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Hey there - it's Brian 👋

People love to rant about their problems to me.

Client work made me have this skill to listen to a 5 min rant and say it back in one simple framework (that makes the solution clear).

But I didn’t understand how powerful this trick was until I saw my consulting partner command a room by drawing a framework.

This issue is for you if you:
• Want to command a room when everyone is confused on what to do
• You want to look at a growth problem and know how to find the answer
• You want to solve hard problems, fast

So in today's issue, you learn the 4 ways to frame your growth problem (so the solution becomes obvious).

Let’s make your business an outlier: 👇

Frame your problem so the solution becomes obvious

So a few years ago we were helping a large bank outsource their customer analytics.

Executives are sitting around a board room talking over each other. The problem: we’re debating the right customer journey.

Each shares their idea but it’s not organized. It’s frustrating. No one is on the same page. We’re no closer to figuring out the customer stages.

The consulting partner stands up. The room goes quiet. He grabs a marker and draws 5 boxes on the whiteboard.

The executives in the room laughed. The answer now looked so simple. Problem solved.

Ever since seeing him command the room with just a few boxes I became obsessed with getting that superpower too.

I’ve since used these frameworks with 100s of business owners and managers.

So here’s 4 ways to break down your hardest problems until they’re so simple the solution is staring you in the face:

The 4 ways to frame your growth problem (and clarify the solution)

Quick refresher on how to problem solve:
1) First, list the problem
2) Then, frame the problem into categories to investigate
3) Finally, list out the details under each categories

We’re covering Step #2 today.

Let’s dive in to the 4 ways to frame your problem (we’ll start with the easiest and move to the hardest).

1. Opposite Words

2. Math Framing

3. Process Framing

4. Segments

Let me explain…

1) Opposite Words

Take one thing to investigate and its opposite.

• Is your funnel broken for customer or non-customer reasons?

• Technical or non-technical?

• Internal or external reasons?

Opposite words is a great start. It helps you think within the lines of what the problem could be.

We don’t use it with our clients because it’s too simplistic for most problems, but it’s an easy framework to use if you’re looking for a quick, rough answer.

2) Math Framing

This is great for when you can break the problem down into an equation. Then you investigate each part of the equation.

Like:
• Revenue = Units * Price
• Profit = Revenue - costs
• Market share = Market size / your revenue

🧔🏻‍♂️ Brian’s nerdy side rant:

This one is great for estimations. Whenever someone tells me a number (units sold, revenue etc.), I’ll run a quick estimate in my head.

If my estimate is different than the number I heard, then I stop the conversation and find out why.

Most people like to nod along so they seem smart. But doing a rough estimate gives you permission to ask “stupid” questions. It’s the dumbest questions that move the needle.

If you want to learn to estimate quickly, it’s called Fermi Questions. My two favorite resources are this YouTube video and a book called Maths on the Back of an Envelope.

3) Process Framing

This is best when you ask: why aren’t these steps working?

Example: Why aren’t we getting the sales we expect?

So one way to solve the problem - break the customer journey into 5 parts. Check each part for leaks:

1) Awareness: Do customers find out about us in the right way? Right time?
2) Consideration: Do customers have the right information?
3) Sale: Are customers buying less than we expect?
4) Retention: Are customers leaving too quick?
5) Referral: Are customers not sharing with friends?

It’s much easier to solve the revenue problem when it’s broken down into 5 smaller questions like these, isn’t it?

🧔🏻‍♂️ Brian’s nerdy side rant:

This is one of my favorite frameworks. I use this framework a lot.

I tend to see problems as part of a system, so I break the problem into steps. Then analyze the steps for leaks.

A book that got me thinking this way is called Thinking in Systems. You get the point after the first few chapters, but those chapters alone are worth the buy.

4) Segments

This is best for prioritization problems.

Which customers do we focus on?
Students, parents, child-free couples

Which countries should we expand into?
Americas, Asia, Africa, Europe, Oceania

Which digital channels can we win?
SEO, Paid Ads, Social Media…

Break each section into smaller chunks. Look at each chunk to see which is most attractive.

🧔🏻‍♂️ Brian’s nerdy side rant:

We did this when a bank in Mexico asked us to boost their revenue. We first segmented their businesses, then segmented their customers, then their products.

We then, re-packaged their products to aim at the highest priority customers.

But to prioritize each segment you’ll need a framework that balances customer needs, financials, and strategy. Check out that framework here.

Once you’ve found the right framework for your problem, the solution becomes easy

These basic frameworks will demystify problem solving for your growth challenges.

If the problem you’re dealing with is exceptionally hard, you’ll nest these frameworks inside one another. But that’s a topic for another time.

And that’s it!

If you found this helpful, please forward this email to 1 friend or colleague. They'll appreciate you and you'll help grow the community.

If you’d prefer a video version, there’s a great YouTube video that also breaks down these frameworks.

See you next Thursday 👋

Brian
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