Jobs-to-be-Done Theory

The jobs-to-be-done theory is an approach to truly understand and cater towards customer needs. It is part of the outcome-driven innovation methodology and instead of focusing on the customer, directly looks at the functional job a person is trying to do. The approach has been invented by Tony Ulwick, founder and CEO of Strategyn and helps to bring more predictability into innovation.

The idea behind the jobs-to-be-done theory is that customers don’t buy a product or service, they actually “hire” it to do a specific job. Therefore, companies should focus on understanding the functional job their target market is trying to get done and cater towards this need instead of blindly following customer feedback or merely looking at what competitors are doing.

Some advantages of using the jobs-to-be-done theory include improved innovation success rates, increased clarity around customer needs and wants, and better alignment between departments within a company (such as sales and marketing). The jobs-to-be-done theory has been used by companies such as Apple, Intel, and Procter & Gamble to create successful products and is a great way to think of your product when developing it.

When looking to improve your product, it is important to understand the functional job that your target market is trying to do. This will allow you to create a product that truly meets their needs instead of blindly following customer feedback or guessing what they want. The jobs-to-be-done theory is a great way to ensure that you are catering towards your customers’ needs and creating a successful product.