Igor Fontenele

Fall in love with the problem, not the solution: lessons from Uri Levine

Great innovations start with a real problem to be solved. This is one of the main lessons of Uri Levine, co-founder of Waze and Moovit, two start-ups that have revolutionised urban mobility and become global examples of success.

But how do you turn a problem into a scalable solution? How do you take an idea to billions of users and create a billion-dollar business? In the book ‘Fall in Love with the Problem, Not the Solution’, Levine shares his journey and insights into the world of startups and innovation.

The road to a unicorn

Uri Levine began his journey as an entrepreneur with a clear vision: to solve real problems efficiently. With this mindset, he took part in one of the biggest unicorn exits in history when he sold Waze to Google in 2013 for $1.15 billion.

But the story didn't stop there. In 2020, he sold Moovit to Intel for $1 billion, establishing himself as one of the few entrepreneurs to create two successful unicorns.

Right decisions or no decisions?

Even after the sale of Waze, many question whether it was the best choice. Levine, however, believes that there are only two types of paths: right decisions and non-decisions.

Every choice involves a risk, but what really matters is moving forward and learning from each step. He emphasises that, in the start-up world, there is no way to predict the future - only to make the best decision with the information available at the time.

The biggest challenge: finding the Product-Market Fit

For Levine, the first big challenge for any start-up is to find the Product-Market Fit (PMF). This means developing a product that really solves a market pain and that has enough demand to grow.

Without this, any strategy for growth, fundraising or scalability becomes unfeasible. It is essential to test, adjust and validate the solution before investing large sums of money.

Lessons for entrepreneurs

Throughout his career, Uri Levine shares some essential lessons for anyone who wants to build a successful business:

✅ Know how to manage your investors - Aligning with investors can define the direction of the company.

✅ Focus on creating your DNA - Successful companies build a strong, well-defined culture.

✅ Don't be afraid to reframe processes - Adapting and pivoting are fundamental parts of the entrepreneurial journey.

✅ Prepare for exit - From day one, think about scalability and the value your company can generate.

Conclusion

Uri Levine's journey reinforces the importance of solving real problems, validating ideas and making decisions with courage. Rather than sticking to a specific solution, success comes from understanding the needs of the market and creating products that make a difference.

If you want to develop a digital product that really impacts the market, Tucupy can help. 🚀

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