post-problem world

The "what problem do you solve?" startup approach is outdated. We live, mostly, in a post-problem world. And humans do not only spend on things that solve problems.

For example, what problem does art solve? The need for connection? That is not a problem; that is the human condition. And that is what I want to touch upon.

(Everything looks like a nail to a hammer: you can expand the definition of "problem" a lot, but instead of using the postmodern semantic approach of irrefutability, I prefer to use the little words. I have to try to describe reality as precisely as possible.)

The human condition in a post-problem world:

After all problems are solved, what gives our life meaning? A pessimistic answer would be entertainment, akin to a Wall-E-esque future where we live to be entertained. However, even though entertainment will be an important part, it will not occupy the majority of our lives, mostly because people tend to get bored, and they get bored quickly.

We have other goals; for example, we like to spend time with the people we love. That is what I describe as the need for connection; even if we are entertaining ourselves, we like to do it with other people. If we single out this want, we can see a few things people spend money on, like live events, parties, meeting new people, etc.

But not every part of our life includes other people. What do you actually do when "you need some time for yourself"? Here, mostly two things: one is self-improvement, which involves learning, getting in a good physical shape, etc., generally doing things that make you feel good in the long run. Here, people spend money on things like yoga classes, some exercise, maybe travel, etc

The second one is the pursuit of meaning, which involves work, helping others, creating something, etc. People here spend money on things that facilitate the pursuit of meaning.

Keep these 4 in mind when creating something.