Argh! This is frustrating!

You may have uttered this phrase severally, especially if you are in and around entrepreneurial sphere. But has it ever occurred to you that you can actually turn your frustrations to your advantage? Some of the game-changing innovations in the world today were borne out of personal frustrations.

Let’s take a look at a few examples:

• Richard Branson  travelled by air frequently and was constantly frustrated by the poor customer service on almost all the domestic air carriers in the US. His solution was to launch Virgin America which now consistently sits at the top of customer service rankings.

• Brian and Joe were flat mates, frustrated by their inability to meet up with the high cost rent in San Francisco, they decided to sublet their air mattress in their living room to strangers at a fee. Airbnb was born! Today, Airbnb boasts of revenue valued at over $2 billion!

• Following her move back to Nigeria after several years abroad, Oyindamola was frustrated by her inability to access quality fashion items. More frustrating was the fact that she couldn’t get the right pair of shoes at the popular Balogun market in Lagos. Her solution was to build one of the pioneer fashion ecommerce stores in Nigeria. Fashpa was born!

Frustration can indeed be a good thing. It can be a motivating starting point on your path to innovation. It all depends on what you do next. In my article, Be a Copy Cat!, I pointed out that spotting out loopholes is one thing, proffering solutions is another. Being frustrated about a poor product, service or system is you identifying a problem or loophole. Question is; what are you going to do about it?

Frustration is a trigger!

All you have to do is point it towards the right direction.