jobs that arise at different stages in the lives of customers

 Clayton M. Christensen, The innovator's prescription, 2009 

p.253

([ ... after the fact ...])

  The principle is: when two different products are being hired for two different jobs that arise at different points in time and space in the lives of customers, we expect those products to remain independent of each other. Companies that offer both will not have an advantage over companies that focus on one or the other. But if the job(s) that different products are being hired to do arises at the same point in time and space in the life of a customer, then we expect the companies that offer both products to build a competitive advantage. This is why, for example, companies that seek to become “financial supermarkets” by offering the full range of products customers could possible need--including checking accounts, savings accounts, credit cards, brokerage services, life insurance, consumer loans, and mortgage loans--typically fail. The jobs that each of these are hired to do arise at different points in a customer's life. In contrast, the reason why gasoline stations and convenience stores have converged is that the desire to fill up on junk food and the need to fill up with gasoline arise at the same time for many customers.

   ( Christensen, Clayton M., 2009, The innovator's prescription : a disruptive solution for health care / by Clayton M. Christensen, Jerome H. Grossman, Jason Hwang., 1. Health services administration., 2. Public health administration.

3. Disruptive technologies., RA971.C56  2009, 362.1  Christen,  )

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