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When Coffee & Kale Compete: Become Great at Making Products People Will Buy

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A Job to be Done is the process a consumer goes through whenever she aims to transform her existing life-situation into a preferred one, but cannot because there are constraints that stop her. When Coffee and Kale Compete by Alan Klement helps you become better at creating and selling products that people will buy. Your joy at work will grow. You will know how to help companies increase profits, reduce waste, and remain competitive. In doing so, you will help economies prosper, and help provide stable jobs for employees and the families that depend on them. Top entrepreneurs, business owners, and Alan himself share their experiences of how they used Job to be Done to help them create successful products. Alan not only relates success stories but also gives examples of products and companies that failed. The experiences of others will help you make the best choices for your own company or the company where you work. You will also learn how to analyze the competition and make customers notice your product. The knowledge in this book will help you boost growth for your product and business.

232 pages, ebook

Published January 1, 2016

356 people are currently reading
2042 people want to read

About the author

Alan Klement

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 80 reviews
Profile Image for Andrea Hill.
110 reviews10 followers
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January 11, 2018
There are several different camps who lay claim to Jobs to be Done; the theory that people have things in their lives they're trying to accomplish, and they "hire" products and services to get them done.

I first read books about JTBD by Harvard Business School professor Clay Christensen and Strategyn founder Tony Ulwick. I was intrigued when I came across this ebook by Klement, who claims to be evolving JTBD theory.

Klement is very contrarian on Twitter, so I wasnt sure if I'd like this book. It was definitely an easy read, which made JTBD feel more "accessible" for someone who wanted to integrate it into my work.

The problem? (and the reason I'm updating this review a year later?) This "evolving theory" isn't an improvement over more established works. There's also zero case studies supporting his claims, which seems to make it a hypothesis, not a theory at all.

When I first read this book, I thought I better understood this approach.. but the details of how it can help innovators are noticeably absent. So, eat read but hard to actually do anything with.

I used to recommend this book, but now I'd say that if you really want to understand how Jobs to be Done can help you create products or services, look to other sources.
Profile Image for Michał.
18 reviews3 followers
August 26, 2017
I gave up 2/3rds through this book and I shouldn't have gone that far. I hoped it would make the JTBD framework more concrete and usable for me. It didn't. The book is full of repetitions and stories sparsely populated with information. The book evidently lacks editorial work. The part I read could have been condensed to few pages.

On top of that the author seems to have some personal issues with Clayton Christensen. Criticism of his work and the "Innovators Dilemma" are spread and repeated across this book. It's ok to criticize Christensen, but this criticism lacks substance like the rest of this book.

I'm giving 2 stars because nonetheless the author made a large effort and plenty of research. He gathered plenty of material which future researchers can build on.
Profile Image for Nick Toumpelis.
8 reviews4 followers
February 10, 2019
The first edition of this book was my introduction to JTBD. I came across it on JTBD.info (Medium), which is managed by Alan Klement (the author). Prior to getting the book, I had a brief look at some of the ideas described there and got the book to do a deeper dive. I had no idea what JTBD is prior to that, and no clue about the history of the theory.

The theory itself makes a lot of sense, and for me, it clicked in many places with my own experiences and observations about innovation and product development. JTBD is much closer to the truth of how successful products are built. If you start using JTBD as a lens, you can recognise a lot of the principles in practice in many successful tech innovators. I could see a lot of these principles were in action at Spotify while I was working there.

The book itself uses a lot of examples from successful products from the tech world, and the theory fits like a glove. However, the author's own experience and the case studies he uses are not very strong. The companies studied are not very strong examples in terms of success or longevity.

The book is also not very strong on process. Yes, it's not easy or advisable to try to manufacture innovation (after all, Deming's advice for innovation is "freedom"), but as we know creativity can thrive more easily within a frame of reference, or a process. So, this book is practically useless in that sense. This led me to do some additional research on other practitioners of JTBD.

Apparently, there is some kind of JTBD "civil war" going on for some time now, mostly attacks against other JTBD practitioners, emanating from the author of the book.

Whatever your opinion about the author or this book is, the JTBD theory is explained really well in this book, and it is a sound theory. This book serves as a good introduction to JTBD, but it is not sufficient. To get a fuller understanding of JTBD it is worth reading Anthony Ulwick's "Jobs To Be Done" and Clayton Christensen's "The Innovator's Solution". The former gets more into the details of the Outcome-Driven Innovation process, which offers a template for applying JTBD in product development.
Profile Image for Vasiliy Sikorskiy.
91 reviews6 followers
May 20, 2020
Если коротко, то сам подход к созданию продукта Jobs to be done мне понравился и я считаю его полезным, но сама книга написана отвратительно. Я постоянно продирался сквозь дебри информации, которая плохо структурирована. Отвык от такого уже, честно говоря. Вроде бы много кейсов, но не понятно, что именно подразумевает автор, для чего он пишет тот или иной кусок.

