Problem Over Product

Choose opportunities based on the problem you're solving and who you're solving it for, not the product domain

Gokul Rajaram
Picking where to work, hiring, investing, and product development

Problem Over Product

"I could never ever imagine that I could be passionate about payments ever in a million years... I always think of, not what you're working on but what problem you're solving. In many cases, I get much more energy from the problem I'm solving and who I'm solving it for." - Gokul Rajaram

What It Is

Problem Over Product is a framework for career decisions: instead of evaluating opportunities based on the product domain (payments, ads, logistics), evaluate based on the customer segment you're serving and the problems you're solving for them. People often discover unexpected passion when the customer and problem resonate, even in "boring" domains.

Gokul thought payments would be boring, but Square's mission of serving small businesses made the work energizing. The product domain mattered less than the customers he was helping.

How It Works

The Shift in Perspective

Instead of asking: "Am I interested in this product area?"

Ask:

  • "What problem does this solve?"
  • "Who am I solving it for?"
  • "Can I meet and relate to these customers?"

Why Customer Segment Matters More

Gokul discovered a pattern in his career:

Company Seemingly About Actually About
Google AdSense Ads Helping small publishers monetize
Facebook Ads Ads Helping small businesses reach customers
Square Payments Empowering small businesses
DoorDash Food delivery Helping restaurants and drivers succeed

The common thread: consumers and small businesses he could relate to and meet in person.

Know Your Energy Source

Different people get energy from different customer segments:

Consumer/SMB-focused (Gokul's preference):

  • Can meet customers on the street
  • Read their blogs, articles, stories
  • See direct impact on real people
  • Hear "AdSense paid for my living"

Enterprise-focused:

  • Influence at scale
  • Complex problem-solving
  • Strategic relationships
  • Large deal sizes

Neither is better - the key is knowing which gives you energy.

How to Apply It

  1. Reflect on past energizing work - When have you felt most motivated? What customer was involved?

  2. Identify your customer segment - SMBs? Developers? Consumers? Enterprise?

  3. Evaluate opportunities through the problem lens:

    • What pain point does this solve?
    • Who experiences this pain?
    • Can I relate to these people?

  4. Don't dismiss "boring" domains - Payments, logistics, and infrastructure can be deeply meaningful with the right customer focus

  5. Consider company culture - The environment determines how much you feel the customer connection

  6. Test your assumptions - You might not know what excites you until you try it

When to Use It

  • Evaluating job opportunities
  • Feeling stuck or unmotivated in current role
  • Deciding between seemingly different opportunities
  • Understanding why some work energizes you more than others

The Blog Conference Test

Gokul used to go to blog conferences as a PM for AdSense:

"It was great to meet these bloggers... Till today I have people emailing me, 'Gokul, I know you right? We used to make a hundred thousand dollars a year based on purely AdSense, and that was our living.'"

Can you imagine having this kind of relationship with your customers? If so, the product domain becomes secondary.

Source

  • Guest: Gokul Rajaram
  • Episode: "Picking where to work, hiring, investing, and product development"
  • Key Discussion: (00:07:46) - Getting energy from problems and customers vs. products
  • YouTube: Watch on YouTube

Related Frameworks

Back to Career