Episode 48: Causality of action, Jobs-to-be-done and philosophy part 2

We continue our discussion about the relationships between philosophy and Jobs-to-be-done, starting with the causality of action, Aristotle and Jobs-to-be-done and Romeo and Juliet!

 

The core argument of Jobs-to-be-done

Human beings want to achieve certain things, call these things a “Job”

To achieve them, they use different means and different means can allow them to achieve the same Job, call these means “solutions”.

Some of those solutions are better, some are worse. We decide and judge which are worse, and which are better depending on how well the solutions help us get the job done, call this the “utility of a solution”.

For us to use new solutions to achieve the job, the solutions must significantly improve getting the job done compared to how we get it done now.

There is a way to know, even predict if a new solution does get the job done significantly better or not. This depends on how well the solution performs against the set of criteria that we use to evaluate the utility of a new solution, call these “outcomes” or “job metrics”.

We can express and know all our outcomes.

If a new solution allows us to get the job done significantly better, i.e. performs better measured by the outcomes, we are much more likely to adopt it.

Therefore, with Jobs-to-be-done it is possible to know if a new solution will be adopted to get a job done.

 

Episode transcript:

 

We're continuing our discussion on philosophical perspective on jobs to be done or what philosophy is in jobs to be done. Last time we talked a lot about rationality and how that relates to jobs to be done and if it applies to being rational. Today, we're going to jump right in to a little bit of a different topic and that's the connection between jobs to be done and the theory, let's say, of causality or how causality, especially causality of action, plays a role in jobs to be done. Now the last time I kind of laid out what is the core argument of jobs to be done. I think we'll put it in the description as well for this episode. But in that core argument, I kind of framed jobs as a theory to predict adoption, adoption of solutions. And in there, probably there is a claim also about the causality of action. So in the sense that jobs to be done has some kind of claim about what makes people act in a certain way or what are things that make people act in a certain way. And that's the causality of action. Now, I'm stressing causality of action because I think we should, from the start, differentiate between causality kind of in nature. So that probably Jonathan is more your physical kind of description of the universe. And we can discuss how that relates to the causality of action, but causality of action is more about behavior, like about human beings. What are, are there even causes to action and that kind of distinction? So I think that's important to keep in mind. Now it's quite a strong claim. So saying that there is something to say about the causality, even of action or a prediction of action. And I think jobs we don't have something to say about this. Now, I don't know how you see this. I framed this as a prediction of adoption that jobs we don't allow us to do this. That's a very strong claim. How do you both see that? Is that too strong to say? Or is that probably, yeah, quite right, I don't know. So go ahead, Jonathan. No, go ahead. I was just going to reframe the question to make sure. Yeah. Well, I think it's I think it's like the next frontier. I mean, a causality is interesting. And actually, Jonathan, I give you a lot of credit for sort of bringing this to my consciousness. You know, when we win, you know, it's sort of our are at least one of the reasons we come to jobs we've done initially is to because we want to we want to innovate, create new products, which means we want to understand what causes somebody to buy one or switch to a new product. But then, but that's how that's the that's the entree into it. But then you realize, wow, causality in itself is such an amazing thing. And one of the the first things that, you know, the least curse to me is is like how the statisticians for centuries have just stayed out of it. And it's really aggravating, honestly. And it was the book of why, Jonathan, that you brought me to. And then we had a wonderful guest, Paul Hoonerman, who's, wow, he spoke, he was able to speak so, somebody with a deep expert like that, and he really was able to frame things so simply. I was blown away by that. But, you know, the people that I just love these people today, the modern folks that have taken on causality wins. Again