Jobs to be Done: Definition, Framework & Application

tl;dr

• Jobs to be Done (JTBD) is a framework by Christensen that describes customer needs as “jobs” — tasks that customers want to get done in a specific context. Customers don’t buy products; they hire products.
• Without the JTBD perspective, companies develop products for demographic segments instead of real needs — risking that the product is technically perfect but doesn’t get any job done.
• JTBD as an innovation framework connects customer needs with product development and business model design — whoever understands the job builds better products and stronger business models.

What Is Jobs to be Done?

Jobs to be Done (JTBD) is an innovation framework that describes customer needs not as demographic traits but as “jobs” — tasks, progress, or goals that people want to achieve in a specific context. Clayton Christensen, Harvard professor and author of “Competing Against Luck” (2016), formulated the core principle with the famous milkshake example: McDonald’s didn’t ask “Which demographic group buys milkshakes?” but rather “What job is the customer hiring the milkshake to do?” The answer: commuters buy the milkshake as a breakfast companion for the car ride — thick enough to last 30 minutes, substantial enough to satisfy hunger.

Christensen defines: “A job is the progress that a person is trying to make in a particular circumstance.” Not the product is the starting point, but the customer’s situation.

3 Job Types

Functional Jobs: The practical task that needs to get done. “I need to drill a hole in the wall.” “I need to update my team on the project status.”

Social Jobs: How the customer wants to be perceived by others. “I want to appear technically competent.” “I don’t want to be seen as behind the times.” Social jobs explain why people buy more expensive branded products even though the function is identical.

Emotional Jobs: What feeling the customer wants to achieve or avoid. “I want to feel secure.” “I want to reduce the stress of decision-making.” Emotional jobs explain why customers stick with familiar brands even when cheaper alternatives exist.

An iPhone gets all 3 done: communication (functional), status (social), security through the integrated ecosystem (emotional).

What Happens Without JTBD?

Without the JTBD perspective, companies segment customers by demographics (age, income, industry) and develop products for abstract target groups instead of concrete situations. Christensen’s critique: “Companies that segment by demographics develop products that are averagely good for many — but excellent for nobody.” The consequence: feature bloat instead of job focus.

JTBD Is Not the Same As…

... Personas

JTBD describes what the customer wants to achieve in a situation (context-driven), while personas describe who the customer is (person-driven). Two demographically identical people can have different jobs. JTBD explains purchase decisions better because the context (not the person) drives the decision.

... Customer Journey Mapping

JTBD identifies the fundamental job (why does the customer buy?), while Customer Journey Mapping maps the interaction process (how does the customer experience the purchase?). JTBD comes before the journey — first understand the job, then optimize the path to it.

FAQ

What is Jobs to be Done in simple terms?

Customers don’t buy products — they “hire” products to get a job done. JTBD describes this job: the task, the context, the desired progress. Christensen’s milkshake example: commuters hire the milkshake as a 30-minute breakfast for the car ride.

What are the 3 job types?

Functional (get a task done), social (be perceived a certain way), and emotional (achieve a feeling). Successful products address all 3: iPhone = communication + status + security.

How do you identify Customer Jobs?

Jobs interviews (reconstruct the decision process), contextual observation, and switching interviews (understand switching reasons). Never ask “What do you wish for?” but rather “Tell me about the situation where…”

What is the difference between JTBD and personas?

Personas = who the customer is (demographics). JTBD = what the customer wants (context). Two identical personas can have different jobs. JTBD explains purchase decisions better.

How do you connect JTBD with theBusiness Model Canvas?

Customer Jobs -> Value Proposition Canvas (Customer Profile). Think every BMC field from the job: Channels (job context), Revenue Streams (job value), Value Proposition (job solution).

Conclusion

Jobs to be Done is the framework that aligns product development and business model design with real customer needs — not demographic assumptions. Whoever understands the job builds products that customers actually buy — not just theoretically need.

The next step? Ask your last 5 customers not “How satisfied are you?” but rather “In what situation did you hire our product — and what were you trying to achieve?”

Further reading:

• Value Proposition: Definition and Canvas
• Business Model Canvas: 9 Building Blocks
• Business Model: Definition and Types

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Sources

• Christensen, Clayton M. et al.: Competing Against Luck. HarperBusiness, 2016.
• Ulwick, Anthony: Jobs to Be Done: Theory to Practice. Idea Bite Press, 2016.
• Klement, Alan: When Coffee and Kale Compete. NYC Publishing, 2018.