When Coffee and Kale Compete: Become great at making products people will buy

Alan Klement

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.

“When Coffee and Kale Compete” is a book that provides practical guidance on how to create products that people will buy. The author, Alan Klement, draws on his experience as a product designer and marketer to offer a framework for understanding customer needs and creating products that meet those needs. The book is written in a conversational style, with numerous examples and case studies to illustrate the concepts discussed.

1. Start by understanding the customer: Before creating a product, it’s important to have a deep understanding of the customer’s needs, wants, and motivations.
2. Use Jobs-to-be-Done (JTBD) framework: JTBD is a framework for understanding why people buy products and services. It helps you identify the underlying job that customers are trying to accomplish, which can inform product design.
3. Focus on the desired outcome: When creating a product, focus on the desired outcome that the customer wants to achieve, rather than the product itself.
4. Identify and eliminate friction: Friction is anything that makes it difficult for the customer to achieve their desired outcome. Identifying and removing friction can increase the chances of product success.
5. Test and validate your ideas: Before fully committing to a product idea, it’s important to test it with real customers to validate that it meets their needs.
6. Solve the right problem: Make sure that you’re solving the right problem for your customers. If you’re not solving a real problem, your product is unlikely to be successful.
7. Make it easy for customers to buy: Make it as easy as possible for customers to buy your product. This can include offering multiple payment options, providing clear and concise information about the product, and making the checkout process straightforward.
8. Create a product that is differentiated: Create a product that stands out from the competition by offering unique features or solving problems in a unique way.
9. Price for value: Price your product based on the value it provides to customers, not just what the market will bear.
10. Continuously improve: Continuously gather feedback from customers and make improvements to your product based on that feedback. This will help keep your product relevant and ensure customer satisfaction.