Product Talk EP 536 - Strategyn Founder & CEO on Making Product Innovation Predictable
May 14, 2025
Join Tony Ulwick, founder of Strategyn and pioneer of the Jobs to Be Done theory, as he unpacks the secrets to making product innovation predictable. He discusses how viewing innovation as a structured process can align teams around specific consumer needs. Tony shares insights on defining customer roles within product teams for better alignment. Plus, he highlights the impact of business model innovations, using examples like Airbnb and the iPhone to illustrate the need for a consumer-centric approach in today's market.
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Innovation as a Predictable Process
- Innovation is fundamentally a process done before product development starts.
- The goal is to have high certainty of market success before starting development.
Threshold for True Innovation
- Being innovative means creating solutions that get jobs done 15-20% better.
- Products failing to surpass that threshold are unlikely to win.
Beyond Functional Jobs
- Customer jobs comprise functional, related, social, emotional, consumption, and financial categories.
- Addressing all these dimensions offers a deeper understanding of customer needs.
