The Weekly Pain Point
Your market signal for problems worth solving
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TO THE BUILDERS
This new edition of Build to Thrive is for the Builders.
The ones who work tirelessly, quietly, and with intention.
The ones who keep showing up when the work is hard and the outcome is uncertain.
This weekly edition is for you.
These are specific, practical moments where people get stuck, look for help, and often leave without a clear answer. When the same questions appear again and again, it signals friction that existing tools, advice, workflows or systems are not resolving.
What follows is a snapshot of five recurring pain points, observed across public discussion and tracked over time. This is not guidance on what to build. It is a map of where work or business keeps breaking and where opportunities may lie.
This is meant to be a space for problem solvers. This if for those who make things happen.
Juan Salas-Romer
If you have a work problem that needs a solution or a solution that addresses the problems featured in this edition, please reach me via Substack chat.
THE WORD ON THE STREET SAYS
1. “How Do I Know If My Startup Idea Is Worth Building?”
The problem
People repeatedly ask how to validate an idea before spending weeks building an MVP. Many describe building first and discovering too late that the problem was not painful enough or specific enough.
What a solution would need to enable
Fast, low-effort signal on whether a clearly defined problem is worth sustained effort, without requiring a product launch, audience, or lengthy discovery process.
Why this keeps coming up
Most validation advice is abstract or slow. People are told to talk to users but struggle to translate conversations into decisive signal.
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2. “CRMs Are Overkill, but Spreadsheets Keep Breaking”
The problem
Small teams describe starting with spreadsheets to track leads or relationships, only to outgrow them quickly. At the same time, full CRMs feel heavy, complex, and designed for teams with dedicated sales operations.
What a solution would need to enable
Simple relationship and deal tracking that works immediately, without configuration, customization, or ongoing administration.
Why this keeps coming up
Most tools assume scale, process maturity, or reporting needs that small teams do not have.
3. “I Spend Hours Every Week Manually Updating Reports”
The problem
Operators describe copying numbers into decks or documents for weekly updates, investor check-ins, or internal reviews. The work is repetitive, error-prone, and rarely reusable.