

Aren't There Any Real Problems Left To Solve? - socalsamba
http://howtosplitanatom.com/questions/arent-there-real-problems-to-solve/

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mattjung
The title of the blog-post is "Aren’t There Real Problems To Solve?", which is
something completely differnet than "Aren't There Any Real Problems Left To
Solve?". The latter sounds like a rhethorical question that suggests that
progress has come to an end. The first one is a really good one (and I
therefore recommend the blog-posting): are we often trying to solve problems
that was caused by technology that not even solved a real problem. Are we
getting into a problem-solving spiral that feeds itself?

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edw519
"Aren’t There Real Problems To Solve?"

I have always spent a lot of my time in small or midsize companies (10 to 200
employees), and I can assure you the answer is ABSOLUTELY.

These are hard working people who are in a different world than most of the
readers here. They don't facebook, twitter, or IM at work. But they are
unbelieveably busy trying to get things done while depending upon software and
systems that most of us here would laugh at.

Many of them don't have time to get to all their emails and voice mails. They
have to make snap decisions all day long without enough information because
their software just doesn't give them what they need easily enough. They have
constant problems with interpersonal communication, instruction, and
understanding.

Just a sample of what I've witnessed in the past 3 weeks:

\- We need multiple "ship to" addresses for this institutional customer. The
software doesn't support it.

\- The exchange server is down.

\- We need multiple prices for the same item, depending on the scenario. The
shopping cart won't allow it.

\- 300 "smart part numbers" were configured incorrectly because no one gave
Jane the correct Vendor Codes last week. But now, we have orders, inventory,
and history for those items, so the software won't let us change or delete
them.

\- The exchange server is down.

\- No one remembered to reset the warehouse server last night, so everything
came in today with the wrong date.

\- The new stockroom printer doesn't support HP PCL, so the bar code labels
are all wrong.

\- We think that $90,000 order acknowledgement from XYZ Company was deleted by
the spam filter, but we're not sure.

\- There was a bad pointer in the UPS data base last Tuesday, so 72 packages
all went to the same customer in Duluth.

\- The wrong 800 number is being printed on our invoices. Our customers are
calling a sex hotline.

\- The exchange server is down.

These are not jokes. I see them all the time. And while we regale all the cool
stuff WE are doing, I can honestly say that the situation in many small
businesses hasn't improved all that much. And there are 7 million of them.
They need help.

The good news? This is a fantastic opportunity for those with our skills and
technology.

Yes, there are plenty of real problems to solve. Stay tuned.

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mosburger
Thank you for describing the mundaneness (is that a word?) that is currently
my everyday life, and is the everyday life for a huge portion of the working
world. It's not sexy or glamorous, but there are small opportunities
everywhere in the nitty-gritty of daily business that often don't involve
social networks or the cool technology du-jour.

Maybe that's the problem with getting youthful entrepreneurs straight out of
college. PG discourages young entrepreneurs from settling down, and getting
trapped by employment by someone else. In so doing, these people never see the
opportunities for solving problems that small businesses or mega-corporations
need.

Perhaps it's just the makeup of this little YC-centric microcosm that is
tilting my perspective on entrepreneurship.

Oh, and I don't know why anybody hasn't fixed the Exchange server problem yet.
If Linux and Apple can mount a real challenge to something as complex as
Redmond's operating system, why not something silly like their groupware
server?

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edw519
Nice to see I'm not the only one here in my situation, mosburger. I think our
everyday "mundaneness" and yc/hn are perfect compliments for each other. I've
always had more problems to solve than I could get to and I've always found
the technology to do a better job of it. With this group here, now I have that
additional "oomph" I sometimes need to _do something_. It's silly to whine
about bad database schemas when our compatriots are using the same skills and
technology to change the world.

(And don't even get me started about Microsoft. Fodder for another rant, er a
I mean post.)

~~~
kirubakaran
Dude do you have a blog?

~~~
edw519
Nope, this is my "blog".

kirkubakaran, I am hoping to finally meet you sometime this weekend. Let's
touch base offline sometime today.

~~~
kirubakaran
I hope no one who knows Tamil (my mother tongue) reads your comment. You just
called me a lunatic :-D "kirku"

Yea I am looking forward to meeting you too.

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incomethax
I think what Spalding wants to get at is the fact that as entrepreneurs, we're
overlooking the real change that we can induce at the whims of the VC
community. There are other ways to finance. There are other ways to innovate.
Isn't it time that we decided to take action on this "problem"?

I think that there are plenty of problems to tackle, especially in the way we
handle information. Let's get out there and change the world.

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crxnamja
Lately I have noticed there aren't ANY new sites out that are really
revolutionary. Only minor tweaks on whats currently available. A bit
disappointing;/

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ardit33
Of course there are, but I have to say that problems will be solved when they
are painful enough for people to pay for a solution, or to work one
themselves, (opensource).

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LPTS
There are lots of people who need food and water. They might like a solution
to their starving to death and have no water problem.

