Problem Space Atlas

1Start here

Problem spaces

148

in 15 domains

Backed by documented evidence

42 more with indicative evidence

Low sensitivity and easy access

access 4–5 and safe to interview about

New since the first list

driven by Aug–Sep 2026 developments

Use it in 30 minutes

Filter (5 min). In the catalog (§3) keep Low and Medium sensitivity and set access to 4 or higher. That leaves the spaces your team can actually reach in a week.
Star five or six (10 min). Star the ones someone on your team has felt personally, then use Copy shortlist to paste them into your group chat.
Score and write (15 min). Put your shortlist into the scoring matrix from the rescue plan (access ×3, pain ×2, team fit ×2, spend ×2, prototype ×1), pick three, and write each as a problem hypothesis.

How to read the labels

Documented: A source I opened shows the problem or its scale directly (often national or from OU's own reporting).
Indicative: Related evidence suggests it's real, but it's a different population, a small survey, or a live topic without measured pain.
Untested: No evidence gathered. An idea seed that only interviews can confirm.
Access 1–5: My estimate of how easily a typical OU team can reach 15 relevant people in five days. 5 means people you already know or can find easily.
Sensitivity: Low is fine to interview about. Medium needs careful framing. High means skip it this week.

What's new since the first list (this morning's 8 seeds)

Housing search is now crowded. OU announced a Housr partnership on Aug 25, 2026 (listings, roommate matching, local discounts). The open gaps are quality ratings, lease timing and scam-proofing.
Upperclassmen have no residence hall rooms in 2026-27. That pushes more students into the off-campus market.
Costs are rising. The Regents' March agenda proposes a $145 meal-plan increase and hall-rate increases of roughly $95–$260 in most halls.
Rental scams are documented. The FTC's December 2025 spotlight found ages 18–29 three times as likely to report a rental-scam loss.
Oklahoma drought is severe right now. As of Sep 22, 2026, 16.59% of the state is in exceptional drought.
One caution: AI-policy confusion has weaker national evidence than it might seem. Only 6% of students blame unclear policies for AI misuse (Student Voice, 2025), so test it before betting on it.

2Best bets for this week

Twelve spaces that combine easy access, low sensitivity and real evidence. These are starting points, not recommendations to adopt: choose the ones your team has felt, and let interviews decide. Expand any card for evidence, what people do today, and a first interview question.

3The full catalog

Filter, search and star. Your stars are saved in this browser only. High-sensitivity spaces are hidden by default; tick the box to see them.

Search Domain Evidence Access Scope Sort

Low sensitivity Medium High (skip this week) Only new since the first list

Your shortlist 0

Star a problem space to add it here.

Getting around

Commuter parking and arriving on time (Indicative, access 5, Low sensitivity)
Carpooling and rides home for breaks (Untested, access 5, Low sensitivity)
Getting around Norman without a car (Indicative, access 5, Low sensitivity)
Bike and scooter theft, locks and storage (Indicative, access 5, Low sensitivity)
Rides at times SafeRide doesn't run (Untested, access 4, Medium sensitivity)
Car repair and maintenance for students (Untested, access 4, Low sensitivity)
Getting to class from farther away (Tulsa, OKC, other towns) (Indicative, access 3, Low sensitivity)

Housing and renting

Finding an apartment or house near campus (Documented, access 5, Low sensitivity)
Furniture and essentials: buy, borrow, resell (Untested, access 5, Low sensitivity)
Storage and moving between terms (Untested, access 5, Low sensitivity)
Laundry access and timing (Untested, access 5, Low sensitivity)
Setting up internet and utilities in a rental (Untested, access 5, Low sensitivity)
Comparing the true cost of dorm, campus apartment and off-campus (Documented, access 5, Low sensitivity)
Apartment quality and reputation (what a place is really like) (Documented, access 5, Low sensitivity)
Lease timing pressure (signing a year ahead) (Documented, access 5, Low sensitivity)
Roommate matching and compatibility (Indicative, access 5, Low sensitivity)
Sharing bills, chores and rules with roommates (Untested, access 5, Low sensitivity)
Maintenance requests and landlord communication (Untested, access 5, Low sensitivity)
Sublease and summer room-filling (Untested, access 5, Low sensitivity)
Being an upperclassman with no on-campus option (Documented, access 4, Low sensitivity)
Rental scams: checking that a listing is real (Documented, access 4, Medium sensitivity)
Deposits and move-out damage disputes (Untested, access 4, Medium sensitivity)
Pet-friendly housing and pet fees (Documented, access 3, Low sensitivity)

