In Product and Design circles, a lot is talked of ‘focusing on the problem’ but many people misunderstand the point of this mantra.

‘Focusing on the problem’ does not mean nitpicking problems in an idea. It does not mean obsessing over edge cases. It does not mean that - whilst discussing a suggestion - you spend your whole time saying ‘but what about…

What people miss in the ‘focus on the problem’ mantra is the focus. We want to ‘focus on the problem’ so that we can put the attention and energy of the team on solving a core problem. Shooting down observations, recommendations, and decisions with ‘whataboutery’ will lose that focus and distract the team from achieving its core goal.