Из хорошего - посмотрел критично на свое понимание маркетинга и коммуникаций с клиентами, появилось значимо больше мотивации общаться с клиентами на регулярной основе. JTBD дает хорошее понимание того, под каким ракурсом стоит смотреть на использование любого продукта клиентами и на то, как следует развивать продукт.
Profile Image for Dalan Mendonca.
168 reviews58 followers
April 23, 2017
Fantastic book to get started with the JTBD framework. Free of jargon and bullshit. Must read for all makers.
Profile Image for Heath Lympaney.
5 reviews16 followers
April 18, 2017
I finished this book a month ago. That I keep going back to the book as a reference, and that I have started to use the language of the book is a testament to value and lessons in the book. On that basis alone it is worth a read.

However, I can't give the book five starts. At times it was difficult to read. The writing is clear, but there are sections where his desire to have a dig at someone and push a parallel agenda gets the better of him. Getting personal detracts from the text, and does not add any value to me as the reader.

In those moments I felt like I was reading a blog, and not a book. If I had paid for this book (I downloaded the free ebook) I would have stopped reading.

When he stayed on topic, and served me the reader wanting to learn about JTBD, the book was easy to read and has a lot to give. (There is some irony in the fact that those sections where he diverts his focus to push his own agenda, did not help me get the Job-Done. And that in that way he did not follow his own advice.)
Profile Image for Yoel Monzón.
21 reviews1 follower
November 8, 2023
Reading 'When Coffee & Kale Compete' has revolutionized my approach as a Software Engineer, shifting my focus from technical prowess to satisfying customer needs. The Job to be Done theory transcends traditional product development jargon, making it accessible and practical. This book is a must-read for tech professionals seeking to elevate their work from mere technical solutions to creating products that truly resonate with users. It's not just a guide; it's the mentor that every developer needs to bridge the gap between engineering excellence and customer satisfaction.
1 review
January 9, 2018
This book is utter garbage. A poor attempt to rewrite JTBD history and trash the actual pioneers so Alan and his pals can get a free lunch. Disgusting. Avoid and go with the books of the experts: Anthony Ulwick, Lance Bettencourt, Clayton Christensen, etc. I’m disgusted by this Klement guy.
Profile Image for Micah Evans.
19 reviews1 follower
August 18, 2023
The de facto resource to understand Jobs to be Done. Phenomenal book for anyone in product, design, eng or related field and want a better way to structure how to determine what to build.
Profile Image for Tiago Vilela.
9 reviews
March 21, 2024
I enjoyed the JTBD concept and its detailed explanation of the different environments, forces, and use cases to corroborate the theory.

It’s good that is specific for the topic, maybe a little bit short for the overall product development process. It’s a 3,5 ⭐️ IMP
Profile Image for Bohdan.
180 reviews6 followers
June 25, 2021
нанял книгу на работу
Profile Image for Ketil Moland.
23 reviews8 followers
February 13, 2019
Read this book first

If you are trying to get a better understanding of the Jobs to be Done-concept, do yourself a favor and pick up this excellent book first. There are several different JTBD schools, and this book does a great job of laying out the differences between them.

If you, like me, have explored other resources before finding this one, I would recommend starting with reading chapter 16: "Appendix: Know the two – very – different interpretations of Jobs to be Done." It will help you gain a better understanding of the significant differences between what the author calls Jobs-As-Activities and Jobs-As-Progress.

This book focuses on the latter concept, and it does so splendidly. I enjoyed reading this well-written book, and am looking forward to starting experimenting with Jobs to be Done in my day-to-day job.
Profile Image for Dallyn.
31 reviews
August 26, 2017
I read this book once. And then I read it again. And I keep going back to it. I've even signed up for a paperback. It's one of the best books I've read on the topic of innovation.

Alan Klement keeps the language simple and the content well edited and concise. His work is supported by past successes, mathematics and psychology. The book reflects the idea of Jobs to be Done against successful and failed products.

This book isn't only about theory. It even gives you a few ideas on how you can get started with practicing Jobs to be Done from brainstorming with your team to research and interview questions.

I respect that Alan doesn't preach that this is the only way to do things, but also encourages you to participate in challenging these concepts through his various public channels. It's not a step by step formula to instant success. It arms you with the tools and knowledge necessary while you walk through the complex ecosystem of customer-solution relationships.

