Jobs to Be Done (JTBD)

Jobs to Be Done (JTBD) is a powerful framework and theory in business and innovation that shifts the focus from what a product is to what a customer hires a product or service to do.

It posits that people don’t buy products or services for their features, but rather to accomplish a specific “job” in their lives.

The Core Idea: “People don’t want a quarter-inch drill, they want a quarter-inch hole.”

This famous quote, often attributed to Theodore Levitt and elaborated upon by Harvard Business School professor Clayton Christensen, encapsulates the essence of JTBD. It highlights that the product itself is merely a means to an end. Understanding that “end” – the job the customer is trying to get done – is crucial for true innovation.

What Are “Jobs to Be Done”?

A “job” in the JTBD context is more than just a task; it’s a fundamental problem, goal, or desired outcome that a customer is trying to achieve in a specific circumstance. It often has:

• Functional aspects: The practical tasks or problems to be solved (e.g., “transport myself from A to B,” “store my digital photos securely”).
• Emotional aspects: How the customer wants to feel while doing the job, or after it’s completed (e.g., “feel productive,” “feel safe,” “be perceived as competent”).
• Social aspects: How the customer wants to be perceived by others when doing the job (e.g., “look fashionable,” “be seen as a good parent,” “maintain professional credibility”).

Crucially, a job is solution-agnostic. It exists independently of any particular product or service. People have been trying to “connect with loved ones far away” for centuries, long before telephones or video calls existed.

Why is JTBD Important?

1. Deeper Customer Understanding: JTBD moves beyond demographics and psychographics to understand the underlying motivations and causal factors behind purchase decisions. It helps you understand why someone makes a choice, not just who they are.
2. Predictable Innovation: By focusing on underserved jobs or desired outcomes, companies can develop products and services that truly resonate with customers, increasing the likelihood of market success. It provides a roadmap for innovation.
3. Breaks Down Silos: It aligns teams (product, marketing, sales, R&D) around a common understanding of the customer’s true needs, fostering a customer-centric culture across the organization.
4. Identifies Real Competition: Your competition isn’t just companies selling similar products; it’s anything a customer “hires” to get the same job done. For example, a restaurant’s competitor might be a home meal kit delivery service if the job is “get a delicious and convenient dinner for my family after a long day.”
5. Uncovers Market Opportunities: JTBD helps identify “non-consumers” – people who aren’t currently using any solution because existing ones are too expensive, complex, or inconvenient. This is a fertile ground for creating new markets (“baking a bigger pie”).
6. Effective Marketing and Messaging: Once you understand the job, you can craft marketing messages that speak directly to the customer’s desired outcomes and pain points, rather than just listing features.

How to Apply the JTBD Framework?

The application of JTBD typically involves several steps:

1. Identify the Core Job(s) to Be Done:
   • Through in-depth customer interviews, observation, and ethnographic research, uncover what tasks, problems, or goals customers are trying to accomplish.
   • Focus on the context and circumstances in which the job arises.
   • Ask questions like: “What were you doing right before you thought of using this product?” “What did you switch from?” or “What frustrations did you have with the old way?” “What did you hope would happen when you used this?”
2. Define the “Job Statement”:
   • Formulate clear, concise statements that describe the job from the customer’s perspective. A common template is:
     • “When [situation], I want to [motivation/action], so I can [desired outcome].”
     • Example: “When I’m driving alone for a long time, I want to feel entertained and engaged, so I can pass the time quickly and avoid boredom.” (This opens the door for audiobooks, podcasts, engaging radio, etc., not just music players.)
3. Map the Job (Job Mapping):
   • Break down the core job into a series of universal, discrete steps that a customer goes through to accomplish it. This is not a customer journey map of a specific solution, but the ideal, logical sequence of getting the job done.
   • Typical steps include: Define, Locate, Prepare, Confirm, Execute, Monitor, Modify, Conclude.
   • Example (for “manage daily cash flow”): Define income needs, locate income sources, prepare budget, confirm spending, execute payments, monitor balances, modify spending habits, conclude financial period.
4. Identify Underserved Outcomes (Needs):
   • For each step in the job map, identify the desired outcomes or performance metrics that customers use to evaluate how well the job is being done. These are often expressed as “minimizing X” or “maximizing Y.”
   • Then, quantify how well existing solutions are meeting these desired outcomes. This reveals opportunities where customers are highly desirous of a better solution but are currently underserved.
5. Ideate and Innovate Solutions:
   • Brainstorm product or service solutions that help customers get the entire job done better, faster, cheaper, or with more convenience, focusing specifically on the underserved outcomes.
   • This often leads to thinking beyond incremental features and towards truly disruptive or market-creating innovations.
6. Position and Market:
   • Craft marketing messages that directly address the job to be done and the desired outcomes, rather than just listing product features. Show how your offering helps the customer accomplish their job effectively.

Examples of Jobs to Be Done in Action

• Online Streaming Services (Netflix, Spotify): The job isn’t just “watch movies” or “listen to music.” It’s “get entertained anytime, anywhere, on any device, with personalized recommendations, without commercials, and without having to own physical media.”
• Ride-Sharing (Uber, Lyft): The job isn’t “own a car” or “hail a taxi.” It’s “get from point A to point B conveniently, affordably, and reliably, without the hassle of parking or maintenance.”
• IKEA: The job isn’t just “buy furniture.” It’s “furnish my home affordably, quickly, and stylishly, even if I have limited space or budget, by making assembly simple enough for me to do myself.”
• Meal Kit Services (HelloFresh, Blue Apron): The job isn’t “buy groceries” or “cook a meal from scratch.” It’s “prepare a delicious, healthy, home-cooked meal conveniently, with minimal planning and food waste, even if I’m busy or lack cooking inspiration.”

By shifting perspective to the “Jobs to Be Done,” businesses can unlock profound insights into customer behavior, leading to more targeted innovation, more effective marketing, and ultimately, greater market success.