Solving a Problem from Your Social Life
Previous Notes:
Humans are social creatures who use the power of society to better themselves.
Social life occupies a forgotten corner in today's times. For most people, work and family life consume all available time.
This note focuses on unlocking some angles of our social life to create a missing solution.
Going Back in History
In the earlier era, humans lived together in small groups. Survival was at stake. Inter-dependence was high as each person divided the tasks among themselves. Enter the next stage of progression. Communities and villages emerged. Small groups became larger groups. Survival was not the main problem. Growth as a society became important. Community spirit was high, but inter-dependence reduced. Fast forward to current times. Most of the world population is urban. And each year adds a large new metropolitan area. Survival is an afterthought. Too many choices exist within our society for fulfilling our basic needs. Inter-dependence is low. And relationships are weak. Society's focus is on pursuits and pleasures.
Understanding the Underlying Needs
The more things change, the more they stay the same. The focus of our society has changed over time. But the underlying needs remain the same:
A solution appealing to any of these needs is a huge monetization opportunity in itself.
Adapting to Life Stages
Humans move from one stage of life to the next going full-circle. Social life is different at different stages:
Applying a universal method or platform to every stage of life is hard. Tremendous opportunity to go deep in one stage.
Maintaining the Continuity
During each stage of our life, we meet many and remember some. Few friends, many connections. Everyone progresses through our biological stages. Maintaining the continuity of relationships gets harder. Reduced time, altered priorities and new commitments are the primary reasons. There is an opportunity to carry the best relationships of our past into our present and grow it more into the future.
Leveraging the Boundaries
Physical distance is a huge advantage and a disadvantage at the same time. And as such, you can leverage it either way to solve a problem from our social lives. Let us look at both sides:
Removing the Hurdles
When time is less, convenience is key. When was the last time we had a nice long chat with one of our good old classmates? It takes some mental effort to get past the initial inertia to message them and set up a common time to chat. Seems more work than swiping left & right or liking a post! Technology and innovative thinking can remove a lot of the hurdles.
Both quantity and quality matter in our social lives. Time to usher in a new wave that enriches our social life and creates meaning!
Upcoming Notes:
Related Note:
Humans are social creatures who use the power of society to better themselves.
Social life occupies a forgotten corner in today's times. For most people, work and family life consume all available time.
This note focuses on unlocking some angles of our social life to create a missing solution.
Going Back in History
In the earlier era, humans lived together in small groups. Survival was at stake. Inter-dependence was high as each person divided the tasks among themselves. Enter the next stage of progression. Communities and villages emerged. Small groups became larger groups. Survival was not the main problem. Growth as a society became important. Community spirit was high, but inter-dependence reduced. Fast forward to current times. Most of the world population is urban. And each year adds a large new metropolitan area. Survival is an afterthought. Too many choices exist within our society for fulfilling our basic needs. Inter-dependence is low. And relationships are weak. Society's focus is on pursuits and pleasures.
Understanding the Underlying Needs
The more things change, the more they stay the same. The focus of our society has changed over time. But the underlying needs remain the same:
- Adventure and Happiness
- Comfort and Companionship
- Conformance and Acceptance
A solution appealing to any of these needs is a huge monetization opportunity in itself.
Adapting to Life Stages
Humans move from one stage of life to the next going full-circle. Social life is different at different stages:
- Toddler
- Child
- Teenager
- Initial-Adult Life
- Middle-Adult Life
- Late-Adult Life
Applying a universal method or platform to every stage of life is hard. Tremendous opportunity to go deep in one stage.
Maintaining the Continuity
During each stage of our life, we meet many and remember some. Few friends, many connections. Everyone progresses through our biological stages. Maintaining the continuity of relationships gets harder. Reduced time, altered priorities and new commitments are the primary reasons. There is an opportunity to carry the best relationships of our past into our present and grow it more into the future.
Leveraging the Boundaries
Physical distance is a huge advantage and a disadvantage at the same time. And as such, you can leverage it either way to solve a problem from our social lives. Let us look at both sides:
- Close Physical Proximity
- Very little innovation within this segment. The best way to understand proximity is to understand the Third Place. As an example, look at the gigantic coffee chains that have sprung up in the last few years. They exploited our need to socialize outside of our home (first place) and work (second place). By creating a third place, they created a huge industry. Third places exist all around us. Most are within walking distance or a short drive. Both in the public and private domains. And they remain under-utilized. Massive opportunity here.
- No Physical Proximity
- Internet and better communication tools have resulted in new relationships in our lives. Be it finding a potential life partner. Or hiring a future employee. Time zones are the new unit of measurement for proximity and not miles. Some use-cases leveraging these already exist. But there are tons of wide-open spaces to create huge businesses.
Removing the Hurdles
When time is less, convenience is key. When was the last time we had a nice long chat with one of our good old classmates? It takes some mental effort to get past the initial inertia to message them and set up a common time to chat. Seems more work than swiping left & right or liking a post! Technology and innovative thinking can remove a lot of the hurdles.
Both quantity and quality matter in our social lives. Time to usher in a new wave that enriches our social life and creates meaning!
Upcoming Notes:
- Solving a Problem from Your Civic Life
- Solving a Problem from Your Cultural Life
Related Note:
Let's Talk: If you have a true experience that resonates, please send me an email.
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