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Jobs to Be Done
Product / Concepts
People don't buy products; they hire them to do a job.
What It Means
Customers have a job they're trying to get done — literal, emotional, or social. They hire a product for that job, and fire it when something better comes along. You understand the customer not by demographics but by the job.
"People don't want a quarter-inch drill. They want a quarter-inch hole." — Theodore Levitt
Why It Matters
- Focusing on the job reveals competitors you'd otherwise miss (McDonald's milkshake competes with bananas and bagels).
- It separates what the customer actually wants from the features you're shipping.
- It makes prioritisation easier: does this help the job get done?
How to Apply
- Interview customers about the last time they used your product. What were they trying to accomplish? What did they try before?
- Describe the job in the customer's words, not yours.
- Map the struggling moments — that's where new jobs appear.
The Trap
Treating JTBD as a replacement for everything else. It complements personas and metrics; it doesn't replace them.
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