Problem Refinement, Storytelling and Non-Consensus Insights
Session 5 Recap of Professors Eisenmann & Bernstein’s new HBS class on Ideation and Prototyping for Innovation
This session focused on how early-stage founders refine their problem definition, commit to a single problem worth solving, and use storytelling and earned (non-consensus) insights to craft clear, compelling investor, sales and partner pitches.
Problem Definition
Professors Bernstein and Eisenmann guided students into the convergence stage of problem definition—the point where teams move from exploring many possibilities to focusing on one clear direction. The task is to select a single Problem Worth Solving (PWS) from the broader list of candidates identified earlier in the process.
Why Focus Matters
To strengthen this decision, founders are expected to synthesize the information they’ve gathered and pursue additional expert interviews. The goal is to build confidence that the chosen problem is substantial, relevant, and worth the team’s energy.
Many student teams continue to wrestle with competing options, unsure which to commit to. Shai and Tom stressed that forcing the choice now has value: by going deep on one problem, teams accelerate their learning, uncover sharper insights, and design more targeted experiments—rather than staying stuck in uncertainty.
At the same time, this choice isn’t final. Shai and Tom reassured students that they can revisit other problems later in the semester if new evidence or insights emerge. The focus now is about momentum, clarity, and depth—not permanently closing doors.
What Makes a Problem Worth Solving?
A strong PWS meets several criteria:
It addresses important customer needs—functional, emotional, or social—that are poorly met today.
It’s grounded in contrarian, forward-looking insights about shifts in technology, regulation, behavior, or competition.
The market is large enough to matter.
The team is capable of solving it.
And perhaps most importantly, the founders are motivated and passionate about pursuing it.
Perfecting the One-Sentence Pitch
Once a problem is defined, students are encouraged to practice pitching frequently—to customers, partners, investors, and team members—so the idea is communicated clearly and compellingly from the start.
A strong single sentence pitch grabs attention by explaining the offering, the target audience, the problem it solves, and what makes it unique. The recommended format is as follows: “My company, {name}, is developing {offering} to help {audience} {solve a problem} with {secret sauce}.”
Storytelling for Early-Stage Pitches
This naturally leads to storytelling. At the early stage, storytelling is about framing a vision that resonates both emotionally and intellectually. Rather than listing features, effective storytelling creates a narrative arc that highlights the problem, why it matters, and how the solution uniquely addresses it.
A compelling story makes the pitch memorable, helps investors and partners see the world through the founder’s eyes, and builds conviction in both the opportunity and the team. At this stage, it’s not about polish—it’s about clarity, authenticity, and inspiring others to believe in the journey ahead.
Earned Secrets (Non-Consensus) insights
One of the goals of the customer research is derive knowledge that isn’t obvious to outsiders and often runs against prevailing wisdom that may be basis of a new business. These insights are not simply opinions; they are privileged, experience-driven, and grounded in evidence that can be tested or validated. When recognized and acted upon, they serve as a durable source of competitive advantage. More than just intellectual curiosities, they provide a practical compass for where to invest scarce resources—guiding decisions on focus, strategy, and allocation in ways that competitors often overlook or dismiss.
Examples of Non-Consensus Insights That Worked
Airbnb – Strangers will trust strangers to host them in their homes.
Uber – Strangers will drive strangers to destinations, coordinated through a two-sided mobile app that prioritizes reliability with one tap—over simply the lowest fare.
Stripe – Developers prefer self-service onboarding for payments, eliminating the need for sales-heavy processes.
Slack – Teams can replace internal email with a real-time, chat-based collaboration platform.