In times of crisis, use jobs-to-be-done to spot new product ideas – Board of Innovation

Traveling to an exotic destination can solve a lot of problems for your clients – but it’s not the only option they have.

Say their need is:

There are a lot of stress-reduction products and services out there. Many have emerged throughout the health crisis. Some of those are even in the travel and tourism space.

Take Project Passport – they offer mental empowerment retreats and events for women. Obviously, their offerings weren’t very popular amid the initial Covid-19 wave, so they adapted. The team behind Project Passport realized they could still solve their clients’ jobs-to-be-done – and potentially tap into an underserved section of the market in those unable to travel – simply by altering their products.

Project Passport now offer “Virtual Retreats.” In each, a facilitator guides participants through stress management techniques, self-discovery exercises, and more. The service is pay-as-you-go and available to both groups and individuals.

Now, what if their needs are:

Instead of a regular hotel experience, HomeSuitHome.com created a substitute service where they bring the hotel experience to their client’s home. They’ll get access to the convenience and novelty of a concierge service, food boxes, remote concerts, etc., without breaking lockdown. Not every real-world experience can be transferred to the home, of course. But in a pinch, this could be a great alternative.

The need:

Sometimes, substitutes can be found well outside the core market (which is travel and tourism, in this example).

If disconnecting from work is the job to be done, a client has a lot of indoor options. They can watch Netflix rather than go to the movies. Or in lieu of the germy gym, they could sweat away lingering stress on a Peloton bike.

Then there’s gaming, which boomed like never before during the crisis. One of the clear winners in this space was Animal Crossing – an accessible world-building game where people of all ages create mini islands and socialize whenever they feel like it.

Same problems, different solutions.