Articles of Interest
There are numerous articles written about innovation theory, many of which support Strategyn's thinking on the topic. We've selected some of our favorite articles for review. Some specifically discuss the jobs-to-be-done theory, others discuss innovation topics that can help you in your business, and others provide insight into the thinking of the some of the world's leading innovation experts.
-
Reinventing Your Business Model
Mark Johnson, Clayton Christensen, and Henning Kagermann offer readers an important insight into business model creation in this award-winning Harvard Business Review article. This article explains how the jobs-to-be-done innovation theory is fundamental to the creation of an effective business model.
-
Finding the Right Job for Your Product
An organization's market segmentation scheme helps determine what products a company develops, how they are brought to market, and how large they believe the market opportunities to be. In this article, Clayton Christensen explains that segmentation based on demographics or product category is a poor indicator of customer behavior. Rather, he says, customers "just find themselves needing to get things done." He supports the argument that jobs-based thinking is the key to market segmentation success.
-
Marketing Malpractice: The Cause and the Cure
This Harvard Business Review article underscores the importance of a marketer's task in understanding the jobs a customer is trying to get done. It explains how jobs-based thinking can help a company design the right products, grow product categories, and build brands that customers will hire. This article was co-authored by Clayton Christensen, Scott Cook, and Taddy Hall.
-
Leading Change: Why Transformation Efforts Fail
In this Harvard Business Review classic, John Kotter shares his observations on organizational change. He notes that companies hoping to survive long-term have to re-invent themselves to be more competitive. However, he finds that eight large mistakes can doom an organization's efforts. Kotter goes on to explain how companies can achieve success. This is a particularly relevant topic for today's economically challenging times.
-
Lost in Translation
In this Harvard Business Review article written by Strategyn CEO Tony Ulwick, you'll learn about the three types of customer feedback that, when captured, ensure that all participants in the process are speaking the same language. Knowing how to get this feedback and how to apply it will help you successfully grow new and existing markets. This article was written as part of the original thinking on jobs-to-be-done theory.
-
Do You Really Know What Your Customers are Trying to Get Done?
Most companies come up with a new product or service and then see whether a customer will buy it. But what they should do instead is first determine the customer's desired outcomes and then use those outcomes to guide the innovation process. Read the six steps you should follow if you want your new product or service to be successful. This article by Strategyn CEO Tony Ulwick was written as part of the earlier thinking on the jobs-to-be-done theory.
