jobs-to-be-done

Jobs to Be Done Framework

Framework for discovering innovation based on a fundamental truth: customers don't buy products -- they "hire" them to do a specific job in their lives.

Core Principle

Job to Be Done = the progress a customer wants to make in specific circumstances.

Key elements of the definition:

• Progress (not goal, not solution) -- the customer wants to move from the current state to a better one
• Circumstances -- context determines the job, not customer attributes (demographics are useless)
• Hiring/Firing -- the customer actively chooses a product for the "job"

Scoring

Goal: 10/10. Score 1 point per satisfied row in the Quick Diagnostic (7 rows) plus up to 3 points for depth: +1 if all three job dimensions are evidenced, +1 if the job statement avoids any product/solution name, +1 if competition includes non-consumption. Bands: 9-10 = job stated without the product, all four forces mapped, three dimensions evidenced, non-obvious competition and Little Hire tracked; 5-6 = job named but one or two diagnostic rows fail (usually missing forces or emotional/social dimensions); <=3 = product-first framing, demographic segmentation, or Pull-only thinking. Always state the current score and the specific diagnostic rows to fix.

Three Dimensions of Every Job

Every job has three inseparable dimensions -- omitting any means failure:

Dimension	Question	Example (milkshake)
Functional	What does the customer need to do?	Occupy myself during a boring commute
Emotional	How do they want to feel?	Have a small treat for myself
Social	How do they want to be perceived?	As a sensible parent (not buying donuts)

Framework

1. The Job Statement

Core concept: A job statement captures the progress a customer seeks in a specific circumstance, in a structured format separating context, desired progress, and expected outcome.

Why it works: Because jobs are stable while solutions churn, anchoring on the job protects a roadmap from chasing features that the next technology shift makes irrelevant.