In his seminal book, Tony Ulwick provides an overview on the the Jobs-to-be-Done (JTBD) Needs Framework and Outcome-Driven Innovation (ODI) process that he invented and brought to perfection.

Tony Ulwick’s work also had influence on other thought leaders such as Alex Osterwalder.

In the foreword to Ulwick’s book, Osterwalder writes:

I learned to appreciate Tony Ulwick’s work when I dove deeper into the Jobs-to-be-Done concept via Professor Clayton Christensen book, The Innovator’s Solution (Harvard Business School Press, 2003), and Tony’s article “The Customer-Centered Innovation Map” (Harvard Business Review, 2008). Subsequently, I discovered Strategyn’s powerful Outcome-Driven Innovation (ODI) process that companies can use to effectively execute the innovation process. Ultimately, this research led me and my team to design the Value Proposition Canvas.

In the Value Proposition Canvas, the jobs section of the Customer Map clearly relates to Ulwick’s jobs-to-be-done concepts.

TL;DR

Before reading Tony Ulwick’s book, have a look at the following YouTube video where explains what the jobs-to-be-done theory is about.

You can get a free copy of the book at Strategyn’s website.