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.
Key insights:
- Format: "When [circumstances], I want to [progress], so I can [outcome]"
- Circumstances matter more than demographics -- the same person has different jobs in different situations
- A well-written job statement never mentions your product or any specific solution
- Jobs are stable over time; solutions change but the underlying job persists