Jobs to Be Done

A job map is focused on the underlying goals of the actions being taken. For example, you wouldn’t say an anesthesiologist is “looking at the display” (a solution that describes what action the anesthesiologist is taking). Instead, you would say the anesthesiologist is “monitoring the patient’s vital signs”, which is the underlying goal of looking

The end user is the person who uses the product or service to get the core functional job done.

Don’t overcomplicate it: While the Jobs-to-be-Done Needs Framework is multilayered and complex, a functional job statement is not. It is important to emphasize that a well-defined functional job statement, and all the need statements we describe, are one-dimensional and mutually exclusive.

With the core functional job defined, the next step in the ODI process is to create a “job map” for that job. A job map is a visual depiction of the core functional job, deconstructed into its discrete process or job steps, which explains in detail exactly what the customer is trying to get done. A job map does not show what the customer is doing (

Analysis of hundreds of jobs has revealed that all jobs consist of some or all of the eight fundamental process steps: define, locate, prepare, confirm, execute, monitor, modify and conclude (see the universal job map). This insight is essential for creating a framework around which customer needs (desired outcomes) are gathered. (To learn more abo

As I will explain, the “ideas-first” approach is inherently flawed and will never be the most effective approach to innovation. It will always be a guessing game that is based on hope and luck, and it will remain unpredictable. The “needs-first” approach to innovation, while not inherently flawed, is often flawed in its execution. Recognizing why i

How to get a handle on customer needs is an unsolved mystery—and that mystery is killing innovation. Before a company can succeed at innovation, managers must agree on what a need is—and the types of needs that customers have. The key to solving this mystery lies in Jobs-to-be-Done Theory.

Build a digital marketing strategy around unmet outcomes When potential customers use Google to find and evaluate product alternatives, they rarely start by entering the product name and model because they have yet to discover it. Rather, they enter keywords or phrases that are associated with the “Job-to-be-Done,” such as a job step or a specific

Our experience suggests that companies can win with a dominant strategy if they introduce a product or service that gets the job done (addresses the customer’s unmet desired outcomes) at least 20% better and at least 20% more cheaply. This can be measured with high precision and probability when evaluating a proposed concept against a complete set