretch too far all the time. They chase opportunities that sit outside their credibility, their expertise, or what people expect from them. And when that happens, even good ideas struggle. 

The strongest growth comes when there’s a natural fit. It’s where the problem aligns with what your brand stands for, what it’s trusted for, and what it can deliver better than anyone else. 

It’s not about doing everything. It’s about doing the right things for your brand.

Moving Beyond Product Obsession 

This isn’t about abandoning your product. Far from it. 

Your product still matters. Execution still matters. Innovation still matters. But they should all be in service of something bigger. 

When you anchor your thinking in real human problems, you create space for more meaningful innovation. You uncover opportunities that go beyond the obvious. And you give your brand a clearer role in people’s lives. 

The ones that continue to grow are those that stay close to the problems they’re solving. They maintain that curiosity. They keep questioning their assumptions. 

It’s not about doing more of the same but returning to the problem that you’re trying to solve. 

Check out the full podcast here. 

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