Food and dining

Cooking and grocery planning on a budget (Indicative, access 5, Low sensitivity)
Late-night and quick healthy food (Untested, access 5, Low sensitivity)
Meal-plan value and dining-hall fit (Indicative, access 5, Low sensitivity)
Food waste in dining and apartments (Untested, access 4, Low sensitivity)
Food insecurity and hardship (direct questions) (Documented, access 3, High sensitivity)
Dietary restrictions and allergies (Untested, access 3, Medium sensitivity)

Money and costs

Planning for surprise costs (Documented, access 5, Medium sensitivity)
Finding student discounts and deals (Indicative, access 5, Low sensitivity)
Finding emergency aid and scholarships (Documented, access 5, Medium sensitivity)
Textbooks and course materials (Documented, access 5, Low sensitivity)
Budgeting and tracking spending (Indicative, access 5, Medium sensitivity)
Splitting costs and paying friends back (Untested, access 5, Low sensitivity)
Subscriptions piling up (Untested, access 5, Low sensitivity)
Buy now, pay later and credit habits (Documented, access 5, High sensitivity)
First credit card, credit score and student loans (Untested, access 5, High sensitivity)
Taxes and paperwork for student workers and international students (Untested, access 3, Medium sensitivity)

Jobs, internships, careers

Finding part-time work that fits class schedules (Indicative, access 5, Low sensitivity)
Shift swaps and schedule conflicts for student workers (Untested, access 5, Low sensitivity)
Internship search and tracking applications (Documented, access 5, Low sensitivity)
Resumes, applicant tracking systems and AI screening (Indicative, access 5, Low sensitivity)
Interview practice and feedback (Untested, access 5, Low sensitivity)
Freelancing and side hustles for students (Indicative, access 5, Low sensitivity)
Networking and finding mentors or alumni (Untested, access 4, Low sensitivity)
Choosing a major or career path (Untested, access 4, Low sensitivity)

Classes, study, advising

Study planning and time management (Indicative, access 5, Medium sensitivity)
Tracking deadlines and rules across courses (Indicative, access 5, Low sensitivity)
Degree planning, registration and advising (Documented, access 5, Low sensitivity)
AI tools in coursework: what's allowed and how to learn with them (Documented, access 5, Medium sensitivity)
Finding tutors, study partners and groups (Untested, access 5, Low sensitivity)
Notes and materials across classes (Untested, access 5, Low sensitivity)
Group project coordination and fair contribution (Indicative, access 5, Low sensitivity)
Finding quiet study space (Untested, access 5, Low sensitivity)
Exam prep and practice questions (Untested, access 5, Low sensitivity)
Finding research or lab opportunities and mentors (Untested, access 4, Low sensitivity)
Accessibility and accommodations navigation (Indicative, access 2, High sensitivity)

Student organizations and campus life

Running a student organization: officer turnover and lost know-how (Indicative, access 5, Low sensitivity)
Room reservations and facility booking for meetings (Untested, access 5, Low sensitivity)
Member recruitment, retention and engagement (Indicative, access 5, Low sensitivity)
Event planning, promotion and attendance (Untested, access 5, Low sensitivity)
Org budgets, dues and fundraising (Untested, access 5, Low sensitivity)
Communication across group chats, email and OU Engage (Untested, access 5, Low sensitivity)
Finding the right organization to join (Indicative, access 5, Low sensitivity)
Volunteer and service-hour tracking (Untested, access 4, Low sensitivity)
Greek life logistics: dues, compliance, recruitment (Untested, access 4, Medium sensitivity)
Sponsorships between orgs and local businesses (Untested, access 4, Low sensitivity)

