Are You Solving the Wrong Problem?

Are You Solving the Wrong Problem?22 jul1 u 07 min

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Are you solving the wrong problem?In this episode of Tales of Abundance, Randy Lorensen, Dr. John Oberg, and Anthony Marino break down one of the most expensive mistakes in business and life: fixing symptoms instead of solving the real problem.The conversation starts with John’s frustrating HVAC experience, where a technician tried to turn a $50 switch into a brand-new air handler. From there, the guys dig into why smart people and companies so often chase the wrong solution—whether it is bad incentives, poor diagnosis, ego, weak listening, or simply failing to ask better questions.They explore real-world examples from Sears, Toyota, Intuit, CollegeClub.com, sales teams, medical diagnosis, customer experience, AI regulation, and startup pivots. The core lesson: problem solving is a skill, and the first step is not rushing to a solution. It is making sure you are solving the right problem in the first place.In the Abundance Briefing, the conversation shifts to a 12-year-old entrepreneur building a high-margin 3D printing business, the promises and risks of GLP-1 drugs, AI moving from answering questions to doing real work, and what young people should do in a tougher job market.If you run a business, lead people, sell anything, build systems, or just want to make better decisions, this episode will help you slow down, ask better questions, and stop wasting time fixing the wrong thing.Show Notes00:00 – John’s HVAC story: turning a $50 switch into a fake replacement problem 01:11 – Incentives, incompetence, and why companies misdiagnose customers 01:30 – Sears, Walmart, and solving the wrong retail problem 03:14 – Why customer experience was the real issue 03:41 – Symptoms vs root cause 04:40 – A medical example: same symptoms, different diagnosis 05:26 – The hero syndrome and rushing to solve too fast 06:48 – The window business: price, value, and knowing who you are 08:15 – How honesty builds trust with customers 09:36 – Repeat business, pricing mistakes, and long-term consequences 10:50 – Why talking to the customer reveals the real issue 11:31 – Listening, empathy, and asking better questions 12:25 – Anthony’s Sears story: “Does Kohl’s have different weather?” 13:52 – Why shame and embarrassment make problem solving harder 14:23 – Intuit, remote deposit, and solving a problem technology erased 16:16 – CollegeClub.com and the cost of optimizing for the wrong metric 19:45 – Being good at solving problems vs choosing the right problem 21:17 – Why investors like founders who can pivot 22:00 – Toyota’s Plan, Do, Check, Act framework 25:19 – Creating a culture where mistakes can be discussed 26:23 – Errors of omission vs errors of commission 28:12 – AI regulation and the risk of solving the wrong problem 31:12 – AI safety, government regulation, and unintended consequences 34:08 – Bad actors vs bad tools 36:28 – What to do first when you see a problem 38:38 – Gemba: get out of the chair and observe the real work 39:44 – Intuit’s “follow me home” customer research 41:55 – Four Seasons and empowering employees to solve guest problems 42:13 – Problem solving as a skill everyone needs to build 43:34 – Anthony’s final warning: make sure the problem is worth solvingAbundance Briefing46:07 – A 12-year-old entrepreneur builds a 3D printing business 48:31 – GLP-1 drugs, weight loss, muscle loss, and longevity 49:13 – Why resistance training matters with GLP-1s 52:03 – Recreational GLP-1 use and medical oversight 55:40 – AI moving from answering questions to doing actual work 56:30 – How John is using AI inside his organization 57:38 – How Anthony uses AI for sharper decision making 58:45 – Randy on using AI agents, Claude Code, spreadsheets, and strategy 1:00:55 – The job market is tougher for new graduates 1:02:22 – Are there jobs available, or just not th