Now I don’t mean problems like poverty, hunger, and disease. I mean problems to which software is a solution. There used to be a meme which was along the lines of “there is an app for that”. Today it seems that is the case.
Take a moment to sit back and think of a unique software solution to solve a problem. Thought of anything? I thought not. A while back, while begrudgingly paying an exorbitant parking fee at my local train station, I thought about how I could solve this. Then it came to me – Airbnb for people’s driveways and private parking spaces. I was excited. I rushed home, jumped onto Google and guess what? It was already a thing.
And so, it is for so many of the challenges you think of. You don’t believe me? Imagine you’re at the cinema and you really need the toilet but don’t want to miss any of the film. When is the best time to take a break? There is an app for that (https://runpee.com)! Or are you in a noisy restaurant or bar when an important game is on the TV with the sound turned down? No problem, there is an app to solve that (https://tunity.com). Of course, we may not have thought about these apps because we’ve not experienced these challenges.
The chances are, for every challenge you think of, there will be more than one solution. And even if there isn’t an exact one for your needs, there are now so many no-code/low-code tools available, you could probably create your own solution, fairly easily. There is such a vast choice of tools available, do you sometimes find yourself, tools in hand, looking for a problem? I do! The proverbial hammer, looking for nails.
Taking a moment to reflect though, am I the modern equivalent of Charles H. Duell, Commissioner of the US Patent Office in 1899, who said: “everything that can be invented, has been invented”? Was he wrong or what? It also turns out that he didn’t say that. The origin of the quote is interesting, you have a few moments to spare online.
Perhaps then, we should be turning our attention away from the business and consumer problems that get solved almost as quickly as they arise. Perhaps we should be focusing more on how the software at our disposal can help to solve the really big problems we face. Problems like poverty, hunger, and disease.
So small or big problem, let know what you are struggling with at the moment. And if you are thinking about solving it yourself with a no-code/low-code approach.