3 Signs You’re Solving the Wrong Problem

“10X” “Hockey stick growth” “Growth Hacking”

I've seen these mantras quietly destroy startups from the inside. Because I was that person, chasing exponential growth.

Our messaging was working. We were winning pitch competitions. Investors were calling. On the surface, it looked like success.

The truth was, we were scaling nothing. Zero traction, the product wasn’t ready.

10X of zero is still zero.

I’ve watched many founders fall into the same trap: growth becomes the obsession instead of the byproduct of real value. Speed is key, but only if you know where you're going.

If you’ve been “busy” for months but still can’t clearly say who your best customers are or why they buy, you’re probably solving the wrong problem.

The 3 Signs

1. You're trying to multiply what isn't there

You’re trying to boost conversion rates without product-market fit. Or scaling ad spend when your messaging isn’t clear.

That’s like watering a plant without roots. It doesn’t matter how hard you try. Nothing grows.

What’s missing:

• Clear understanding of the problem you’re solving

• Knowing exactly who it’s for

• Proof that your solution works

2. Your data is disconnected or missing

You can’t solve what you can’t see. Most startups have fragmented metrics:

• Marketing tracks leads

• Sales tracks pipeline

• CS tracks churn

• Product tracks usage

• The CEO watches revenue
  

No one sees the full journey.

I made this mistake early on. I was hitting my lead targets, but I had no visibility into what happened after hand-off. Turns out, I was sending over leads that converted well but churned quickly. My "wins" were creating downstream retention problems.

You need data that spans the entire funnel from acquisition to renewal.

3. You got lucky but can’t repeat it

You had early wins. Strong pipeline. Good conversions. Happy customers.

But now you’re stuck.

What got you here won't get you there.

What worked for 10 customers doesn’t scale to 100. What worked for 5 employees breaks with 50. What worked when the founder did everything won’t work now.

This isn't a growth problem, it's a systems problem. And throwing more marketing dollars at it won't help.

The Strategy-Tactics Trap

Here’s how it plays out: you try to solve strategic problems with tactical solutions.

• Pipeline low? Run ads.

• Conversions down? Add features.

• Churn creeping up? Send more emails.
  

These are bandaids on bullet wounds. They might temporarily slow the bleeding, but they won't save the patient.

Strategic problems require strategic solutions. And that starts with understanding your customers' reality, not your internal assumptions.

If leadership isn't carrying the mission of finding core answers, nothing will change. Your marketing coordinator can't fix your positioning problem. Your sales rep can't fix your product-market fit. Your customer success manager can't fix your onboarding experience alone.

These are company-wide challenges that need company-wide solutions.

How to Catch It Early

Here are three systems to build as you go. No overhaul required.

1. Build Clean, Connected Data Systems

Start small but start clean. You need data you trust that connects across departments:

• Marketing attribution connected to sales outcomes

• Sales promises connected to customer success realities

• Customer feedback connected to product decisions

• Retention metrics connected to acquisition strategies
  

You don't need fancy tools to start. A simple spreadsheet with clean data beats a complex system with garbage information.

2. Create Cross-Functional Accountability

Break down the silos by creating shared goals:

• Sales isn't just measured on closed deals, but on customer lifetime value

• Marketing isn't just measured on leads, but on qualified customers

• Product isn't just measured on features shipped, but on customer retention

• Customer success isn't just measured on support tickets, but on expansion revenue
  

When everyone is incentivized to care about the whole funnel, you catch problems early.

3. Test Fundamental Assumptions, Not Just Tactics

Most growth experiments focus on small optimizations:

• "Will this button color increase clicks?"

• "Will this subject line improve open rates?"

• "Will this discount increase conversions?"
  

But the real leverage comes from testing core assumptions:

• "Are we solving the right problem?"

• "Are we targeting the right customer segment?"

• "Is our pricing aligned with the value we deliver?"

• "Is our positioning distinct and compelling?"
  

These questions feel scary because they might invalidate your entire approach. But better to know now than after you've spent your runway.

Two Actions to Start Today

You don’t need a full reset. Just do this:

1. Run a full-funnel audit.

   Gather all your team. Map the entire journey from first touch to renewal. Identify gaps, handoff issues, and misaligned incentives.

2. Call 5 churned customers.

   Skip the survey. Have a real conversation. When did they first have doubts? What didn’t meet expectations? What could have kept them?
   

Their answers will show you what to fix next.

Growth isn’t just about going faster.

It’s about making sure you're going the right way.

If this sounds like your situation, I help founders catch and fix these early. Reach out if you need support building your growth system.

Em.