Takeaways from the book: Jobs to be Done

A methodology for replacing luck with a predictable process.

Jobs to be Done (JTBD) is a concept that’s been around for some time. I first came across it in Clayton Christen’s book The Innovator’s Dilemma, where he referenced the milkshake example. Little did I know until years later, that JTBD is a part of the Outcome-Driven Innovation (ODI) methodology built and practiced by Tony Ulwick and his firm Strategyn.

While the book has a salesy tone to it, it is informative in laying down the theory and the overall approach. Here are my top takeaways and a preview of the steps involved in carrying out ODI.

What is special about ODI as a methodology for innovation?

By creating a standard syntax for capturing qualitative findings, ODI allows for a layer of quantitative segmentation

Innovate with high predictability

The reason for the success of ODI is simple: a company can dramatically increase its chances for success at innovation if it knows precisely what metrics customers use to measure success and value when getting a job done.

ODI brings together the best of qual and quant

We employ qualitative research methods to uncover all the reasons a customer may use the offering and then use quantitative research and factor analysis to group…