Game day and sports

Game-day traffic, parking and getting to the stadium (Documented, access 5, Low sensitivity)
Student tickets: cost, guests and access (Documented, access 5, Low sensitivity)
Tailgating logistics (Indicative, access 5, Low sensitivity)
Game-day outfits and merchandise (Untested, access 5, Low sensitivity)
Meeting up and seating groups at the stadium (Untested, access 5, Low sensitivity)
Post-game demand surge for food and rides (Untested, access 4, Low sensitivity)
Intramural and club sports scheduling and rosters (Untested, access 4, Low sensitivity)
Ticket resale and transfer scams (Indicative, access 4, Medium sensitivity)
Student-athlete time management (Untested, access 2, Medium sensitivity)

Health and wellness

Sleep routines (Indicative, access 5, Medium sensitivity)
Fitness and rec scheduling, crowding and motivation (Untested, access 5, Low sensitivity)
Getting care: appointments, urgent needs, after-hours (Indicative, access 5, Medium sensitivity)
Mental health support access (Documented, access 5, High sensitivity)
Loneliness and social connection (Untested, access 5, High sensitivity)
Prescriptions and pharmacy access without a car (Untested, access 4, Medium sensitivity)
Vision and dental access and cost (Untested, access 4, Medium sensitivity)
Substance use and harm reduction (Untested, access 4, High sensitivity)
Sexual health and relationship safety (Untested, access 4, High sensitivity)
Managing chronic conditions or ADHD (Untested, access 3, High sensitivity)

Safety, scams, weather

Marketplace and online-shopping scams (Documented, access 5, Medium sensitivity)
Walking or biking home safely at night (Untested, access 5, Medium sensitivity)
Severe-weather readiness for renters (tornado, hail) (Indicative, access 5, Low sensitivity)
Renters insurance: understanding and buying it (Untested, access 5, Low sensitivity)
Package and delivery theft in apartments (Untested, access 5, Low sensitivity)
Passwords, privacy and digital security habits (Untested, access 5, Low sensitivity)
Job and internship scams (Documented, access 4, Medium sensitivity)
Car hail damage and insurance claims (Indicative, access 4, Low sensitivity)
Online harassment and safety (Untested, access 4, High sensitivity)

Specific student groups

First-year and out-of-state students: adjusting to Norman (Indicative, access 5, Low sensitivity)
First-generation students: unwritten rules (Documented, access 4, Low sensitivity)
Commuter and off-campus students: belonging and logistics (Untested, access 4, Low sensitivity)
International students: banking, phones, housing, taxes and community (Indicative, access 3, Medium sensitivity)
Rural Oklahoma students: internet and travel home (Untested, access 3, Low sensitivity)
Transfer students: credits, community, orientation (Untested, access 3, Low sensitivity)
Graduate students: funding, advisors, time (Untested, access 3, Low sensitivity)
Students in supply-heavy majors (art, architecture, engineering) (Untested, access 3, Low sensitivity)
Student veterans and military-connected students (Untested, access 2, Medium sensitivity)
Student parents (Indicative, access 2, Medium sensitivity)

Norman small businesses (B2B)

