Competing Against Luck

Why Focusing on Customer Progress Makes Innovation Win Where Features and Data Fail

Clayton M. Christensen

8 Key Insights

About This Book

Unlock the hidden drivers of breakthrough innovation by shifting your focus from products to the real progress your customers crave. This actionable guide dives deep into the 'Jobs to Be Done' theory, revealing why most innovation fails despite clever technology and data. Readers will explore real stories of major successes and stumbles, learning to spot the true reasons people 'hire' or 'fire' solutions every day—often for reasons that are emotional and social, not just practical. If you want to confidently design solutions people actually want (and will pay a premium for), this content provides the tools, mindsets, and proven steps to leave hit-or-miss innovation behind.

About the Author

Clayton M. Christensen is renowned for his work on disruptive innovation and was a long-time professor at Harvard Business School. He has helped guide Fortune 100 companies and ambitious startups alike in understanding why strong businesses struggle and how to reignite their growth. Christensen’s insights draw on decades of academic research and hands-on consulting across healthcare, technology, education, and more. Warm, down-to-earth, and relentlessly curious, he is celebrated for making complex ideas actionable, bridging the gap between theory and practice.

Biggest Takeaway

By applying the Jobs to Be Done approach, you'll gain a new lens on your organization’s challenges. Expect to consistently uncover hidden needs, develop products and services that win fierce loyalty, and identify overlooked markets that competitors miss. You'll learn to translate customer struggles and context into well-defined 'job specs,' design experiences that trigger repeat use, and remove stubborn obstacles to adoption. Ultimately, you’ll build solutions your customers can't live without and nurture a culture of predictable, sustainable innovation.