Unlocking Customer Needs: The Power of the Jobs-to-be-Done Framework
As a product leader, understanding customer needs is crucial for driving success. But how do you truly grasp what your customers want? The answer lies in the Jobs-to-be-Done (JTBD) framework, a simple yet powerful approach that puts the “why” behind customer behavior at its core.
The Origins of JTBD
Invented by Tony Ulwick in 1991, JTBD was initially used to help companies innovate by focusing on the jobs customers were trying to accomplish. The framework gained popularity after Clayton Christensen popularized it in his book “The Innovator’s Solution.” Today, JTBD is widely used across industries to drive product development and innovation.
The Core Principle of JTBD
At its heart, JTBD is about understanding what customers are trying to achieve when using a product or service. It’s not about the product itself, but about the job it helps customers get done. This subtle distinction is key to unlocking customer needs and developing solutions that meet those needs.
The 9 Tenets of JTBD
- People use products to do a job: Customers don’t buy products; they hire them to get a job done.
- Jobs have a functional, social, and emotional component: Understanding these components is crucial for developing effective solutions.
- Jobs are stable over time: While technologies change, the underlying jobs customers need to get done remain relatively stable.
- Jobs are solution-agnostic: Customers don’t care about specific solutions; they just want to get the job done.
- Success comes from making the job the unit of analysis: By focusing on the job, you can develop solutions that truly meet customer needs.
- Understanding the job makes marketing more effective and innovation more predictable: Knowing what customers are trying to achieve helps you communicate more effectively and innovate more successfully.
- Customers want to get their job done better and/or more cheaply: Customers are constantly seeking ways to improve or simplify their lives.
- Customers want a single place to complete their jobs: Simplicity and convenience are key drivers of customer behavior.
- Needs are the metrics for success: Meeting customer needs is the ultimate measure of success.
Real-World Examples of JTBD in Action
- Cordis Corporation’s angioplasty balloons
- A property development company’s struggle to sell houses to downsizing customers
- Octopus Investments’ successful implementation of JTBD, resulting in 10,000 new customers online and a significant increase in channel share
Key Takeaways
- JTBD is a simple yet powerful framework for understanding customer needs.
- By focusing on the job customers are trying to accomplish, you can develop solutions that truly meet their needs.
- JTBD can be applied across industries and products beyond software.
- Success comes from making the job the unit of analysis and meeting customer needs.
Further Reading
- Download Tony Ulwick’s free e-book, “Jobs-to-be-Done: Theory to Practice,” to learn more about the JTBD framework.