Reaching student customers (Indicative, access 4, Low sensitivity)
Bookkeeping and cash flow for micro-businesses and student entrepreneurs (Untested, access 4, Low sensitivity)
Small-business social media and content (Untested, access 4, Low sensitivity)
Hiring and keeping student employees (Indicative, access 4, Low sensitivity)
Staff scheduling around classes, exams and breaks (Untested, access 4, Low sensitivity)
Slow seasons: summers and breaks (Untested, access 4, Low sensitivity)
Game-day surges and closures (Indicative, access 4, Low sensitivity)
Online ordering, delivery and fees (Untested, access 4, Low sensitivity)
Inventory and food waste (Untested, access 4, Low sensitivity)
Reservations, waits and line management (Untested, access 4, Low sensitivity)
Loyalty with a transient student customer base (Untested, access 4, Low sensitivity)
Insurance and regulatory costs for very small firms (Indicative, access 3, Low sensitivity)

Oklahoma industries (B2B)

Insurance claims after hail and wind (Indicative, access 3, Low sensitivity)
K-12 teacher pipeline and retention (Documented, access 3, Low sensitivity)
Property management and landlord operations (Untested, access 3, Low sensitivity)
Nonprofits: volunteers, grants and donor tracking (Untested, access 3, Low sensitivity)
Drought, forage and feed planning for ranchers and farmers (Documented, access 2, Low sensitivity)
Water for rural households and small towns (Documented, access 2, Low sensitivity)
Rural health access (Documented, access 2, Medium sensitivity)
Energy workforce and job-market volatility (Documented, access 2, Low sensitivity)
Aerospace and defense workforce and suppliers (Documented, access 2, Low sensitivity)
Skilled trades and construction labor (Untested, access 2, Low sensitivity)
Tribal and community economic development (Untested, access 1, Medium sensitivity)

Digital life, AI and frontier

Files, photos and passwords scattered everywhere (Untested, access 5, Low sensitivity)
Trusting what's real online (deepfakes, verifying people) (Indicative, access 3, Low sensitivity)
AI tutoring for young children (Indicative, access 2, Low sensitivity)
AI for aging and caregiver coordination (Indicative, access 2, Medium sensitivity)
Software for construction and field operations (Indicative, access 1, Low sensitivity)
Physical-world data for energy, agriculture and logistics (Indicative, access 1, Low sensitivity)
Compliance automation (Indicative, access 1, Low sensitivity)
Small purpose-built software and multi-user AI agents (Indicative, access 1, Low sensitivity)
Other Fall 2026 YC areas: defense hardware, compute at sea, crypto, self-maintaining APIs, consumer AI (Indicative, access 1, Low sensitivity)

Everyday life

Dating and relationships (Untested, access 5, High sensitivity)
Move-out waste and reuse (Documented, access 5, Low sensitivity)
Recycling and composting confusion (Untested, access 5, Low sensitivity)
Utility bills in hot Oklahoma summers (Indicative, access 5, Low sensitivity)
Secondhand fashion, swaps and thrifting (Untested, access 5, Low sensitivity)
Finding things to do in Norman (events discovery) (Untested, access 5, Low sensitivity)
Beginner cooking skills and recipes (Untested, access 5, Low sensitivity)
Lost and found for keys, IDs and earbuds (Untested, access 5, Low sensitivity)
Printing, scanning and document services (Untested, access 5, Low sensitivity)
Pet care in apartments (walking, sitters, vet costs) (Untested, access 3, Low sensitivity)

Domains at a glance

Domain	Spaces	Documented	Easy to reach and not sensitive	Best bets in this domain
Getting around Parking, transit, rides, bikes	7	0	6	Commuter parking and arriving on time; Bike and scooter theft, locks and storage
Housing and renting Finding, choosing, living in and leaving a place	16	7	15	Apartment quality and reputation (what a place is really like); Lease timing pressure (signing a year ahead); Rental scams: checking that a listing is real
Food and dining Meals, dining plans, groceries, allergies	6	1	4	—
Money and costs Costs, aid, budgeting, textbooks, credit	10	4	7	Textbooks and course materials
Jobs, internships, careers Part-time work, job search, side hustles	8	1	8	Finding part-time work that fits class schedules
Classes, study, advising Planning, rules, AI, teams, study space	11	2	10	Group project coordination and fair contribution; Tracking deadlines and rules across courses
Student organizations and campus life Running and joining groups; events	10	0	10	Running a student organization: officer turnover and lost know-how
Game day and sports Tickets, traffic, tailgating, intramurals	9	2	8	Game-day traffic, parking and getting to the stadium
Health and wellness Sleep, care access, mental health	10	1	5	—
Safety, scams, weather Scams, night safety, severe weather	9	2	8	—
Specific student groups International, first-gen, transfer, parents	10	1	3	—
Norman small businesses (B2B) Owners and managers near campus	12	0	11	Reaching student customers
Oklahoma industries (B2B) Agriculture, health, teachers, energy, aerospace	11	6	0	—
Digital life, AI and frontier Everyday digital hassles and YC's Fall 2026 areas	9	0	1	—
Everyday life Pets, moving, sustainability, lifestyle	10	1	8	—

