If they don’t have a real problem, they’re not going to pay for a real solution. I’m not talking about “nice to have” wants. I’m talking about the kind of pain that costs them sleep, drains their energy, or makes them feel stuck. If your customer isn’t desperate to solve something, you’re just selling a luxury—not a necessity.

Let’s talk real examples. Think about Proactiv. They didn’t just sell skincare—they sold a solution to public-facing insecurity. Their messaging was designed for people waking up to pimples before school or photo shoots. They locked in on that 2AM panic—"how do I clear my skin before prom?"—and turned it into a billion-dollar business.

Now look at Calendly, a simple scheduling tool, right? But what pain did it solve? The back-and-forth “What time works for you?” emails that waste hours and slow down sales. Their growth wasn’t just about utility—it was about removing friction that cost professionals time and productivity.

Service Provider Angle:

Let’s say you’re a brand strategist or systems consultant. Your ideal client isn’t someone who wants to “look better online.” Your ideal client is someone who’s stuck working 60-hour weeks, turning down new business because their backend is trash. That’s pain. When I do consulting, I’m never talking about the surface. I’m talking about the invisible leak—where the money’s bleeding out while they’re busy looking successful. If you can identify what your client hates doing, what they don’t trust anyone to fix, and what they’re secretly embarrassed about—you’ve found the pain that pays.

E-Commerce Angle:

If you’re in the product game, let me make this simple: sell relief, not aesthetics. Look at Oura Ring. They didn’t just sell a ring—they sold better sleep, peak recovery, bio-feedback that helps people feel in control of their health. That’s pain. Or take Bevel, a grooming brand for men of color. They didn’t just sell razors. They sold the end of razor bumps—something the market had accepted as permanent. That pain point became a movement. That’s what I want you to find in your niche.

When you’re tuned in to pain, your brand becomes magnetic. People don’t want fluff. They want a fix. And if you can be the person that articulates their frustration better than they can—congrats, you just became the authority.