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May 22, 2023 . 5 min read . 272 views

Understanding "Jobs to be Done"

A Job to be Done is the process a consumer goes through when they aim to transform their existing life-situation into a preferred one but are hindered by constraints. Essentially, it's about a customer's aspiration to create a 'better version of themselves'.

This 'new me' concept answers the questions: “How are you better since you started using [product]?” and “Now that you have this product, what can you do now that you couldn’t do before?”

For instance, instead of trying to build better cameras, one should focus on building better photographers. The JTBD concept emphasizes that every social action is a personal, emotional desire to gain recognition.

Creating a new me (i.e., having a JTBD) is a process. It’s not something that consumers have; it’s something consumers participate in. A comparable example is falling in love. Falling in love isn’t something you have; it’s something you participate in. And just as you can’t complete the fall-in-love process by yourself, a customer can’t complete a JTBD by himself. He needs a product to help him design, construct, and complete it.

Examples of "Jobs to be Done"

Here are some common examples of JTBD:

• Get a package from A to B with confidence, certainty, and speed.
• Keep everyone up to date on a project they’re involved with.
• Get face to face with a colleague in San Francisco.

These are not descriptions of products or activities, but rather they describe a "better me" for the customer.

Principles of "Jobs to be Done"

The principles of JTBD include:

• Customers don't want your product; they want help making their lives better.
• Competition is defined in the minds of customers, and they use progress as their criterion.
• When customers start using a solution for a JTBD, they stop using something else.
• Innovation opportunities exist when customers exhibit compensatory behaviors.
• Favor progress over outcomes and goals.

How "Jobs to be Done" Changes Our Perspective

JTBD changes the way we think and talk about products. Rather than attaching value to what products are, value should attach to what products do for customers. This means focusing on designing more integrated product experiences that are valuable because of what they enable customers to get done in particular contexts of use. It's about understanding the real jobs customers are using our product for, not the jobs that we perceive or want them to use our product for.

How to Express a JTBD

When expressing a JTBD, it's important to keep it simple and focus on the forces that generate demand along with the Job and when it's Done. Phrases such as "give me," "help me," "make the," "take away," "free me," or "equip me" are often used. The most important test of wording a JTBD is whether it also describes the solution(s) it replaced.

"Jobs to be Done" vs Activities vs Tasks

When understanding the JTBD concept, it's crucial to distinguish it from activities and tasks. Activities refer to what you do with a product, like listening to music. Tasks, on the other hand, are how you use a product, such as storing and retrieving music. A Job to be Done is a transformation process that a customer goes through whenever she aims to transform her existing life-situation into a preferred one but cannot due to some constraints. It is about creating a "new me" or achieving personal growth or transformation with the help of a product or service.

A decision tree can help us distinguish between a customer job and an activity or task:

{
    "question": "Can I visualize the customer acting this out?",
    "yes": {
        "question": "Is this describing something the customer doesn't like?",
        "yes": "You're describing what the customer doesn't like about the 'me of today' (Not a Customer Job)",
        "no": {
            "question": "Is this describing a better version of the customer (a new me)?",
            "yes": "It's either part of or an entire Customer Job",
            "no": "Not a Customer Job"
        }
    },
    "no": "It's probably an activity or task (Not a Customer Job)"
}

Applying JTBD in Practice

Here's how we could apply the decision tree to a customer using a photo editing software:

1. "Can I visualize the customer acting this out?" -> Yes, I can visualize a customer editing a photo.
2. "Is this describing something the customer doesn't like?" -> No, the customer is not expressing dissatisfaction about the current state.
3. "Is this describing a better version of the customer (a new me)?" -> Yes, by editing the photo, the customer is seeking to become a better photographer.

So, the "Customer Job" here is "Becoming a better photographer", which is the broader transformation the customer seeks to achieve.

JTBD and Competition

Every innovator should have a clear idea of how his or her customers see competition. When creating a new innovation, the question that should be answered is, "What are customers going to stop buying when they start buying our solution?" When creating a new feature for an existing product, the question to ask is, "What behaviors or other products is this feature going to replace?".

Validating Features Using JTBD

The pivotal question to ask when validating features is, "What attempts have you made to address this issue previously?"

If the customer provides a response to this question, it implies that the job holds significant importance to them.

References:

When Coffee & Kale Compete