Section 1 Overview
Introduction to Tony Ulwick's & Strategyn's approach to implementing JTBD
Section 1: Foundations of Jobs-to-be-Done
Jobs-to-be-Done theory has evolved considerably since its early conceptual origins, but the gap between theory and practice remains a challenge for most product teams. Section I establishes the historical background you need to understand both where JTBD came from and how it can be applied.
These two chapters trace the evolution of JTBD from Theodore Levitt's early insights through Clayton Christensen's theoretical framework to Tony Ulwick's Outcome Driven Innovation methodology. You'll understand the different schools of JTBD thinking, why they emerged, and how practitioners like Ulwick and his firm turned academic concepts into their processes they promote.
Chapter 1 covers the history and core principles of JTBD theory, addressing common misconceptions and questions that arise when teams first encounter these ideas. Chapter 2 introduces the Outcome Driven Innovation framework that serves as this book's primary methodology.
By the end of Section I, you'll have a solid grounding in JTBD fundamentals and understand why ODI provides the structured approach needed to move from theory to practice. This foundation sets the stage for Section II, where we'll dive deep into the specific methods, mental models, and implementation guidelines that make JTBD work in real-world product development contexts.