I look forward to more from Alan Klement.
Profile Image for Jack.
22 reviews
July 31, 2017
Klement shows you how to listen to customers and find their struggle to evolve. Aligning your company with properly conducted research around problems (not solutions!) is a great way toward success for your products. This book has great examples of companies that properly implemented JTBD (kudos for not having the overused AirBnB as an example). Succinct writing from a practitioner - low on theory, high on implementation. Definitely worth reading multiple times and should be treated as a manual for reference.
Profile Image for Alexey Strelkov.
10 reviews1 follower
November 17, 2021
Surprisingly bad. The structure of the book is awful. Author beats a lot around the bush without giving a proper definitions for anything. Lots of repetition and boring case-studies trying to sell me the idea about JTBD (why? I already bought the book, hence I am interested). You can read just the appendix that has condensed information from most of the chapters and not read the whole book.

Better read “The Mom test” that has much more practical information without that much repetition.
Profile Image for Andrii Bas.
137 reviews22 followers
July 6, 2019
Great book!

JTBD theory is very powerful! Looking through the eyes of the customer that has a Job to Be Done and hires different products/services to do this job is eye-opening. It shows how sometimes seemingly unrelated products are actually competitors.

The theory is based on the assumption that we have an intrinsic desire to improve ourselves. To become a better version of ourselves, and are working to achieve this.
For me, it seems to be only partially true, since people are super good at harming oneself (directly and indirectly).

But nevertheless, I think the JTBD theory is good enough to be applied to Product Management and achieve good results!

All models are wrong, but some are useful ;)

----
Some Principles of Customer Jobs:
1. Customers don’t want your product or what it does; they want help making themselves better (i.e., they want to transform a life-situation, make progress)
2. People have Jobs; things don’t.
3. Competition is defined in the minds of customers, and they use progress as their criterion.
4. When customers start using a solution for a JTBD, they stop using something else. The competition for a JTBD is a zero-sum game.
5. Favor progress over outcomes and goals. (Customers need to feel successful at every touch point between themselves and your business, not just at the very end when the outcome of an action is realized.)
6. Progress defines value; contrast reveals value.
7. Producers, consumers, solutions, and Jobs should be thought of as parts of a system that work together to evolve markets. (e.g.: provide not just grills, but cooking guides, recipes, etc.)

P. S. recently read the book "Positioning". The concept that products take a position in the customer's head relates to the JTBD theory.
Profile Image for Budd Margolis.
856 reviews13 followers
April 26, 2020
JTBD or "jobs to be done" which explains that consumers hire products to do tasks and if you understand that, you will be able to make products consumers desire. There are pulls and pushes which defines the purchase decision process and a few useful industry examples. But I reject the idea what Kodak made a mistake rejecting their digital camera prototype in 1975. If they had developed this, way before the tech would make this small and affordable/practical, they would have had to spend hundreds of millions on a system that eventually smartphones disrupt anyway. And Kodak would not have reaped many years of billions of dollars of revenues. This Kodak digital camera story has been dragged out many times and never makes sense but people seem to buy it. Generally, this is a good system to cover many of the consumer behaviour hot points.
22 reviews
April 4, 2021
The author's wish is to make this the manifesto of Job To Be Done (JTBD) theory.
He does succeed in the objective, since the theory is presented clearly and with examples that help explain it.
However, you can tell that this book is put together from different blog posts that the author had previously released on the web. A lot of the content is duplicated at different times of the book and the readability doesn't flow. Every chapter seems like a fresh start.
The book is short but it could be much shorter and provide the same amount of information.

Most of the book can be summarized with "Build products that are going to improve the quality of life of the customer by solving a specific problem they currently have"
Suggest to download it for free at the author's website (https://www.alanklement.com/) and only focus on first chapters
Profile Image for Jeno.
242 reviews74 followers
September 11, 2023
While it starts quite okay, the author proceeds to mention some no-names in the industry that were 'successful' after they have implemented the JTBD approach.
The majority of them apparently 'creating infoproducts' aka info-gypsies, that's how we call them in the CEE region.

There are contradictory quotes by 'gurus' like Jobs (obviously, your book won't sell if you don't mention him once or twice. NOT Wozniak, but a sales guy Jobs) and... you won't believe it... the movie called Gravity is always being mentioned there.

Cheap brochure, I am forcing myself to finish it.
It could be a medium post. Maybe a series, if you really want those stories about Jobs added.
Not worth the money, find it on Youtube or on Substack, don't buy the brochure with questionable examples.
Profile Image for Andrew Balyk.
184 reviews6 followers
January 28, 2024


Загалом не погана книга по JTBD (методології, яка розглядає споживачів як людей, які купують продукти та послуги не заради продуктів самих по собі, а для вирішення конкретних завдань чи задач у своєму житті). Але якщо ви вже знайомі з даною концепцією, то, напевно, книга буде трохи нудна.

Я думаю, що Клемент міг би глибше дослідити деякі з концепцій JTBD. Наприклад, він лише коротко торкається того, як JTBD можна використовувати для розробки продуктів.

Та і деякі приклади досить сирі. Тобто люди використали JTBD, виявили щось цікаве про потенційних своїх клієнтів, але не зрозуміло чи підтвердилась гіпотеза і чи воно якось вплинуло на розробку продукту.


