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Comment by pedalpete | Hacker News Reader

I constantly am in disagreement with those who say "what problem does this solve?".

Many, if not most, start-ups don't solve real world problems, and I'd argue that those with the most opportunity capitalize on a consumers want vs. need.

We can start at the top, Twitter, Facebook (contrary to what the article says), Skype, Angry Birds, Little Wings, Pintrest, etc. did not solve a problem. They created something that people wanted.

Basecamp, MailChimp, SalesForce solved problems. You don't have to solve a problem to have a business.

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> Skype

Skype solved a real problem for people with friends and families around the world. It was near impossible for regular users to make real-time audio/video conferencing work (NetMeeting, ICQ voice plugins) until Skype came along and made it possible.

Skype allows my son to have a relationship with his grandparents who live more than 10,000 miles away.

That's a huge problem solved for an absolutely enormous market.

Sometimes it's hard to understand what problem something solves because you may not be in the target market/demographic.

Pinterest? I have a large number of friends that have used Pinterest to help come up with ideas for apartments, weddings, etc., Previously the only place they could look for inspiration was through online searches or magazines.

Skype? How did you call overseas <edit>for free</edit> prior to Skype? I was able to do it with my Ham Radio license, but for that I had to take a test and buy equipment -- with Skype you just had to install an application and you could run with it.

As for the other game categories, I agree with John, entertainment has a huge demand with a market that seems to be ready for the next exciting game at every corner, Angry Birds and Little Wings filled that demand.

I'd argue that Twitter, Angry Birds, and Pinterest type startups solve the problem of a need for entertainment. The bored at work market is massive.

That might be true but do you think they knew that apriori? I dont think so ...

>solve the problem of a need for entertainment

That's just skewing it to fit the post. More appropriate is robomartin's 'solved a problem, filled a need or fed an interest' tag.

Or let's say it this way - people have the problem of feeling unsatisfied or accomplished. This is a MASSIVE problem and can be solved in many different ways. That's why video games exist. It's also why people run marathons, triathlons, etc. They provide people a sense of accomplishment. For many people this is unattainable elsewhere (work and home, perhaps). I don't think boredom in and of itself is a problem.

I'm bored at work is a large problem for many white collar workers.