Daily Commute
What was the traditional competitor before Uber or Lyft, and why did riders hate it?
Taxis (or public buses). The old way failed because it was Too Slow (waiting on street corners) and Too Expensive.
Before DoorDash or Uber Eats, what options did you have for restaurant food at home without driving?
Ordering delivery IF they offer that service. Pizza was your best option.
What physical store did Netflix drive out of business, and why did customers switch?
Blockbuster. Renting movies in person was Too Slow (driving to the store) and Too Expensive (late fees).
What was the traditional workaround for creating a visual poster project before design platforms like Canva made it easy with templates?
Hand-drawing on physical poster boards with markers. The old way was Too Slow (taking hours to draw letters) and Non-Existent for instant layout changes.
Name the 2 main workarounds for traveling 5 blocks in a city if you don't own a vehicle.
Before Lime or Bird:
Walking (Too Slow) or Short Taxi Rides (Too Expensive).
What was the main daily frustration with standard plastic water bottles before insulated tumblers became a trend?
Warm water and sweating bottles. The old way was Non-Existent at keeping ice cold all day.
How did people get music on their phones before streaming platforms like Spotify existed?
Buying individual iTunes songs (Too Expensive) or illegal downloads (Too Slow / Risky).
How did students track down missed assignments when they were absent from school 15 years ago before centralized portals like Google Classroom existed?
Calling a classmate on a landline phone or picking up paper worksheets from the front office. The old workaround was Too Slow and often Non-Existent if nobody answered the phone.
What was the old way drivers paid highway tolls, and what was its major flaw?
Stopping at Cash Toll Booths. It was Too Slow (caused massive traffic jams)
What was the standard morning coffee option, and why did Keurig win market share?
Brewing an entire pot of coffee or a Dunkin/Starbucks drive-thru. The pot was Too Slow when brewing single cups, and the drive-thru was Too Expensive.
What was the most annoying daily frustration with wired earbuds in your backpack?
Before AirPods or Beats:
Untangling the knot for 5 minutes. It was a Too Slow daily friction point.
School lockers are designed as tall, empty metal rectangles with zero built-in compartments. What accessory was created to fix the 'chaos pile' at the bottom of a locker, and what gap does it address?
LockerMate
Stackable or hanging locker shelves. The old workaround of stacking books directly on top of each other was Too Slow during short class changes and Non-Existent for organizing gear.