The concept of negative jobs" refers to situations where customers are not satisfied with the current solutions and are looking for a better alternative. These situations can be a great source of innovation in different business sectors. For instance, if customers are frustrated with long waiting times at the doctor's office, a business could innovate by offering quick medical tests at convenient locations, like the CVS Minute-Clinics. Similarly, if customers are not happy with the current options for food delivery, a business could innovate by offering a more efficient and reliable delivery service. The key is to identify these negative jobs" and come up with innovative solutions that better meet the customers' needs.

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Competing Against Luck by Clayton M. Christensen, Tadd Hall, Karen Dillon, and David S. Duncan

Is innovation inherently a question of luck? While good luck is never a bad thing, it turns out that innovation is more science than magic. Learn how...

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Often, "negative jobs" can become the best innovation opportunities. Harvard business school alum Rick Krieger and some partners started QuickMedx, the forerunner of CVS Minute-Clinics, after several frustrating hours waiting for his son to get a strep-throat test at the doctor. In this case, the customer didn't want to see a doctor. The customer needed a quick fix. Minute-Clinics are now available in more than 1,000 CVS locations, so you don't have to.

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The concept of negative jobs" from "Competing Against Luck" can be implemented in real-world business scenarios by identifying tasks or services that customers find frustrating, time-consuming, or unnecessary. Businesses can then innovate to provide solutions that eliminate these negative jobs" or make them more efficient. For example, the creation of CVS Minute-Clinics was a response to the negative job" of waiting for hours at the doctor's office for a simple test. By providing a quick, convenient alternative, they turned a negative job" into a successful business opportunity.

One surprising example of innovation opportunities arising from negative jobs, as discussed in "Competing Against Luck", is the creation of QuickMedx, the forerunner of CVS Minute-Clinics. This innovation was born out of the frustration of waiting for hours at the doctor's office for a simple strep-throat test. The customer in this case didn't want to see a doctor, but needed a quick fix. This led to the establishment of Minute-Clinics, which are now available in more than 1,000 CVS locations.

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