When you start with an idea – “We want to build XX thing”, you’ve already made the implicit conclusion that the single solution you’ve proposed – XX thing – is the right one to solve the problem.

When you start with a goal – “We want to improve XX for people”, you allow your organization the freedom to research and explore the best solution, coming up with many ideas, in search of the best one (or combination of them) to achieve the goal.

It’s easy to come up with ideas, and there are many failed ones out there to attest to the ease of coming up with them. It’s much more difficult – but paradoxically safer – to come up with a goal, and be more open to what the solution might look like.