71 reviews1 follower
October 2, 2019
The book is okay. I struggled getting through and focusing on the very theoretical and convoluted first quarter. Overall I thought the writing style was annoyingly repetitive and the book would have barely needed half the pages to get the points across.
The case studies are super interesting and made the book worthwhile for me, but it came at a cost of feeling like wasting a lot of time on excessively reiterated concepts and recited quotes from merely one page prior. Hard work. But JTBD is an awesome framework/theory, which is only confirmed by this book.
Profile Image for Guru.
223 reviews23 followers
July 23, 2021
A decent overview of the Jobs To Be Done approach, way better than Ulwick's sales-y book. Klement's approach is different from Ulwick's in that it takes a higher-level view of what a Job is. The underlying argument is that a customer wants to improve something in her life (or work) and that is the job to be done. Everything else is downstream activities that people do in order to achieve that job.
The second half of the book with the case studies gets a little slow and repetitive, but otherwise a decent read.
Profile Image for Brett Steingo.
5 reviews1 follower
September 23, 2021
This book explains the debate between the two schools of 'JTBD' thinking and makes a robust case for the 'jobs-as-progress' view. It establishes a theory of JTBD based on academic writing and experience, rather than a typology designed as a basis for selling courses and low-stakes certifications. There are a few gaps in the case studies making evidence appear somewhat anecdotal and 'cherry picked' but the concepts are articulated clearly. I recommend this book for startup entrepreneurs as well as enterprise product managers and product marketing managers.
Profile Image for Deepika Dongre ( Deepika Bandaru).
38 reviews21 followers
April 15, 2019
This book does a good job explaining the aspirational 'Job to be done' theory. The cases are diverse and fit well into the framework. But the choice of examples left me wondering about the longevity of JBTD based solutions.
Loved how the cases were practical and not merely theoretical applications. Would have appreciated it more if the author jumped into the cases sooner and spent less time pitching for the theory. The 'why I need it' went far too long before 'what it is' started.
Profile Image for Dancall.
190 reviews7 followers
May 8, 2019
A book all about the ‘Jobs to the Done’ (JTBD) theory - how Revlon ‘makes cosmetics in the factory and sells hope in the drugstore’ - and how, when someone buys a drill, they are actually buying holes (or, more accurately, a tidier home). It is about what motivates people to buy what they buy, with case studies including a theatre, chocolate bars and food delivery. A lot of the theory is pretty obvious in retrospect, but great for giving you a new lens through which to see the world.
Profile Image for Kostas.
9 reviews1 follower
April 7, 2020
For the large part I wasn't very happy with the book for a few reasons: content didn't feel well structured; there are many references to other theories, which isn't bad but it was hard to keep track if I'm reading a book about jobs to be done or something else; it seems that Alan has a problem with Clayton Christensen and it doesn't look good when this is quite visible throughout the book.
However, last few chapters and appendix 'saved' it and I would say I do recommend reading it.
Profile Image for Christoph.
28 reviews1 follower
July 20, 2020
I like the definition the author gives on the Jobs to be done concept and also think this is a great and deep introduction to the topic. The business cases presented through the book are a good illustration and discuss the concept well. I think the author falls short with the concept when mentioning highly innovative/disruptive products like the iPhone and then he doesn't lay the presented concept onto these cases. The author also focuses very much on this one concept, understandable, because it's the main topic of this book, but a little bit of self-critique and discussion of near concepts would have been great.
Profile Image for Mochammad Hadyan.
123 reviews4 followers
November 19, 2023
Customer job is fascinating theory to shift your mindset when building product that is customer oriented. However, it doesn't mean you need to build product that customer want, instead build something that can fulfill the true desire of customer, which is getting their job done and evolving as human to get a better life.

This book explain thoroughly about JTBD theory on how to set right mindset to build product that people will buy and use.
Profile Image for M Laura Engelbrecht.
36 reviews2 followers
December 4, 2023
Aunque me gustó bastante, no llegó a ser un favorito absoluto. Klement hace un excelente trabajo al explicar el marco de 'Jobs to be Done' (JTBD), una teoría crucial para entender cómo la gente decide qué comprar, y que es fundamental para cualquier profesional de marketing o diseño de productos​.
Lo recomendaría, pero con la advertencia de que puede que no cubra todos los aspectos con la profundidad que algunos podríamos esperar.
Profile Image for pushkar.
88 reviews1 follower
October 27, 2024
Good insight into innovation using customer jobs to be done principle

A good book on explaining the concepts around customer jobs to be done, applying to various products, but I think, humans psychology is more complex - they want to make progress, but there may be other motivations to move ahead - avoid something, copy others, etc. So apply it with caution, so that you don't miss out of other factors which maybe at play.
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