What Problem Are You Solving? (What PAYS)

The What Problem Are You Solving? Podcast helps you discover what problem you are solving and helps you turn that into What PAYS. We’re two Lean Startup coaches that have a passion for quickly delivering value before you spend too much!

The Power of the Pivot 07/22/2025

The Power of the Pivot Startups don’t fail because they make mistakes—they fail because they refuse (or delay) the crucial decision to pivot. This week on What Problem Are You Solving? (What PAYS), we break down the concept of pivoting—when to do it, why it matters, and how to do it right. From famous pivots that shaped billion-dollar companies to practical tips for recognizing when it’s your turn, we'll uncover the true power of pivoting. 👉 What exactly is a pivot, and why is it misunderstood? 👉 Signals that it’s time to pivot (and when to keep pushing forward) 👉 Step-by-step: How to pivot effectively without losing momentum 👉 Lessons from legendary startup pivots (Slack, Netflix, Instagram) /episode/index/show/whatpays/id/37499820

Complex Adaptive Systems 07/15/2025

Complex Adaptive Systems Complexity isn't the enemy—it's the environment in which innovation truly flourishes. This week on What Problem Are You Solving? (What PAYS), we dive into Complex Adaptive Systems (CAS), exploring how startups, innovation teams, and leaders can understand and leverage complexity to foster resilience, creativity, and growth. 👉 What exactly are complex adaptive systems? 👉 Why traditional management and linear thinking fail in complex environments 👉 How lean startup and agile practices naturally align with complexity 👉 Real-world examples of thriving in complexity /episode/index/show/whatpays/id/37408795

What PAYS: The Retrospective 07/08/2025

What PAYS: The Retrospective Let's review the past year and strategize how to improve! /episode/index/show/whatpays/id/37329990

Stop Doing What Doesn't Matter! 06/24/2025

Stop Doing What Doesn't Matter! Do you know how much waste your business creates each day—time, money, effort? This week on What Problem Are You Solving? (What PAYS), we're diving into the 8 Wastes of Lean—the hidden inefficiencies slowing you down, costing money, and frustrating your customers. From unnecessary meetings to idle inventory, we'll explore practical ways entrepreneurs and teams can spot and eliminate waste quickly. 🔥 In this episode: ✅ What are the 8 wastes (DOWNTIME) and why they matter ✅ Real-world examples of wasteful practices in startups and large organizations ✅ Quick-win strategies to eliminate common lean wastes ✅ How reducing waste leads directly to improved profits, happier customers, and empowered teams /episode/index/show/whatpays/id/37129180

Public & Private Innovation 06/18/2025

Public & Private Innovation Innovation isn’t just about ideas—it's about partnerships that bridge public missions and private-sector agility. Join us this week on What Problem Are You Solving? (What PAYS) for a special conversation with Mark Munsell, former Chief Data Officer at the Department of Defense. We'll explore how the public sector and private companies can successfully partner to drive innovation, navigate complex ecosystems, and deliver solutions at scale. 🔥 In this episode: ✅ How effective public-private partnerships actually form ✅ Key lessons from leading innovation and data initiatives at the DOD ✅ Overcoming common obstacles—bureaucracy, risk-aversion, and cultural differences ✅ Why data is the connective tissue that makes these partnerships succeed /episode/index/show/whatpays/id/37050640

Turning Metrics Into Momentum 06/10/2025

Turning Metrics Into Momentum Data isn’t just for tech experts or big corporations—it's crucial for every entrepreneur looking to grow sustainably and build credibility with stakeholders. This week on What Problem Are You Solving? (What PAYS), we're facilitating an interactive conversation around embedding simple yet powerful data-driven practices into early-stage businesses. Inspired by our upcoming workshop, we'll dive into practical frameworks, easy-to-use tools, and storytelling methods to transform your raw numbers into compelling narratives that investors and stakeholders can’t resist. 🔥 Discussion highlights: ✅ Essential metrics founders must track ✅ Low-cost, accessible tools to measure and visualize your growth ✅ Turning your data into persuasive stories for investors ✅ Common data pitfalls (and how to avoid them) ✅ First actionable step: Creating a weekly metrics dashboard /episode/index/show/whatpays/id/36931995

