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Competing Against Luck
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The foremost authority on innovation and growth presents a path-breaking book every company needs to transform innovation from a game of chance to one in which they develop products and services customers not only want to buy, but are willing to pay premium prices for.
How do companies know how to grow? How can they create products that they are sure customers want to buy? ...more
How do companies know how to grow? How can they create products that they are sure customers want to buy? ...more
ebook, 288 pages
Published
October 4th 2016
by HarperBusiness
(first published 2016)
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Community Reviews
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More than 10’000 business books are published each year and most of them are rubbish. But every year there are also some gems. And among the gems there’s usually a few candidates for the business book hall of fame. True greats that hold timeless wisdom - content that will be relevant for many, many years to come.
Competing against Luck by Clayton Christensen, Taddy Hall, Karen Dillon and David S. Duncan is one of them. It’s a book about innovation and customer choice.
Innovation is the lifeblood ...more
Competing against Luck by Clayton Christensen, Taddy Hall, Karen Dillon and David S. Duncan is one of them. It’s a book about innovation and customer choice.
Innovation is the lifeblood ...more
Brandi recommends
While I have read about Clayton Christensen’s theory on disruption and also his work, this is his first book that I read. After wanting to read his work for long, I have finally got to it.
The book discusses how innovation need not be about luck. There is a way to innovate and most companies can find. This is where “Jobs Theory” comes in – innovation is not about asking the customer what they want or the problems they face, more importantly it works when you understand what job the customer is t ...more
The book discusses how innovation need not be about luck. There is a way to innovate and most companies can find. This is where “Jobs Theory” comes in – innovation is not about asking the customer what they want or the problems they face, more importantly it works when you understand what job the customer is t ...more
Książka dobrze podsumowywuje teorię Jobs To Be Done, którą Clayton stworzył jako odpowiedź na (także jego) teorię disruptive innovation.
Jeśli znasz dotychczasową twórczość autora to ta książka będzie zebraniem w jednym miejscu wszystkich wniosków i aplikacji JTBD o których pisał.
Jeśli nie znasz JTBD to musisz przeczytać, żeby zrozumieć skąd wiedzieć, że robi się właściwą rzecz dla swoich klientów. Mało idei było dla mnie tak wartościowych biznesowo jak właśnie JTBD
Jeśli znasz dotychczasową twórczość autora to ta książka będzie zebraniem w jednym miejscu wszystkich wniosków i aplikacji JTBD o których pisał.
Jeśli nie znasz JTBD to musisz przeczytać, żeby zrozumieć skąd wiedzieć, że robi się właściwą rzecz dla swoich klientów. Mało idei było dla mnie tak wartościowych biznesowo jak właśnie JTBD
Having been active in Computer Science my whole life (since high school), I was always exposed to an endless stream of conversations around the subject of "startups" and "innovation", that after a few years becomes repetitive and very hard to take seriously.
I think this book helped rehabilitate the two words in my mind, and managed to express in simple and clear terms, via "The Theory of Jobs", what the difference is between "wantrepreneurism" and products that people can't resist paying for.
I think this book helped rehabilitate the two words in my mind, and managed to express in simple and clear terms, via "The Theory of Jobs", what the difference is between "wantrepreneurism" and products that people can't resist paying for.
From our beloved professor who came up with the Innovator's Dilemma, Christensen's now back with a book 20 years later. The title "Competing Against Luck" does not really describe what the book is about. This is Christensen's own perspective on Needfinding as most of us know already today, by breaking it down into atomic pieces called "Jobs [by users/customers] to be Done". He drills in the same concept repeatedly to the reader chapter after chapter applied to different contexts. For those who a
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Jobs Theory (fully the Theory of Jobs to be Done) is framed around the central construct of a 'Job' that a product or service is 'hired' to do or 'fired' for not doing. Clayton Christensen and co-authors argue that successful innovation is not dictated by luck; it's predicated on a company's ability to uncover, define, and organize to deliver on a Job to be Done (implicitly or explicitly).
The core idea of a Job to be Done is intuitive: people don't want products, they want to make progress in th ...more
The core idea of a Job to be Done is intuitive: people don't want products, they want to make progress in th ...more
Lots to digest here and I think I'll need a re-read to get everything out of it. Seems like a very useful and focused approach to understanding product development and innovation. Now I'm curious about applying these ideas to platform and service engineering. Going to be thinking about this one for a while, I'm sure.
