In 2025 as I continue on my quest to figure out what makes quizzes work today, a pattern has emerged that I’d like to share with you. It’s the idea of a two-sided problem. And it’s what is earning the highest rates of email subscribes from quizzes today.
A two-sided problem is a problem that your customers, or potential customers, face – while simultaneously being a problem for you.
Let’s look at an example to illustrate. Yesterday I interviewed Kim Crawmer, owner of Prancing Pony Farm. Kim raises Maremma Sheep Dogs, which other farmers buy to protect their herds. In Kim’s own description, Mareema Sheep Dogs are a particular type of breed, and not right for everyone.
The problem Kim’s potential customers face is the decision of whether or not they should get a Maremma Sheep Dog. Making the wrong purchase is costly and you’re committed for 12-14 years once you make the purchase.
Similarly, for Kim, it’s an issue if people buy a Maremma but it’s not the right fit, because then she faces unhappy customers. The dogs don’t come cheap, so it’s a big deal if someone is unhappy.
So it’s a two-sided problem, both the customer and Kim have a problem if the customer purchases a Maremma but it’s not the right fit. That’s what I mean by a two-sided problem, both the business and the customer have an incentive to solve this problem, which makes a quiz a good fit. You can take Kim’s Quiz here, it’s really well done.
With a two-sided problem solving quiz, everybody wins. The business owner saves time and collects leads, and the customer solves their problem. This quiz, alongside Kim’s other quizzes, have accounted for two thirds of her email list growth, going from 0 to over 1000 email subscribers.
Another example is from Tonic Site Shop, they sell website templates for Showit, and the problem for their customers is choosing the right template. The problem for Tonic is having to be available all the time to help people find the right template, which is time consuming and inefficient.
This quiz has been running since 2019, generates 1000’s of leads every year, and is an excellent two-sided problem solver, benefiting both the customer and the business.
Another example is from Advice With Erin, a Career and Life Advice Media Company. Erin’s Career Type Quiz is a two-sided problem solver. For Erin’s audience, the problem is that people feel like they’re in the wrong career, and that feels painful. For Erin, the problem is having too many DMs to answer of people asking what Career they should be in. I interviewed Erin, and she is happy to answer all the DMs, but being a creator, isn’t available all day to answer those DMs, so the quiz can answer the question in real time.
If your quiz solves a problem for your customers, and it solves a problem for you, then it’s a win-win situation, and everybody is happy. More and more this is the pattern I’m seeing.