I am working for a new product at the moment and again I am kinda struggling(!) with writing a good user value hypothesis.
I am used to templates like the well-known job story:
When … (Situation)
I want … (Progress)
So I can … (JTBD)
Example (vacation & flight):
When I need a vacation far away from home
I want to get abroad by plane
So I can recover
This clearly describes the user need aka the job-to-be-done but it somehow lacks the created value. User value or satisfaction emerges as the relation between user needs and attributes of your product. Is it more like “abundance of pain” or is it more like “yeeehaa!”?
The Kano model describes user value in different dimensions like basic or excitement. I really love Kano’s theory and also the rule that exciters become basics over time.
I just had the very simple idea to mash up Jobs and Kano and added two lines to the template:
When … (Situation)
I want … (Progress)
So I can … (JTBD)
I am satisfied if (Basic Expectation)
I am excited if (Unexpected Outcome)
Again, the example (vacation):
When I need a vacation far away from home
I want to get abroad by plane
So I can recover
I am satisfied if departure time, meal and seat are ok
I am excited if I get a FIRST CLASS UPGRADE!
Quite simple but powerful!
In the above example the hired solution is already inside the story, but you could also apply this in a more abstract way:
Another example (lawn)
When the grass in my garden is growing fast
I want an easy way to keep it short
So I can have a beautifully cut lawn
I am satisfied if the price is affordable and the color is nice
I am excited if my neighbors elect me as the KING OF GRASS!
The question is: does it make any sense to come up with a classification of user value which only exits hypothetically? A job story lives in the future, Kano normally looks at features in the present/past.
Jan is an Entrepreneur and Product Guy living with his family in Hamburg, Germany. As a Consultant he helps companies with Lean Product Management.