While Jobs-to-be-Done is the theory, Outcome-Driven Innovation is the process that puts it into practice.

To uncover the customer’s desired outcomes, we dissect the core functional job into its component parts (job steps) using a job map. The job map becomes the framework from which to capture desired outcome statements.

Analysis of hundreds of jobs has revealed that all jobs consist of some or all of the eight fundamental process steps: define, locate, prepare, confirm, execute, monitor, modify and conclude (see the universal job map). This insight is essential for creating a framework around which customer needs (desired outcomes) are gathered. (To learn more abo

We follow a strict set of rules when constructing desired outcome statements—for example, they are purposely designed and structured to be measurable, controllable, actionable, devoid of solutions, and stable over time. They are also structured so they can be prioritized for importance and satisfaction using statistically valid market research meth

The core functional job is the anchor around which all other needs are defined. It is defined first, then the emotional, related and consumption chain jobs are defined relative to the core functional job.

Despite the available needs-gathering methods, companies nearly always fail to uncover all or even most of the customer’s needs. How is this possible? While nearly every manager agrees that the goal of innovation is to devise solutions that address unmet customer needs, a common language for communicating a need does not exist.

Unfortunately, nearly all segmentation methods, whether qualitative or quantitative, fail to distinguish between customers with different unmet needs, which is the only form of segmentation that will deliver real value.

“Minimize the likelihood that the music sounds distorted when played at high volume” is one example of an outcome statement related to the job of listening to music. When creating a desired outcome statement, remember the following structure: Outcome statement = direction of improvement + performance metric + object of control + contextual clarifie

Job statement = verb + object of the verb (noun) + contextual clarifier