Before TurboTax I hated doing my taxes… with TurboTax (and efile), I almost enjoy it. This isn’t a plug for TurboTax (absence of links to prove it)–it’s a comment on creating a service that doesn’t just make things less painful, it makes them fun.

In business school I heard a lot about competitive advantage, value chains, solving customer problems. The highest goal, it seemed, was to solve customer problems, even before they new they had them (personal computers)–it’s creating a market to fill an unmet, unknown need.

My take? Create products and services that don’t just solve my problems or fulfill my needs–rather they solve problems in an enjoyable way. Take taxes… if I just wanted the issue of filing to go away I hire H&R Block to do it for me. For TurboTax to differentiate, it must make the process rewarding, not just the end result. My guarantee: you make the process of meeting needs enjoyable, you’ll have a place in the market regardless of the competition.