That Randy Brown

Solving Real Problems

I've been an entrepreneur basically my whole working life. First, out of necessity--cutting lawns went directly toward ensuring warm showers. But then, later, that itch, that drive never went away. There is a scarcity based drive that has, for two and a half decades since, driven my entrepreneurial spirit.

At the end of 2023, the exit of my business partner from my latest venture was the biggest shake to that core motivation--one I'm still shaking off, to be honest. I'm still working on stuff, somewhat, under a new brand, but I've run into a very perplexing problem. I've realized that despite spending my time in many different fields (or maybe because of it), I don't have a problem space I'm deeply familiar with anymore--and this might the one true requirement to be a founder.

I do know of some problems to solve, but mostly they are my problems. Problems with managing a probably too complex budgetary process and system. Problems with managing time. Problems with keeping things moving. Problems with making sure I'm up-to-date with friends. Problems with catching up on decades of missed knowledge. Problems remembering what I know. Problems at the intersection of AI and privacy. These are real problems, for sure. But they're my problems.

And I'm sure other people have them. I'm just no longer convinced that enough people have them. When I launched my personal task management platform, this was a core aspect of it--did enough people think about task management the same way I did to make it a viable product. The unsurprising answer was no; the advice remains verified: if you care enough about task management that all the look alike systems aren't sufficient, the best bet is to build your own. Task management systems are so easy to make that every other system eventually becomes one.

So that's where I'm finding myself; looking for a problem space to just deeply invest myself in and understand--one that can hold my interest and my curiosity and that I'm convinced is bigger than just me. Have something interesting you want to share? Hit me up.