Journal Articles
Over the past 20 years, Strategyn has worked to transform the jobs-to-be-done innovation theory into an innovation best practice. With numerous articles appearing in Harvard Business Review and MIT / Sloan, Strategyn's innovation theory and methodology have been vetted by academics, thought leaders and industry professionals alike. Many of these articles are available for purchase below. They provide a concise look at some of the ideas and practices that comprise Strategyn's approach to innovation.
The articles written by Strategyn CEO Tony Ulwick and other Strategyn thought leaders, including Lance Bettencourt, PhD, are focused on key concepts discovered and patented by the firm.
In 2002, Clayton Christensen cited Strategyn's innovation theory in his bestselling book, The Innovator’s Solution. Since that time, he and others have written articles that support our "jobs-to-be-done" innovation theory, the notion of making the “job” the unit of analysis, and other fundamentals of our Outcome-Driven Innovation process. Some of those articles are available here as well.
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Turn Customer Input into Innovation
In this timeless Harvard Business Review article, Tony Ulwick first introduces the concept of Outcome-Driven Innovation to HBR readers, transforming the jobs-to-be-done innovation theory into a practical and effective innovation process.
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The Customer-Centered Innovation Map
In this groundbreaking Harvard Business Review article, Lance Bettencourt and Tony Ulwick reveal an important discovery they made while turning the jobs-to-be-done innovation theory into practice - "job mapping." A job map breaks down a job that customers want to get done into specific process steps enabling the discovery of all the customer's needs.
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FREE DOWNLOAD - Giving Customers a Fair Hearing
In this provocative article in Sloan Management Review, Tony Ulwick and Lance Bettencourt reveal for the first time how a “customer need” must be defined within the jobs-to-be-done framework to become a useful input into the innovation process. This article introduces timeless standards for understanding customer needs.
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Innovating on the Cheap
In this new article Lance Bettencourt and Scott Bettencourt offer a practical guide to creating new products without starting from scratch. Leveraging what you already have, it is possible to launch new offerings that excite customers and respond to unserved needs. The trick is to find assets already in hand that can be brought to market with minimal effort.
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Debunking Myths About Customer Needs
In this thoughtful article published by the American Marketing Association, Lance Bettencourt discusses the five myths surrounding customer needs that undermine innovation. He refutes each myth and outlines why they are a negative influence.
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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.
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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.
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A Prescription for Health Care Reform
Years before President Obama made health care reform a top priority, consumers were clamoring for better health care options. Co-authored by Tony Ulwick, Clayton Christensen and the late Jerome Grossman, this article notes that consumers want inexpensive products to use to achieve better health - without having to repeatedly visit their doctor.
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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.