Why Now? With Paul Orlando 06/03/2025

Why Now? With Paul Orlando You've got a great idea, but is it the right moment to launch? Understanding why now—why your idea matters today—is critical to your success. On this week’s What Problem Are You Solving? (What PAYS), inspired by Paul Orlando's latest book, "Why Now?", we're breaking down how successful products leverage timing, context, and market shifts to succeed where others fail. /episode/index/show/whatpays/id/36828410

Creating Value 05/20/2025

Creating Value This week on What Problem Are You Solving? (What PAYS), we’re unpacking the idea of customer value. Is it about having the lowest price? Is it cost savings or convenience? Emotional connection or brand love? Maybe it's all of these—or something else entirely. 🔥 In this episode: ✅ The multiple layers of value: economic, emotional, functional, and social ✅ Why value isn't always about price ✅ How to uncover what your customers really value ✅ Real-world examples of businesses that nailed—or misunderstood—customer value /episode/index/show/whatpays/id/36635770

The Google Design Sprint 05/13/2025

The Google Design Sprint How do you go from a problem to a tested prototype in just five days? That’s the magic of the Google Design Sprint, and this week on What Problem Are You Solving? (What PAYS), we break it down—step by step. Created at Google Ventures and made famous by Jake Knapp, the Design Sprint is a repeatable, high-speed problem-solving process that helps teams focus, align, and test solutions quickly—without wasting time or budget. 👉 What happens on each day of the sprint? 👉 Who should be in the room? 👉 What types of problems are best suited for this approach? 👉 How do you make sure your prototype test is actually useful? /episode/index/show/whatpays/id/36543775

Testing Assumptions 04/29/2025

Testing Assumptions This week on What Problem Are You Solving? (What PAYS), we’re joined by David Bland, author of Testing Business Ideas, to talk about real-world experiments that reduce risk, uncover truth, and help you move fast without guessing. /episode/index/show/whatpays/id/36350440

Managing Assumptions 04/22/2025

Managing Assumptions What exactly is a startup assuming when they launch something new? And why is it so important to test those assumptions before scaling? This week on What Problem Are You Solving? (What PAYS), we’re going back to the core principles of Lean Startup—where assumptions meet experiments, and learning beats guessing. This episode will cover: ✅ What assumptions really are (and why we ignore them at our own risk) ✅ Why “validated learning” beats traditional success metrics ✅ How to measure progress when you're still finding product-market fit ✅ What kind of managers and leaders actually support experimental teams /episode/index/show/whatpays/id/36258255

Excellent Customer Service 04/08/2025

Excellent Customer Service What does truly excellent customer service look like—and how do you make it consistent, even at scale? This week on What Problem Are You Solving? (What PAYS), we take a magical ride through what a certain Orlando attraction can teach us about world-class service. From intentional design to frontline empowerment, we’ll explore the systems, mindsets, and habits that turn everyday experiences into delight. /episode/index/show/whatpays/id/36047425

The Giving Economy 04/01/2025

The Giving Economy What happens when you give first—without expecting anything in return? In a world obsessed with ROI and funnels, we’re flipping the script. This week on What Problem Are You Solving? (What PAYS), we explore “The Giving Economy” and what it really means to give first in business—especially in consulting and innovation. /episode/index/show/whatpays/id/35953545

Is FREE a good business model? 03/25/2025

Is FREE a good business model? /episode/index/show/whatpays/id/35849230

Hidden Transformation Blockers 03/18/2025

Hidden Transformation Blockers Every transformation—whether in agile, digital, AI, or cultural change—hits roadblocks. But what about the blockers no one talks about? The ones that silently derail your progress, frustrate your teams, and stall innovation before it even begins? This week on What Problem Are You Solving? (What PAYS), we’re tackling the hidden transformation blockers that organizations face over and over again. These aren’t the usual suspects like “lack of leadership buy-in” or “resistance to change” – we’re going deeper. /episode/index/show/whatpays/id/35740635

