#12: The problem with problems
And why I couldn't write this newsletter
Pass It On is a bi-weekly newsletter bringing the tech and non-profit sectors closer together through knowledge sharing, written and edited by Lauren Crichton.
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This week's Pass It On isn't so much a knowledge share as it is a personal admission: this issue was supposed to be about something else.
It was supposed to be about business problems: why and how to understand them properly before jumping to solutions. I chose problems as a topic because previous Q&A guests have touched on it, and it happens to dovetail with the next Q&A issue (more on that at the end). I had the newsletter skeleton all mapped out, illustrative diagrams sketched. But each time I sat down to write, my brain felt like this:
The truth is, I've not had much brainpower to spare lately. Two weeks ago, I started a new job at an AI learning startup called Sana Labs. There are new concepts to understand, new colleagues to meet, new ways of working to grasp—all of which are happening behind a screen. For so many of us, the pandemic has changed why we change jobs and how we settle into them. I'm incredibly fortunate that moving to Sana Labs is a personal career choice that—thanks to such a supportive, inspiring, and welcoming team—I'm able to enjoy. That said, change is tiring, especially under current circumstances!
Despite my depleted energy levels, I still wanted to write up that knowledge share on business problems. On Monday evening, I even contemplated staying up as long as it would take. When I asked myself why I was willing to sacrifice a night's sleep for this newsletter, the answer was straightforward: I didn't want to feel like I'd failed, and even more importantly, I didn't want you to think that I'd failed. A classic likeability problem.
The problem! So it was hiding in here all along. Monday's voice in my head, by contrast, was flaunting a solution: stay up all night, and you'll get it done. If I'd have listened to it, I'd have missed the opportunity to understand and learn from the root cause of my anxiety. And I'd have been a lot more sleep-deprived.
Likeability is a big problem for women. Loyce B. Witherspoon beautifully summarised her fight against it in the last Pass It On Q&A. (If you haven't read it yet, you should.)
Likeability is also big problem for me, and I'm nowhere near solving it. But writing this piece, daring to be a bit more vulnerable, feels like a step in the right direction.
In the end, isn't that what solving problems is all about?
If this story has resonated with you in any way, I'd love to know. Reply to this email or:
Pass It On will be back in two weeks with another treat of a Q&A. Scott Colfer, Head of Product at Ministry of Justice UK, will talk about the differences (or not) between building mission and profit-oriented products, the limitations of non-profit fundraising, and, of course, the importance of understanding problems 😉
Until then, take care,
Lauren