Turn Customer Input into Innovation
Tony Ulwick
Jan 1, 2002
January 2002, Harvard Business Review
In this timeless Harvard Business Review article, Tony Ulwick first introduces the concept of Outcome-Driven Innovation (ODI) to HBR readers, bringing the jobs-to-be done thinking to the forefront of innovation theory. Drawing on his work with Cordis Corporation (now a division of Johnson & Johnson), Ulwick explains how the ODI process works and how it was used by Cordis to elevate the company into a leadership position in the angioplasty balloon market. This article also introduces the opportunity algorithm – a method that has become a standard practice for prioritizing customer needs. In March 2002, HBR voted ODI methodology one of the top business ideas of the year.
