When Coffee & Kale Compete

1. What is "When Coffee & Kale Compete" by Alan Klement about?

• Focus on Customer Jobs Theory: The book introduces and explains the "Jobs to be Done" (JTBD) theory, which centers on understanding why customers buy and use products—not for the product itself, but for the progress it enables in their lives.
• Innovation and Product Development: It provides a framework for innovators, entrepreneurs, and product managers to create products that people will actually buy by focusing on customer motivation and self-betterment.
• Case Studies and Practical Application: The book is filled with real-world case studies and actionable advice, showing how JTBD can be applied to various industries and product types.
• Challenging Conventional Wisdom: Klement critiques traditional approaches like demographic segmentation and feature-driven development, advocating for a shift toward understanding the deeper reasons behind customer choices.

2. Why should I read "When Coffee & Kale Compete" by Alan Klement?

• Become a Better Innovator: The book equips readers with principles to create and sell products that customers truly want, making innovation more predictable and profitable.
• Move Beyond Surface-Level Data: It helps readers distinguish between useful and misleading data, focusing on what actually drives customer decisions.
• Avoid Common Pitfalls: By understanding JTBD, readers can avoid costly mistakes like overengineering products, misidentifying competition, and relying on vanity metrics.
• Real-World Success Stories: The book’s case studies demonstrate how JTBD thinking leads to tangible business results, making the theory practical and relatable.

3. What are the key takeaways from "When Coffee & Kale Compete"?

• Customers Seek Progress: People buy products to make progress in their lives, not for the product’s features or attributes.
• Competition Is Contextual: True competition is defined by the customer’s perspective and the progress they seek, not by product categories.
• Focus on Emotional Motivation: Understanding the emotional and aspirational drivers behind customer choices is crucial for innovation.
• Systems Thinking Matters: Products, customers, and producers are all part of a larger system of progress, and innovation should optimize how these parts work together.

4. How does Alan Klement define a "Job to be Done" (JTBD) in this book?

• Transformation Process: A JTBD is the process a consumer goes through to transform their existing life-situation into a preferred one, but cannot due to constraints.
• Not a Task or Activity: JTBD is not about specific tasks or product usage; it’s about the desired change or progress in the customer’s life.
• Emotional and Aspirational: The focus is on the emotional motivation and aspiration for self-betterment, rather than functional or social goals alone.
• Unique to Each Customer: Every JTBD is a unique combination of desires and circumstances, making it essential to understand the specific context.

5. What are the main principles of Customer Jobs Theory according to "When Coffee & Kale Compete"?

• Customers Want Progress: People don’t want products; they want to become better versions of themselves.
• People Have Jobs, Not Products: Only people have JTBD; products are merely solutions to help them achieve progress.
• Competition Is in the Mind: Customers define competition based on what helps them make progress, not on product similarities.
• Value Is Contextual: The value of a product is determined by the progress it enables in a specific context, not by its inherent features.
• Systems Approach: Producers, consumers, and products should be viewed as parts of a system that evolves together.

6. How does "When Coffee & Kale Compete" suggest identifying what customers really want?

• Study Struggling Moments: Look for moments when customers are dissatisfied or struggling, as these signal opportunities for progress.
• Ask About Past Behavior: Focus on what customers have actually done to solve their problems, not just what they say they want.
• Compare and Contrast Solutions: Investigate what other solutions customers have tried and what they liked or disliked about them.
• Uncover Emotional Drivers: Dig deeper to understand the emotional motivations and aspirations behind customer choices.

7. What are the "Forces of Progress" in Customer Jobs Theory as described by Alan Klement?

• Push and Pull: Push refers to the dissatisfaction with the current situation, while pull is the attraction to a better life or solution.
• Inertia and Anxiety: Inertia represents habits and resistance to change, while anxiety is the fear or uncertainty about adopting a new solution.
• Demand Generation and Reduction: These forces work together to either generate demand for a new product or reduce it, shaping customer decisions.
• Address All Four Forces: Successful innovation requires understanding and addressing all four forces, not just the desire for change.

8. How does "When Coffee & Kale Compete" redefine competition and market analysis?

• Customer-Defined Competition: Competition is determined by what customers consider as alternatives for making progress, not by industry categories.
• Look for Evidence of Switching: True competitors are those products or behaviors that customers switch from when adopting your solution.
• Avoid Product-Centric Thinking: Don’t assume products that look or function similarly are competitors; focus on the customer’s context and JTBD.
• Continuous Feedback: Regularly update your understanding of competition by talking to customers and observing their choices.

9. What practical steps does Alan Klement recommend for applying JTBD in product development?

• Conduct JTBD Interviews: Talk to customers about their struggles, aspirations, and the solutions they’ve tried.
• Frame Design Challenges as JTBD: Present problems to your team in terms of customer progress, not just features or tasks.
• Test for Real Struggle: Ensure there is genuine energy and motivation behind a customer’s desire for change before building solutions.
• Build Complementary Products: Instead of overengineering, create a system of products that work together to deliver ongoing progress.

10. How does "When Coffee & Kale Compete" address the role of systems thinking in innovation?

• Interdependencies Matter: Innovation should focus on how products, customers, and producers interact as a system, not just on individual parts.
• Optimize for the Whole: Improvements should enhance how the system delivers progress, rather than optimizing isolated features.
• Anticipate System Changes: Be aware that changes in one part of the system can have cascading effects elsewhere, affecting customer needs and product relevance.
• Continuous Evolution: The system of progress is ongoing, and successful businesses anticipate and respond to new customer aspirations as they arise.

11. What are the most common mistakes or myths about JTBD that "When Coffee & Kale Compete" warns against?

• Confusing Tasks with Jobs: Mistaking activities or product usage for the actual JTBD leads to shallow insights and missed opportunities.
• Over-Reliance on Demographics: Demographic data often misleads; focus on situational context and motivation instead.
• Chasing Visible Metrics: Relying solely on metrics like NPS or MAU can result in poor decisions if they don’t reflect true customer progress.
• Believing in "Impulse Purchases": Every purchase has underlying motivations and struggles; there are no truly random or impulsive buys.

12. What are the best quotes from "When Coffee & Kale Compete" and what do they mean?

• “Customers don’t want your product or what it does; they want help making themselves better.” – Emphasizes the core JTBD principle that people seek progress, not products.
• “Upgrade your user, not your product.” (Kathy Sierra) – Focus on enabling customer transformation rather than just adding features.
• “People have Jobs; things don’t.” – Reminds innovators that only people have aspirations and struggles; products are just tools.
• “Progress defines value; contrast reveals value.” – The value of a product is revealed by how much progress it enables compared to alternatives.
• “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.” – The book’s formal definition of JTBD, highlighting the focus on transformation and overcoming constraints.