Some organizations rely on “tolerable” attributes—basic features that customers put up with, but view negatively. Customers will put up with these, but only until a viable alternative presents itself. Then, what was once tolerable may become a dissatisfier, or worse. Often, customers aren’t even able to articulate these points; they simply put up with them or unconsciously rely on workarounds. These friction points are the places most vulnerable to inflection points. Understanding them are key to survival.
Ask: who else is fulfilling the same or similar jobs to be done? From there, evaluate the consumption chain that consumers must go through to complete their job. Where does it break down? What are the positives and negatives about doing business with you along this chain? Finally, consider how these configurations are likely to change given possible inflection points.
Organizations should strive to identify points at which, if constraints were to change, a competitor would be able to address their customers in a new or better way.
Related
Strategic inflection points disrupt the underlying assumptions of a business or industry Change happens gradually, then suddenly. Innovation cascades innovation
