What’s the difference between project management and new product/service innovation?

I think most people would say that the biggest difference is that, with innovation, companies have to figure out what their target customers want/need in addition to figuring out how to deliver results.

The Jobs-to-Be-Done (JTBD) innovation approach turns the front-end of innovation into project management by discovering what customers want/need with a rigor that most firms don’t employ even for their own internal projects. (Both project management and innovation carry some risk that, even when the customers’ needs are known, the firm won’t be able to make what they want).

It may seem like JTBD provides less value to technology companies that know their target customers’ unmet needs and are differentiating by creating ever-improving technology. Yet, most companies are not good at discerning the difference between what they know (based on solid evidence) and what they think they know.

Even the master of leading technology firms, Steve Jobs, said “You’ve got to start with the customer experience and work back toward the technology, not the other way around.” (YouTube Clip)

If you want to create compelling new value for your target customers, discover their compelling unmet needs.

Are you tired of slugging it out over market share? There’s a better way.