ABSTRACT
Entrepreneurs tend to notice a problem and identify a solution, and they seek to validate both. Or, they have a solution in mind and look for a problem that could solve it. The approach in this book asks you to start with the problem. That is this chapter’s focus. It goes without saying that most social and environmental challenges are multidimensional. Environmental deterioration, poverty, lack of social safety nets, and unemployment have multiple causal pathways that cannot all be solved with one simple intervention. Many humanitarian organizations, foundations, private investors, and other funders search for a “silver bullet” solution to a challenge. If only it were that simple! Social and environmental problems are multifaceted, and so are their solutions. By “social challenge,” we mean anything about the world that affects others that you want to change. This includes environmental challenges.
