Jobs-to-be-Done is a way of thinking that shifts the focus away from the product and toward its value to the customer.
Jobs-to-be-Done focuses on the actual goal or progress a customer wants to achieve, rather than on the product itself.
People rarely buy a product for its own sake; instead, they want to solve a specific task or achieve a goal. The oft-cited analogy “Nobody wants to own a drill—they want a hole in the wall” sums it up perfectly.
This perspective expands the functional task to include emotional and social motivations, thereby connecting with potential customers on a more personal level.
The concept is strongly associated with Harvard professor Clayton Christensen and innovation researcher Bob Moesta. Christensen brought the approach to prominence, particularly starting in the 2000s, through influential publications.
The idea of designing products based on customer intent has deeper roots in marketing theory, guided by the principle of selling not the product itself, but its benefits. Christensen and other proponents of the approach translated this concept into a practical framework.
Those who promote their product and its features may miss the mark on what truly motivates customers to buy.
Using the Jobs-to-be-Done perspective, one seeks to understand the intention behind the purchase and tailor offers, arguments, and content precisely to that intention. This allows you to speak more effectively to a target audience that is ultimately seeking a solution to their problem—not just a list of product features.
To identify the true intent driving customers, you have to dig deep into the subject matter—sometimes through attentive listening and targeted questioning. Emotional motivations often lie beneath the surface and are rarely expressed openly. And to ensure that these insights don’t remain mere ideas, they must be consistently translated into offerings and communication.
A manufacturer of maintenance software promotes its product using technical features such as data structures, interfaces, and configuration options. Despite the detailed product page, customer inquiries remain limited.
The company reevaluates its perspective and, through conversations with customers, identifies its target audience’s true concern: the fear of costly equipment failures and the anxiety of lying awake at night worrying about them. The communication is then focused on reliability and predictability, thereby better resonating with those responsible for equipment maintenance.