Jobs-to-be-Done
Also known as: JTBD, Jobs Theory, Outcome-Driven Innovation
A product innovation framework that focuses on the underlying 'job' customers are trying to accomplish rather than the product itself, revealing unmet needs and disruptive innovation opportunities.
Quick Reference
Memory Aid
Don't ask what product they want. Ask what job they're hiring a product to do.
TL;DR
Identify the job customers are trying to get done (independent of your product). Map the job into steps. Identify desired outcomes at each step. Find outcomes that are important but poorly satisfied — those are your innovation opportunities.
What Is Jobs-to-be-Done?
People don't buy products — they 'hire' them to do a job. A JTBD approach asks: What job is the customer trying to get done? What are the desired outcomes? Where are current solutions failing? This reveals innovation opportunities that traditional product thinking misses.
People don't want a quarter-inch drill. They want a quarter-inch hole.
— Theodore Levitt (precursor to JTBD thinking)
JTBD shifts the unit of analysis from the product to the customer's job. A 'job' is a fundamental goal customers are trying to achieve in a given circumstance. Jobs are stable over time (people always need to 'get to work quickly'), even as solutions change (horse → car → rideshare). By understanding the functional, emotional, and social dimensions of jobs, innovators can identify unmet needs and design solutions that truly fit. Competition is redefined: anything that gets the same job done is a competitor, regardless of product category.
Jobs to Be Done Analysis Flow
From identifying the job, to mapping the process, to designing the solution.
Identify the Job
What progress does the customer seek?
Map the Job Steps
How do they get the job done?
Find Pain Points
Where do they struggle?
Design Solutions
Solve the job better
Origin & Context
Christensen popularized the concept in 'The Innovator's Solution.' Ulwick developed Outcome-Driven Innovation (ODI) methodology. The famous milkshake study illustrated the theory: people 'hire' a milkshake for the 'job' of making a boring commute more interesting.
Core Components
The Job Statement
A precise statement of what the customer is trying to accomplish, independent of any solution.
Example
'Help me arrive at work on time and relaxed' — not 'I need a car.' The job statement opens up solution space beyond automobiles.
Desired Outcomes
The metrics customers use to measure success in getting the job done.
Example
For the commute job: minimize travel time, minimize stress, minimize cost, maximize comfort, maximize flexibility of departure time.
Job Map
The process the customer goes through to get the job done.
Example
Commute job map: decide when to leave → choose route → travel → park → walk to office. Each step has its own outcomes and pain points.
Circumstances
The context in which the job arises — when, where, why.
Example
The milkshake study found the same product was hired for different jobs: morning commute entertainment vs. afternoon child reward. Different jobs, different competitors, different improvements needed.
Did You Know?
Clayton Christensen's famous milkshake study at a fast-food chain found that 40% of milkshakes were sold before 8 AM to solo commuters. These customers weren't comparing the milkshake to other milkshakes — they were comparing it to bananas, bagels, donuts, and boredom. This single insight completely reframed the product development strategy.
When to Use Jobs-to-be-Done
Finding product-market fit
Problem it solves: Identifies what customers truly need rather than what they say they want.
Real-World Application
Christensen's milkshake study found morning commuters 'hired' milkshakes for the job of 'make my boring commute interesting and keep me full.' Competitors weren't other milkshakes — they were bananas, bagels, and boredom.
Identifying disruptive innovation opportunities
Problem it solves: Reveals overserved and underserved jobs in the market.
Real-World Application
By mapping desired outcomes for 'personal transportation,' analysts could see that ride-sharing (Uber/Lyft) addressed underserved outcomes around cost, convenience, and hassle that car ownership failed on.
The most powerful JTBD insight is about competition. Your real competitors aren't products in your category — they're anything that gets the same job done. Netflix competes with sleep, not just other streaming services.
How to Apply Jobs-to-be-Done: Step by Step
Before You Start
- →Access to target customers for interviews
- →Understanding of the difference between jobs and solutions
- →Researcher trained in JTBD interview techniques
Identify the Job
Through interviews and observation, identify the core job customers are trying to get done.
Tips
- ✓Ask about the last time they did X, what triggered it, what they considered
Common Mistakes
- ✗Framing the job in terms of your product rather than the customer's goal
Map the Job
Break the job into sequential steps the customer goes through.
Tips
- ✓Map from the customer's perspective, not your process
Common Mistakes
- ✗Mapping your product's usage process instead of the customer's broader job
Identify Desired Outcomes
For each step, capture what success looks like to the customer.
Tips
- ✓Use the format: 'Minimize the time it takes to...' or 'Minimize the likelihood of...'
Common Mistakes
- ✗Capturing solutions instead of outcomes
Find Opportunities
Identify outcomes that are important but poorly satisfied — these are innovation opportunities.
Tips
- ✓Survey customers to quantify importance and satisfaction for each outcome
Common Mistakes
- ✗Pursuing outcomes that are well-satisfied or unimportant to customers
Value & Outcomes
Primary Benefit
Reveals innovation opportunities by understanding what customers are truly trying to accomplish, not just what they say they want.
Additional Benefits
- ✓Redefines competition broadly
- ✓Creates more durable product strategies because jobs are stable over time
What You'll Learn
- →How to identify and map customer jobs
- →How to find underserved outcomes that represent innovation opportunities
Typical Outcomes
Best Practices
📋 Preparation
- •Train interviewers in JTBD technique
- •Identify diverse customer segments to interview
🚀 Execution
- •Focus on the job, not the product
- •Capture emotional and social jobs alongside functional ones
🔄 Follow-Up
- •Quantify outcomes through surveys
- •Design solutions that address underserved outcomes
💎 Pro Tips
- •The circumstances of the job matter as much as the job itself — the same person may hire different solutions for the same job in different contexts
Intercom's Product Strategy
Intercom built its entire product strategy around JTBD. Instead of asking 'what features do customers want?', they asked 'what jobs are customers hiring our product to do?' This revealed that their chat widget was being 'hired' for four distinct jobs: customer support, sales conversion, user onboarding, and product announcements — leading them to build four focused products instead of one bloated one.
Limitations & Pitfalls
JTBD research requires skilled interviewers
Mitigation: Train team members or hire experienced JTBD researchers
Can be difficult to translate jobs into product specifications
Mitigation: Use the job map and desired outcomes as input to Design Thinking or product requirements
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