4Skip this week

These are real problem spaces, but they're the wrong choice for a one-week interview sprint: either the topic is sensitive to interview about, or your team probably can't reach 15 people in time. Some will suit later modules, especially expert interviews in Module 2.

Space	Domain	Why skip it this week	Evidence
Food insecurity and hardship (direct questions)	Food and dining	Sensitive to interview about.	Documented
Buy now, pay later and credit habits	Money and costs	Sensitive to interview about.	Documented
First credit card, credit score and student loans	Money and costs	Sensitive to interview about.	Untested
Accessibility and accommodations navigation	Classes, study, advising	Sensitive to interview about. Hard to reach 15 people in a week.	Indicative
Student-athlete time management	Game day and sports	Hard to reach 15 people in a week. Limited access..	Untested
Managing chronic conditions or ADHD	Health and wellness	Sensitive to interview about.	Untested
Mental health support access	Health and wellness	Sensitive to interview about.	Documented
Loneliness and social connection	Health and wellness	Sensitive to interview about.	Untested
Substance use and harm reduction	Health and wellness	Sensitive to interview about.	Untested
Sexual health and relationship safety	Health and wellness	Sensitive to interview about.	Untested
Online harassment and safety	Safety, scams, weather	Sensitive to interview about.	Untested
Student veterans and military-connected students	Specific student groups	Hard to reach 15 people in a week. Limited access..	Untested
Student parents	Specific student groups	Hard to reach 15 people in a week. Limited access..	Indicative
Drought, forage and feed planning for ranchers and farmers	Oklahoma industries (B2B)	Hard to reach 15 people in a week. Better for Module 2 expert interviews than for this week..	Documented
Tribal and community economic development	Oklahoma industries (B2B)	Hard to reach 15 people in a week. Requires respectful, existing relationships..	Untested
Water for rural households and small towns	Oklahoma industries (B2B)	Hard to reach 15 people in a week.	Documented
Rural health access	Oklahoma industries (B2B)	Hard to reach 15 people in a week.	Documented
Energy workforce and job-market volatility	Oklahoma industries (B2B)	Hard to reach 15 people in a week.	Documented
Aerospace and defense workforce and suppliers	Oklahoma industries (B2B)	Hard to reach 15 people in a week.	Documented
Skilled trades and construction labor	Oklahoma industries (B2B)	Hard to reach 15 people in a week.	Untested
AI tutoring for young children	Digital life, AI and frontier	Hard to reach 15 people in a week. Investor demand signal; hard to interview in a week..	Indicative
AI for aging and caregiver coordination	Digital life, AI and frontier	Hard to reach 15 people in a week. Investor demand signal; hard to interview in a week..	Indicative
Software for construction and field operations	Digital life, AI and frontier	Hard to reach 15 people in a week. Investor demand signal; hard to interview in a week..	Indicative
Physical-world data for energy, agriculture and logistics	Digital life, AI and frontier	Hard to reach 15 people in a week. Ties to Oklahoma agriculture and energy; better for later modules..	Indicative
Compliance automation	Digital life, AI and frontier	Hard to reach 15 people in a week. Investor demand signal..	Indicative
Small purpose-built software and multi-user AI agents	Digital life, AI and frontier	Hard to reach 15 people in a week. Investor demand signal..	Indicative
Other Fall 2026 YC areas: defense hardware, compute at sea, crypto, self-maintaining APIs, consumer AI	Digital life, AI and frontier	Hard to reach 15 people in a week. Not realistic for a one-week interview sprint..	Indicative
Dating and relationships	Everyday life	Sensitive to interview about.	Untested

