Silicon Valley, the global hub for innovation and technological advancement, is grappling with a ‘problem problem’. The tech sector’s obsession with solving problems, often through apps, is leading to an influx of solutions for non-existent issues, such as an app for sending ‘Yo’ messages, or another for tracking the number of people in a queue for a cup of coffee. This obsession is not only distracting from real, pressing global issues, but also leading to the creation of unnecessary services, often touted as ‘disruptive innovations’.
The tech industry’s focus on trivial problems is partly due to the fact that most entrepreneurs are young, affluent males who have never experienced real hardship. They create solutions for problems they are familiar with, often ignoring the bigger picture. This narrow focus is causing a misallocation of resources, with billions being poured into solving inconsequential issues while real, life-changing problems are left unaddressed.
The solution is not to stop solving small problems but to broaden the perspective, to focus on real, significant issues that can make a genuine difference to people’s lives. Silicon Valley needs to shift its focus from the trivial to the substantial, from the affluent to the underprivileged, and from the local to the global. Only then can it truly live up to its reputation as a hub for meaningful innovation and change.
Go to source article: https://medium.com/the-mission/silicon-valley-has-a-problem-problem-b34437a57e99#.7dsyt9ou6