In this book Christensen et al take aim at the long-held notion that luck need be a significant part of success, arguing that a proper understanding and application of the "Theory of Jobs" can dramatically de-risk new ventures. I'm folding their insights into the service offerings of my own business as an 'ethnography of demand' market research phase, but the book rightly argues that a clear 'job spec' expressed in verbs and nouns at the proper level of abstraction can act as an effective standa
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the most recent book by prof. Clayton M. Christensen dedicated to the theory of "job to be done" which provides the framework of discovering true underlying needs of your customer. So you may build the organizaion around the customer's real underlying needs and instead of focusing on just features.
The book goes from Milshake experiment to building the culture of the organization so everyone would know customer's needs instead of just knowing the product, the ways companies measuring important da ...more
The book goes from Milshake experiment to building the culture of the organization so everyone would know customer's needs instead of just knowing the product, the ways companies measuring important da ...more
If you are looking for a book that might inspire you for thinking differently about your products or services, this is a book for you. It explains the Jobs to be Done Theory (JTBD Theory), that learns us how to think about the products/services not from a perspective of the product/service itself, but from the perspective of the job that the customer is trying to accomplish with using the product/service.
For decades managers were taught to think about target groups, thinking about the customers ...more
For decades managers were taught to think about target groups, thinking about the customers ...more
Makes a good case for first principles. Why does someone use your product? What's the job they hire it for? Once you understand what they want to accomplish, you can figure out ways to help them to do it. There are some good insights on how "active" metrics can distort the world view with fake precision, and how processes and org structure can be a way to orient people around customers' "jobs to be done". It's a minor peeve but some case studies didn't add much to the message and could've been s
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The book gave me a lot of insights on what job stories are about. Really like on how the author takes us on the journey to see on how this concept can be applies and make da difference.
Found the book highly inspiring.
So far the best book I read on this topic.
Found the book highly inspiring.
So far the best book I read on this topic.
Wow. Another perspective-changing book from Clayton Christensen.
In The Innovator's Dilemma, Clayton Christensen answered why successful firms fail. In Competing Against Luck, he tries to answer why firms are successful. His research has led him to the Job To Be Done theory: customers hire products to for jobs in their life.
Take the milkshake. Surveying the average milkshake drinker won't lead you to many insights. Different customers will want different things. But thinking about the job that cu ...more
In The Innovator's Dilemma, Clayton Christensen answered why successful firms fail. In Competing Against Luck, he tries to answer why firms are successful. His research has led him to the Job To Be Done theory: customers hire products to for jobs in their life.
Take the milkshake. Surveying the average milkshake drinker won't lead you to many insights. Different customers will want different things. But thinking about the job that cu ...more
Christenson, the innovation guru, adeptly promotes the concept of ‘job theory’ with lots of case studies, explaining the different facades of the theory. The book takes a deep dive into consumer psyche, while they make decisions for purchasing different goods and services. According to the author, innovation stems from fully deciphering the reasons why consumers end up ‘hiring’ a product or service. By fully understanding the jobs performed, entrepreneurs and executive can not only help in impro
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Hire this book if you're looking to add to your understanding of Jobs To Be Done.
The topic, Jobs To Be Done (JTBD), has relatively little material available, given its potential impact. Jobs To Be Done is arguably as important if not a more important shift in thinking than Disruptive Innovation, especially for product development and customer happiness.
The anecdotes were insightful and varied, especially valuable for those in established industries. There are concepts, like little hires and com ...more
The topic, Jobs To Be Done (JTBD), has relatively little material available, given its potential impact. Jobs To Be Done is arguably as important if not a more important shift in thinking than Disruptive Innovation, especially for product development and customer happiness.
The anecdotes were insightful and varied, especially valuable for those in established industries. There are concepts, like little hires and com ...more
What I liked about this book is that it forces you to think about product development in a certain way.
