The concept of jobs to be done provides a lens through which we can understand value creation. The term was made popular by business leader Clayton Christensen in The Innovator’s Solution, the follow-up to his landmark book The Innovator’s Dilemma.
It’s a straightforward principle: people “hire” products and services to get a job done.
For instance, you might hire a new suit to make you look good for a job interview. Or, you hire Facebook to stay in touch with friends on a daily basis. You could also hire a chocolate bar to reward yourself after work. These are all jobs to be done.
Although companies like Strategyn and The Rewired Group have been using the JTBD for many years, the framework has gotten a lot of attention recently. I’ve been fortunate to have worked with JTBD in various contexts in the past, and I included the topic in throughout my new book, Mapping Experiences.
9. DIMENSIONS: “HIRING“ A KEYLESS LOCK
• FUNCTIONAL -
Control access to my
home
• EMOTIONAL - Feel
secure the home is safe
• SOCIAL - Let visitors
in, keep strangers out
10. • SITUATION – Private home-
owners need to let people in and
out when they are at work during
the day
• MOTIVATION – Solve the
problem of selective access and
of scheduling visit
• DESIRED OUTCOMES
- Maximize options for entry/exit
- Reduce chance of intruders
- Increase sense of security
CIRCUMSTANCES: “HIRING“ A KEYLESS LOCK
11. Maximize my ability to allow visitors in during the
day
Minimize
Reduce
Lower
Maximize
Increase
Raise
Time
Ability
Effort
Chances
Likelihood
DIRECTION UNIT QUALIFIER
DESIRED OUTCOMES
12. Maximize the ability to allow visitors in during the
day
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Very low Very high
A. How important is this to you?
B. How well is this currently being satisfied?
DESIRED OUTCOMES SURVEY
17. „Indi Young, Mental Models. Rosenfeld Media, 2008.
Mental models give a deep
understanding of people’s motivations
and thought-processes, along with the
emotional and philosophical landscape
in which they are operating.
MENTAL MODELS
23. #3 – SPEAK TO THE MARKET
Shift language to reflect JTBD
BEFORE
Our automated photo indexing is the best
in the industry
AFTER
Find photos on your computer with less
effort thanks to our smart indexing
25. #4 – (RE)DEFINE MARKETS
“The greatest competitor [in tax
software] … was not in the
industry. It was the pencil. The
pencil is a tough and resilient
substitute. Yet the entire
industry had overlooked it.”
SCOTT COOK, Founder of Intuit
26. #4 – (RE)DEFINE MARKETS
“Customers struggle when
they try to make their life
better but don’t know how.
We call this struggle a Job
to be Done.”