AI Innovation Accounting 03/04/2025

AI Innovation Accounting /episode/index/show/whatpays/id/35523385

Build Anything in Minutes! 02/25/2025

Build Anything in Minutes! With the rise of AI-enabled development tools, just about anything you can think of is just a prompt away. But can too much of a good thing be bad for you? We'll discuss the impact of low and no-code tools for the entrepreneur's business model. /episode/index/show/whatpays/id/35423460

The Lean UnConference | WPAYS 012 09/13/2019

The Lean UnConference | WPAYS 012 Learn from Jon how to run a conference from scratch using lean startup principles while he builds to budget and creates one of the best conferences his attendees have been to! Listen as he iterates in front of the customer to build only what's necessary and not waste time with things that aren't. /episode/index/show/whatpays/id/11231528

Strategy | WPAYS 011 07/23/2019

Strategy | WPAYS 011 "If you don't know where you're going, any road will take you there." /episode/index/show/whatpays/id/10535525

Metrics - IRL 9 | WPAYS 010 07/13/2019

Metrics - IRL 9 | WPAYS 010 Validation is tough, but is chasing revenue the first thing you should be doing? How do you know that your first customers won't plateau? Join us this episode for a new way of measuring success. /episode/index/show/whatpays/id/10506347

Left side of your Canvas - IRL 7-8 | WPAYS 009 05/24/2019

Left side of your Canvas - IRL 7-8 | WPAYS 009 Now that you've locked-in a validated and desirable product, how do you begin to scale? Join us this week as we mature your business model on the "back end" to ensure success. /episode/index/show/whatpays/id/9904805

Validate Achievement - IRL 6 | WPAYS 008 04/30/2019

Validate Achievement - IRL 6 | WPAYS 008 Join Ty, Jon, and Nick again we we validate the overall right-side of the business model canvas to ensure that you have a way to get paid (or maximize your mission value). /episode/index/show/whatpays/id/9507758

Value Proposition - IRL 5 | WPAYS 007 04/24/2019

Value Proposition - IRL 5 | WPAYS 007 How do you know you're achieving problem/solution fit with your offer? Join Ty and Jon and an extra special guest this week while we dive deep into the Innovation Readiness Level #5, the Value Proposition! /episode/index/show/whatpays/id/9507674

Lo-Fi MVPs - IRL 4 | WPAYS 006 03/13/2019

Lo-Fi MVPs - IRL 4 | WPAYS 006 How to start testing your valided problem as quick and as cheap as possible. Don't "run to build," but instead "run to learn!" /episode/index/show/whatpays/id/8985026

Problem Validation - IRL 3 | WPAYS 005 03/06/2019

Problem Validation - IRL 3 | WPAYS 005 So you think you have a great idea? Does anyone other than you think so? Does it solve anyone else's problems? Find out how to perform problem validation to stop wasting time building something that no one wants! /episode/index/show/whatpays/id/8894336

Ecosystems - IRL 2 | WPAYS 004 02/27/2019

Ecosystems - IRL 2 | WPAYS 004 How do you analyze your competition and market trends? Learn about the ecosystem around your business model and how to test it before it tests you! /episode/index/show/whatpays/id/8800895

Business Model Canvas - IRL 1 |WPAYS 003 02/21/2019

Business Model Canvas - IRL 1 |WPAYS 003 When you're just starting to innovate, how do you quickly outline your entire business model so that you consider all of the required parts without wasting a lot of time? Today we introduce the business model canvas and how it becomes a powerful communication tool to get those ideas out of your head and on to paper. /episode/index/show/whatpays/id/8729462

Innovation Readiness Levels | WPAYS 002 02/06/2019

Innovation Readiness Levels | WPAYS 002 How do you measure the maturity of innovation personally or at the organizational level? Tonight we discuss the Innovation Readiness Level (IRL) method and tease out future concepts. /episode/index/show/whatpays/id/8541272

Meet the Team | WPAYS 001 01/30/2019

Meet the Team | WPAYS 001 Welcome to the What Problem Are You Solving Podcast. Today you'll meet Ty and Jon and learn a little bit about where they're from and what drew them toward the Lean Startup movement. /episode/index/show/whatpays/id/8450576

What Problem Are You Solving? (What PAYS)

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