“What problem are you trying to solve?”

This is a question that I often ask my clients. It frequently pauses the conversation, which is a good thing. People are often a little bit surprised when I ask it, saying, “Good question!”

Instead of rushing to discuss potential solutions, the question gets us to slow down, step back, and think more deeply and critically about defining what the problem actually is first. Why do you want to make changes, and what do you want to achieve? Does it solve a genuine need or improve a key metric that moves the business forward?

Often, we uncover that there isn’t really a problem to be solved, or it isn’t as pressing as it may seem. It may simply be a response to a fear of missing out on a new trend, a sense of restlessness, or a feeling of dissatisfaction.

While AI tools appear eager and easy to ‘do the work’ for us, people are realizing they may end up spending a lot of time and money iterating on results that initially feel like they’re gaining momentum but tend toward mediocrity.

In the same way, we can ask: Does this tool solve a real problem? Has this improved the outcomes and effectiveness? Or has this only increased the amount of output and activity?

(At a deeper level, the more concerning question becomes, have I outsourced too much of my thinking that I have become dependent on it, and my own capabilities to critique have declined?)

Consider the current trend by AI evangelists to build an AI agent that creates a customized “morning report.” This agent is designed to triage your inbox, summarize your calendar and outstanding tasks, and provide a plan for your day. The goal is to save time, reduce overwhelm, and eliminate the friction of manual labor.

But a morning report is a band-aid. It manages the symptoms of an overflowing inbox, but it doesn’t solve the underlying disease of an unsustainable schedule. Aside from the potential for AI errors, we have to ask: if we don’t self-regulate our own inputs, do we lose the ability to practice intentionality? When we surrender the practice of deciding what is signal and what is noise, we lose access not just to our data, but to our competence.

AI automation is being sold as the solution to surviving the flood of content that AI is simultaneously creating. It reminds me of the “Fix-it-Up Chappie” from Dr. Seuss’ The Sneetches. It’s the same playbook: sell the problem, then sell the solution to the problem you created.

“My name is Sylvester McMonkey McBean. And I’ve heard of your troubles. I’ve heard you’re unhappy. But I can fix that. I’m the Fix-it-Up Chappie. I’ve come here to help you. I have what you need. And my prices are low. And I work at great speed. And my work is one hundred per cent guaranteed!”

The story ends with McBean driving away with all their money while the Sneetches are left exactly where they started, only poorer.

Before you look for faster solutions, let’s make sure you’re headed somewhere intentionally. I believe that effective web design requires wrestling with good questions and critical thinking, not clever prompts, ensuring every move is intentional. 

If you need help with your website, please get in touch. I’d love to help!