This is Part I of a new series on building a single-person business from scratch using AI. Whether you're starting from zero or auditing an existing business, this episode covers the most foundational question you'll answer.

Most people starting businesses ask the wrong question. They ask "what am I good at?" or "what should I sell?" The right question is: what problem am I solving?

You don't sell a product or service. You sell the solution to a problem. This distinction matters because the thing you DO will change as you grow, but the problem you SOLVE stays constant.

In this episode, I walk through two exercises:

The Listening Exercise (for people starting from scratch): How to identify problems worth solving by documenting what people complain about, then filtering for frequency, willingness to pay, frustration versus resignation, and your unique advantage.

The Product Autopsy Exercise (for existing businesses): How to map every product and service you offer back to the problem it solves, find the pattern, and cut everything that doesn't serve your core problem.

If you think you're a personal trainer, you're locked in. If you know you solve the problem of people feeling weak and invisible as they age, you've got options: training, online programs, supplements, community building, coaching, retreats.

The product is temporary. The problem is permanent.

Next episode: Part II - Testing 2-3 solutions before you commit to building anything.

Connect with Chris Cooper:

Website - https://businessisgood.com/