Jobs to Be Done
Also known as: JTBD · Competing Against Luck · Outcome-Driven Innovation
Customers don't buy products; they 'hire' them to make progress in a situation.
Reframes demand around the underlying job a customer is trying to get done, including its functional, social, and emotional dimensions. This surfaces real competition and unmet needs that demographic segmentation hides. Ulwick's Outcome-Driven Innovation operationalizes it with measurable desired outcomes.
Core concepts
The JobFunctional/Social/Emotional DimensionsDesired Outcomes
Best when
- You have features but unclear product-market fit
- Repositioning and want to redefine your real competitive set
Watch-outs
- Two camps (Christensen narrative vs Ulwick metrics) use the term differently
- Easy to stay anecdotal without a method