Fall in Love With the Problem, Not the Solution | Annie Cyr

Annie Cyr saw a gap in the textile industry, wrote the book she couldn't find, and years later built the technology she wished existed.In this episode of The Parallel Entrepreneur, Annie joins Mark Cleveland to share the journey from writing The Guide to Textile Fibers to co-founding Tengiva, and what she's learned trying to modernize a complex global industry from the inside.The conversation goes well beyond textiles. Annie shares why founders should "fall in love with the problem, not the solution," how she decides which opportunities are worth pursuing, why she tested existing technology before building her own, and what fundraising has taught her about choosing the right partners.They also get into something every entrepreneur eventually has to confront: knowing your own limits. Annie shares an unexpected lesson from her time working in a hospital emergency department and how it shaped the way she approaches leadership, balance and building a company today.For anyone turning deep industry experience into a business, there's plenty here to apply.𝗜𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗲𝗽𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗱𝗲;• Why Annie spent three years writing a textile reference book• How industry experience led to the creation of Tengiva• Why founders should fall in love with the problem, not the solution• How to innovate without trying to replace everything that already works• Why textile industry knowledge is so difficult to digitize• How Tengiva prioritizes which customer problems to solve• Why transparency and proprietary knowledge don't have to be opposites• Annie's approach to selling without "selling"• Why she tested existing technology before building her own• When customers should fund your growth — and when outside capital makes sense• What Annie has learned from raising venture capital• Why industry experience matters when hiring• The difference between competing with others and becoming better than yourself• What working in a hospital emergency department taught Annie about balance• Her vision for making textile sourcing more accessible to the next generation of creators𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗔𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗲 𝗖𝘆𝗿Annie Cyr is the CEO and co-founder of Tengiva, a technology company modernizing commercial operations across the global textile industry.Before building Tengiva, Annie spent years working across textile development, sourcing and procurement. She is also the author of The Guide to Textile Fibers: Clothing and Fashion Industry, a practical reference created after a university professor challenged her to write the resource she couldn't find herself.Together with co-founder Carlos Agudelo, Annie began the Tengiva journey in 2018, testing existing technologies before ultimately deciding the industry needed technology purpose-built around the way textile businesses actually operate.Connect on LinkedIn𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗸𝘀 & 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲𝘀:Tengiva:The Parallel Entrepreneur Podcast:Happy Overall:𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗼𝘀𝘁Mark Cleveland is an entrepreneur, investor, and advisor who works at the intersection of multiple ventures. As the voice behind The Parallel Entrepreneur, he explores how founders build aligned businesses, strong teams, and sustainable momentum without forcing themselves into a single path.Connect on LinkedinChapters00:00 Fall in Love With the Problem01:05 How Annie Cyr Wrote the Book on Textiles02:57 The Knowledge You Can't Learn From a Book04:00 Why the Textile Industry Is So Complex06:26 Innovation vs. Disruption08:26 Why AI Won't Replace Human Expertise09:58 Choosing Which Problems to Solve First13:30 Modernizing a Protective Industry16:34 Annie's Superpower: Selling Without Selling19:46 Lessons Every Founder Can Use21:05 Learn With Other People's Money22:25 Happy Overall23:31 What Fundraising Taught Annie26:50 Stop Trying to Beat Your Competitors28:21 Hiring for Industry Experience31:19 What Annie Wants Tengiva to Accomplish32:52 Annie's Magic-Wand Vision for Textiles33:26 Making It Easier for New Brands to Start36:41 Is Work-Life Balance an Illusion?38:11 The Hospital Lesson That Changed Annie's Approach41:16 Knowing When to Stop42:42 Why Tengiva's Real Start Came in 202043:46 Raising Capital and What's Next44:34 Closing ThoughtsSubscribe for more conversations with founders, investors, operators, and creators building extraordinary lives across multiple ventures.