Core Idea
People don’t simply buy products—they *hire* them to get a job done. The framework shifts the focus from the product to the progress the customer seeks in a given context. *
“People don’t want a quarter-inch drill. They want a quarter-inch hole.” – Theodore Levitt
Key Components
1. **Job**: A goal or task the customer is trying to accomplish. It can be: *
– Functional: e.g., ‘Get to work on time’
– Emotional: e.g., ‘Feel confident presenting to a client’
– Social: e.g., ‘Be seen as an expert by peers’
2. **Job Performer**: The person trying to accomplish the job.
3. **Circumstances**: The context or constraints influencing how the job is performed.
4. **Desired Outcomes**: Metrics the customer uses to judge success (e.g., speed, cost, ease).
5. **Struggling Moments**: Indicators of unmet needs or innovation opportunities.
JTBD Process Steps
1. Identify the Job(s): *
– Through interviews or observation, ask: “What are you trying to accomplish?”
– Look for tasks that recur or cause frustration.
2. Map the Job Steps:
– Break down the main job into discrete steps (before, during, after).
3. Capture Desired Outcomes:
– E.g., “Minimize time it takes to…” or “Reduce likelihood of…”
4. Segment by Job, Not Demographics:
– Different people may hire the same product for different jobs.
– Group customers by similar jobs or outcomes, not age/gender/location.
5. Design Solutions Around the Job:
– Focus on removing friction or increasing efficiency for each job step.
Use Cases
– Product development: Shape features around the job. *
– Marketing: Position your product as the best way to get a job done.
– Customer research: Go beyond “personas” to real functional needs.
– Innovation: Discover unmet needs where customers are “hacking” solutions.
Notable JTBD Resources
– Clayton Christensen – *Competing Against Luck* *
– Tony Ulwick – *What Customers Want*
– Intercom – *Jobs to be Done: A Framework for Customer Needs*
Example
Product: Meal delivery service *
Job: “Feed my family quickly with something healthy after work”
Desired Outcomes:
– Minimize prep time
– Maximize nutritional value
– Avoid complaints from kids
– Stay under $20
Footnotes
1. This idea is popularized by Harvard Business School professor Clayton Christensen.
2. The division into functional, emotional, and social jobs comes from Christensen and Tony Ulwick’s frameworks.
3. The process is adapted from Ulwick’s Outcome-Driven Innovation methodology.
4. These use cases are drawn from examples shared by Intercom and Strategyn.
5. These books are foundational texts in the JTBD literature.
6. This example is inspired by Christensen’s milkshake case study, reinterpreted for a meal delivery service.
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