It focuses on what jobs the user does to solve a particular problem, and which product he/she is "hiring" to fix it. Will your solution do the job better then the current solution? It is also important to be aware that there's often more cognitive stress produced by the thought of changing a habit (firing an existing solution), then the positive idea of "hiring" a new fancy product. Another imp ...more
It focuses on what jobs the user does to solve a particular problem, and which product he/she is "hiring" to fix it. Will your solution do the job better then the current solution? It is also important to be aware that there's often more cognitive stress produced by the thought of changing a habit (firing an existing solution), then the positive idea of "hiring" a new fancy product. Another imp ...more
Cliffs Notes: jobs to be done. If your product is doing a job that customers need done, they will hire it. If not, not. A simple framework that makes so many things make sense. Last night's job to be done for me: provide a healthy supper that wasn't restaurant food (which I'm tired of on this business trip). Things I hired because I found a grocery store in downtown Chicago: fresh raspberries, Greek yogurt, beanitos, and salsa. Lots of protein, a few carbs, a little salt, a little sweet, and all
...more
As a business strategist with more than a decade of experience helping brands online and offline, one of the most disheartening occurrences is telling a business owner their idea is unlikely to be (near) as successful as they'd hoped/are hoping. Often this is a result of the business owner understanding (only) their product or service while having little understanding of the marketplace or vertical they now compete in. Simply put, an inability, or willingness, to climb into the minds of prospect
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This book provides a perfect method to articulate the very basic and the most important question about your customers - "Why my customer will buy my product/service?". At a very broad level, this seems to be a very obvious theory which you will continuously hear from people around your, surface-entrepreneurs and from news portals covering basic news or even in some highly recommended TED Talks., But when you read this, with every section, it removes a layers and layers and make you realize that
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This book details Prof. Christensen's work on Jobs theory. Really fascinating read and does resonate with anyone who has tried to innovate in an organization that is searching for its core purpose. Introduced me to some excellent concepts like ; Users "hire" products to do a job. the concept of "purpose brands"
Overall a must read however, does get tedious in the middle. The first few and the last chapter are where most of the meat is. Highly recommended all the same.
Overall a must read however, does get tedious in the middle. The first few and the last chapter are where most of the meat is. Highly recommended all the same.
Best Business book of 2016! Also winner of the Worst Title of a Book in 2016. I have heard Christensen speak on Hiring a Product to do a job and this book expands on the idea with additional detail and case studies.
This should be an instant classic for new product development.
This should be an instant classic for new product development.
I was asked to read this book which usually isn't a good omen. Still, it contained solid practical advice for anyone trying to innovate.
Wonderful book. Recommended framework Product Managers!
Prof Clay's new book is a must read for anyone interested in learning about consumer behaviour and innovation.
Great book... but could have been half the length... same review as for The Black Swan
How to be a more successful innovator by focusing on the jobs for which your customers are hiring.
Очень качественная работа, строго фокусированная на одну тему. Данная книга будет интересна только тем, кто интересуется маркетингом как явлением стратегическим и смотрит на маркетинг с позиции отдела маркетинга с его директором во главе. Т.е. эта не книга типа «10 успешных секретов по созданию контент-маркетинга» или «как сделать так, чтобы ваши блоги и станицы в Instagram, Facebook и пр., заработали на полную силу». Это книга, которая стоит в одном ряду с книгами таких авторов как Котлер, Райс
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The notion that people “Hire” and “Fire” products or services is quite intriguing. Christensen’s Jobs to Be Done theory claims that people don’t just “buy” products but rather “hire” products if it can do the job that a customer needs to be done. That means that customers choose their products or services precisely when they need to solve a challenge or otherwise meet a need. Christensen argues that working with understanding the customer's needs situation - the JTBD theory - can reduce the elem
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Full disclosure: I live in Salt Lake City and my own son graduated from West High like Clayton Christensen so I may be a little biased. I did find it interesting that someone growing up in the Rose Park area of SLC went on to achieve great academic and career success as Rose Park is literally 'on the other side of the tracks'. West High, despite the neighborhood that has grown up around it, is a very good academic high school.
I really enjoyed listening to 'Competing Against Luck' (Audible). It ...more
I really enjoyed listening to 'Competing Against Luck' (Audible). It ...more
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Clayton M. Christensen is the Robert and Jane Cizik Professor of Business Administration at the Harvard Business School, with a joint appointment in the Technology & Operations Management and General Management faculty groups. He is best known for his study of innovation in commercial enterprises. His first book, The Innovator's Dilemma, articulated his theory of disruptive technology.
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“New products succeed not because of the features and functionality they offer but because of the experiences they enable. If”
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“Helping me feel like a good dad is not a Job to Be Done. It’s important to me, but it’s not going to trigger me to pull one product over another into my life. The concept is too abstract. A company couldn’t create a product or service to help me feel like a good dad without knowing the particular circumstances in which I’m trying to achieve that. The jobs I am hiring for are those that help me overcome the obstacles that get in the way of making progress toward the themes of my life—in specific circumstances. The full set of Jobs to Be Done as I go through life may roll up, collectively, into the major themes of my life, but they’re not the same thing.”
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