What do people do about this problem today?

A competitor list only tells part of the story

When you have a business idea, it’s tempting to search for businesses that look like yours. That can help you understand the options. It won’t tell you which one a particular customer uses, or whether they use any of them.

Someone might pay another company. They might handle it themselves, ask a friend or put it off. Start with what they actually do. You need a reason for that person to change, not just a reason your idea looks different on a website.

The bike shop might not be the alternative

Imagine you want to repair bikes at people’s homes. You compare your proposed service with the local bike shop and decide convenience will be your advantage.

Now imagine a potential customer whose bike has been broken for weeks. They haven’t taken it to the shop. They’ve been getting the bus instead. You need to understand why: perhaps arranging a repair is difficult, perhaps they’re worried about the bill, or perhaps they barely want to ride anymore.

Those possibilities lead to different offers. A home visit could help with getting the bike to a shop. It may do little for someone who is comfortable taking the bus. You don’t know which situation you’re dealing with until you ask.

“They have a broken bike” describes a problem. It doesn’t yet explain why they would buy a repair from you.

Ask them to walk you through it

Choose someone who could realistically use your offer. Ask: “What happened the last time you had to deal with this?”

Let them tell the story before you explain your solution. Follow the part you need to understand: how they chose what to do, what they paid or spent time on, or why they left it alone. If they can’t recall a recent example, keep that uncertainty in your notes.

You’re looking for the tradeoff they already accept. A workaround may be annoying and still feel easier than trying something new. Paying for an alternative shows what happened on that occasion; it doesn’t establish what they would pay you.

Write down the change your offer would ask for

After that conversation, finish this sentence: “When [the situation happens], this person currently [does this]. To try my offer, they would need to [change this]. That could be worthwhile if [the improvement matters enough].”

Keep their account separate from your guess about the improvement. You should leave with one actual alternative and a clearer reason your offer might be worth trying—or a reason to rethink it. One conversation gives you a starting point to investigate further.