Jobs to be done
- Insights
- 21 hours ago
- 3 min read
Understanding why customers choose one product or service over another is key to creating solutions that truly meet their needs. The Jobs to be Done (JTBD) framework offers a powerful way to uncover these motivations by focusing on the tasks people want to accomplish. This approach shifts attention from products or features to the underlying reasons customers "hire" something to get a job done.
What is the Jobs to be Done Framework?
The Jobs to be Done framework is a method for understanding customer behavior by identifying the specific "jobs" they need to complete. A "job" in this context is not a task in the traditional sense but a goal or problem the customer wants to solve. People don’t just buy products; they hire them to make progress in their lives.
For example, a person might buy a drill not because they want a drill, but because they want to make a hole. The hole is the job to be done. This perspective helps businesses design better products and services by focusing on the real outcomes customers seek.
Why Jobs to be Done matters
Many companies focus on improving product features or competing on price, but this often misses the deeper reasons customers choose a product. The JTBD framework helps uncover these reasons by:
Revealing unmet needs that customers struggle to express
Highlighting opportunities for innovation beyond current product categories
Reducing the risk of building features that don’t add real value
By understanding the job, companies can create solutions that fit naturally into customers’ lives and solve real problems.
How to identify Jobs to be Done
Identifying jobs requires careful observation and conversation with customers. Here are some practical steps:
Interview customers about their experiences. Ask about the last time they used a product or service and what they were trying to achieve.
Focus on the situation, motivation, and desired outcome. What triggered the need? What did success look like?
Look for emotional and social dimensions. Jobs often have functional, emotional, and social components. For example, a job might be to feel confident at a social event, not just to wear clothes.
Map out the job steps. Break down the process customers go through to complete the job, identifying pain points and workarounds.
Examples of Jobs to be Done in action
Example 1: Food Delivery Services
Customers don’t just want food delivered; they want a convenient way to eat without cooking or going out. The job might be described as "get a satisfying meal quickly when I’m too busy or tired to cook." Understanding this job helps services focus on speed, variety, and ease of ordering rather than just the food itself.
Example 2: Ride-Sharing Apps
People hire ride-sharing apps not only to get from point A to point B but to save time, avoid parking hassles, or feel safe traveling alone at night. Recognizing these jobs helps companies improve features like driver ratings, route optimization, and payment options.
Applying Jobs to be Done
To use the JTBD framework effectively:
Start with customer interviews. Gather stories about when customers used your product or a competitor’s.
Define the core job and related jobs. Separate the main job from smaller, related tasks.
Prioritise jobs based on importance and satisfaction. Focus on jobs that are important to customers but poorly served today.
Innovate around the job. Think beyond your current product to new ways to help customers complete their jobs better.
Things to avoid
Confusing jobs with product features or customer demographics
Ignoring emotional and social aspects of jobs
Relying only on surveys instead of in-depth interviews
Focusing on what customers say they want rather than what they actually do
Benefits of Jobs to be Done
Better product-market fit by solving real problems
Clearer innovation direction by focusing on outcomes, not features
Improved customer loyalty by meeting deeper needs
More effective marketing by speaking to the job customers want done
