JTBD Modeling

What is JTBD Modeling?

Jobs To Be Done (JTBD) modeling is a framework that focuses on understanding the underlying ‘job’ a customer is trying to accomplish when they ‘hire’ a product or service. It shifts the focus from product features or customer demographics to the circumstances and motivations that drive purchase decisions. This approach posits that consumers buy products to overcome specific struggles or achieve desired outcomes, and understanding these fundamental ‘jobs’ is key to innovation and customer satisfaction.

Developed from the work of Clayton Christensen and further refined by experts like Tony Ulwick and Bob Moesta, JTBD modeling provides a structured way to uncover these underlying needs. Instead of asking customers what features they want, JTBD seeks to understand the progress they are trying to make in their lives. This can range from functional jobs, like transporting oneself from point A to point B, to emotional jobs, such as feeling more confident or secure.

By dissecting the ‘why’ behind customer behavior, JTBD modeling helps businesses identify unmet needs and opportunities for disruption. It encourages a deeper empathy with the customer’s struggle, enabling the creation of solutions that are not just incremental improvements but truly fundamental shifts in how customers get their jobs done. This perspective is invaluable for product development, marketing strategy, and overall business growth.

Key Takeaways

• Focuses on the customer’s underlying ‘job’ or progress they seek, not just product features.
• Emphasizes understanding the circumstances and motivations driving purchase decisions.
• Aims to uncover unmet needs and opportunities for innovation and market disruption.
• Shifts the development process from ‘what do customers want’ to ‘what job are they hiring our product to do.’
• Applicable across product development, marketing, and business strategy.

Understanding JTBD Modeling

JTBD modeling encourages businesses to think like a customer facing a problem or aspiration. It breaks down a purchase decision into several components: the circumstance, the struggle, the desired outcome, and the solution. The ‘job’ is the progress the customer is trying to make in a given circumstance. For instance, a person might ‘hire’ a milkshake not because they want a cold, sweet drink, but to alleviate boredom during a long commute or to feel a sense of indulgence.

This framework distinguishes itself from traditional market research by avoiding questions about preferences or feature requests. Instead, it probes into past purchase decisions, asking ‘why’ the customer chose a particular solution at a specific time. This qualitative approach helps uncover the causal mechanisms that lead to a purchase, revealing the true ‘job’ the customer was trying to get done. The objective is to find the causal forces that compel customers to seek and adopt new solutions.

By abstracting away from specific products, JTBD modeling allows for broader innovation. Companies can identify solutions that may not even exist yet but would perfectly address the customer’s job. This perspective is crucial for anticipating market shifts and developing products that resonate deeply with customer needs, ensuring long-term relevance and competitive advantage.

Formula

JTBD modeling is primarily a qualitative and analytical framework rather than a quantitative one with a single, universal formula. However, its core concept can be represented conceptually as:

Job = Desired Progress in Circumstance

Where:

• Job represents the fundamental task or goal a customer is trying to achieve.
• Desired Progress refers to the outcome or state the customer wants to reach.
• Circumstance describes the specific situation or context in which the job arises.

Understanding the interplay between these elements is key to defining and addressing the customer’s job effectively.

Real-World Example

A classic example illustrating JTBD modeling is the story of the milkshake. A fast-food company noticed that their milkshakes, despite various marketing efforts and recipe changes, were not selling as well as expected. When they applied JTBD principles, they interviewed customers who bought milkshakes, especially during morning commutes.

They discovered that many customers ‘hired’ the milkshake for a job beyond mere sustenance or taste. The milkshake served as a long, engaging distraction during their drive, providing a sense of reward and alleviating boredom. It was the only item that kept their hands busy and took a significant amount of time to consume, making their commute more palatable. This insight led the company to focus on ways to make the milkshake more ‘hireable’ for this specific job, such as offering thicker straws or pre-portioning for easier on-the-go consumption, rather than just changing flavors.

Importance in Business or Economics

In business, JTBD modeling is critical for effective innovation and strategy. It helps companies move beyond incremental improvements to develop truly disruptive products and services that address fundamental customer needs. By understanding the ‘job’ customers are trying to get done, businesses can identify unmet market demands and design solutions that provide superior value.

Economically, JTBD modeling explains market dynamics and consumer behavior at a deeper level. It highlights why established products can be disrupted by seemingly unrelated innovations that better serve a customer’s underlying job. This perspective is vital for understanding competitive threats and opportunities, fostering economic growth through the creation of novel solutions that meet evolving societal needs.

It also guides resource allocation. Instead of investing in features customers might not truly need, businesses can focus R&D and marketing efforts on solving the core job more effectively. This leads to more efficient use of capital and a higher probability of market success.

Types or Variations

While JTBD modeling is a cohesive framework, its application can manifest in several ways:

• Functional Jobs: These relate to the tangible tasks customers need to accomplish. Examples include transporting goods, cleaning a surface, or learning a new skill.
• Emotional Jobs: These involve how customers want to feel. Examples include feeling secure, being entertained, achieving status, or reducing anxiety.
• Social Jobs: These pertain to how customers want to be perceived by others. Examples include appearing knowledgeable, being seen as generous, or fitting in with a group.
• Personal Jobs: These relate to an individual’s internal state and self-perception. Examples include wanting to feel in control, seeking self-improvement, or avoiding guilt.

Some variations also emphasize specific methodologies, such as outcome-driven innovation (ODI), which focuses on measuring customer outcomes related to their jobs.

Related Terms

• Innovation
• Market Research
• Customer Centricity
• Product Development
• Consumer Behavior
• Disruptive Innovation
• User Experience (UX)
• Needs Assessment

Sources and Further Reading

• Ulwick, Tony. *Jobs To Be Done: Theory to Practice*. Idea Press, 2016.
• Christensen, Clayton M., and Michael E. Raynor. *The Innovator’s Solution: Creating and Sustaining Successful Growth*. Harvard Business Review Press, 2003.
• Moesta, Bob, and Chris Spuehler. *When Coffee and Kale Compete: The Battle for the Consumer’s Soul*. Thinkos Media, 2015.
• Intuit.