Why sensitivity matters. One university's guidance on class-project interviews (SIU) lists mental health, substance use, illegal behavior and financial or employment risk as sensitive topics that trigger review, and other schools draw similar lines. I couldn't find OU's own rule, so ask Professor Dwyer (see the rescue plan, question 3) and stay with low-sensitivity topics for Module 1. Medium-sensitivity spaces are usable if you ask about routines and decisions, never about personal hardship, health or immigration status.

5How to find the problem spaces I missed

Paul Graham advises paying attention to things that chafe you and talking to people about their frustrations, and Y Combinator's guidance, as summarized by UCI, is to keep a running list of problems you notice. Here is how to do that in a day.

Mine complaints where people already write them

Reviews of what already exists. Read the one-star and three-star reviews of the Housr app, local apartment complexes, Campus Corner restaurants and OU-related apps. Repeated complaints are a signal. Practitioner guides describe this as review mining (a commercial source seen only in search results, so treat it as a method, not proof).
OU Daily and city agendas. The strongest evidence in this atlas came from OU Daily coverage of Regents agendas, housing and parking. Skim the last month of headlines for topics students argue about.
Public pages that list rules and changes. The City of Norman game-day page and OU's ticket policy were rich in specifics. New rules create new friction.
Online communities. Look for wish-and-complaint patterns ("I wish there was…", "is there anything that…", "alternative to…") in groups you belong to, and follow each group's rules.

Mine your own week

Keep a problem list. For two days, everyone jots every hassle, workaround and thing they paid to avoid. Cluster them (§3 of the rescue plan).
Ask five people one question. "What annoyed you this week?" Then ask for the last time it happened.
Look for workarounds. A spreadsheet, a group chat or a pile of sticky notes standing in for a product is a strong signal.
Look for money and time already spent. People paying for or losing hours to a fix have shown the problem matters.
Use the ask-for-help routes. Startup OU supports OU students from the pre-idea stage; email startups@ou.edu or book their open office hours.

6Method and limits

How I built it. I searched for current evidence across student life, money, work, housing, campus organizations, game day, safety, Norman businesses, Oklahoma industries and frontier areas, then opened the pages behind the figures I cite. Where I couldn't open a page or find evidence, the entry says so and is labeled Untested.
"Every" is an aspiration. The catalog has 148 entries. New problems appear constantly, and some domains (for example disability access, immigration, family care) are sensitive or hard to reach, so I kept them thin on purpose.
Evidence is often national. Student Voice, Hope Center, PIRG and NACE data come from national samples, not OU. Hope Center's sample is mostly two-year colleges. Treat national numbers as reasons to interview, not as facts about OU students.
Some sources are vendors or news summaries. The Quizlet survey, Pets and Housing report, BNPL survey and news aggregators (drought, energy) have their own biases. I marked pages I could only see in search results as "summary only."
Access and sensitivity ratings are my judgments. They reflect a typical OU team and the sensitivity criteria universities commonly use for class interviews, not OU policy.
What I couldn't verify. Bike-theft statistics, OU-specific roommate-conflict and dining-satisfaction data, renters' storm-shelter access, and Oklahoma's landlord-tenant pain points. These are flagged in their entries.
Dates. Current as of Wed Sep 23, 2026. Several items (Housr, drought, ticket and parking changes) are moving.

7Sources

Every link below is cited by an entry or a guidance section. "(summary only)" means I saw the page only in search results.