The Workaround Is the Strongest Signal
Of all the things people write about their problems, one sentence matters more than any other: the description of what they do instead.
Last updated 2026-08-17
Why a workaround proves so much at once
A workaround proves the problem is real, because someone is bearing a cost to route around it. It proves the problem is valuable, because they keep paying that cost. And it proves no adequate solution exists, because they would be using it.
Three separate validations in one sentence, written voluntarily by somebody who had no idea they were doing market research.
The hierarchy of workarounds
| Workaround | What it implies |
|---|---|
| A spreadsheet | Problem is real, budget is unproven |
| A script somebody wrote | Technical buyer, values time highly |
| An internal tool they built | Strong budget, strong pain, proven willingness |
| A person hired to do it | Clearest possible willingness to pay |
How to price against one
The workaround gives you the pricing anchor for free. Four hours a month at a $40 loaded rate is $160 of cost you displace. Charging $49 stops being a negotiation and becomes arithmetic.