A playbook for Generating Business Ideas

2. Different Problem, Same Solution
“Different problem, same solution” means taking a product that some group of
customers wants in order to solve some problem, and supplying it to a different
group of customers, or to solve a different problem. The examples described
below will help you understand what that means in practice, and how you can
apply this strategy when coming up with your next big idea.
Different Markets
Different customer markets have different needs. For example, the needs of
people living in Austin, Texas, are different to the needs of people living in
Antarctica as it pertains to controlling indoor temperatures. Many companies
have become successful through providing a product that people want to solve a
different problem, or to a different customer segment. Below are two examples.
a. Supermarkets
There are probably hundreds, if not thousands, of different grocery store
companies. What the success of many of these companies validates is that
people want to walk into a physical store, pick out their groceries, pay for them,
and take them home.
Different supermarket companies serve different customer segments. For
example, Whole Foods serves people who like organic food because they think it
won’t make them fat. Walmart serves people who find low cost to be the most
valuable aspect of shopping. Another grocery store company might serve certain
ethnicities by providing more relevant food options. And the list goes on.
b. Online Dating
While online dating is still in its relative infancy, several online dating
companies have a lot of customers and are, by most definitions, “successful.”
The success of these companies validates that people want to use the Internet to
find their next boyfriend, girlfriend, husband, wife, and/or “friend with benefits.”

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Several companies have taken the online dating product that has been supplied
by some of the most successful online dating companies, such as Match, and
differentiated it to meet the needs of different customer segments. JDate is
online dating for Jewish people. Christian Mingle is online dating for Christian
people. Tinder is online dating based on physical location. Grinder is online
dating for gay people. And the list goes on.