What is Jobs to be done?

This approach to product and service development focuses on the customer's perspective. It helps businesses understand why people buy their products and services in the first place.

And at the heart of JTBD is the concept of "jobs." A “job” is a task customers try to complete by purchasing your product or service. It is not necessarily related to the product but to its use. 

For example, if someone buys a smartphone, the job may be to stay connected to friends, not necessarily to buy a phone.

Suppose marketers, decision-makers, or product developers want to enhance company results. In that case, they must first understand the customers' jobs. They must provide solutions. Understanding who these individuals are is the incorrect unit of analysis.

What you genuinely want to know is what they are attempting to accomplish. The "job" lies at the theory's core: a job is a fundamental problem a client must address in a specific setting. The Jobs to be Done theory encourages you to learn about the client experience.

• Situational - What scenario causes a necessity (a job) to be completed? [When…]

• Motivational - What does the consumer wish to accomplish? [I'd want to...]

• End result - Why do they desire this? What is the targeted result (functional job)? [For me to...]

• Emotional - What will the customer's emotional condition be when this work is finished? [It's making me feel...]

• Social - How will the consumer appear to others after resolving the situation? [So that others perceive me as...]

JTBD may identify and prioritize customer demands by concentrating on the specific activities or goals consumers are attempting to achieve while purchasing and utilizing a product or service. 

Companies that understand the Jobs to be done theory may better understand their customers' motivations and produce goods and services that efficiently address those needs.

The initial stage is to comprehend the specific tasks consumers attempt to achieve when they buy and employ a product or service. Customer research, such as interviews, surveys, and focus groups, can help with this.

It is critical to comprehend the context in which the task is being carried out, including the customer's demands, preferences, and limits.

When purchasing a product or service, customers frequently want both functional and emotional consequences. Understanding both outcomes is critical for developing goods and services that suit the consumer's demands.

Companies can prioritize customer demands based on their relevance to the customer and the possible influence on the business once the specific activities, goals, and results customers seek have been determined.

Companies may design goods and services that better match the demands of their consumers by utilizing JTBD to identify and prioritise client needs, resulting in enhanced customer satisfaction and loyalty.

• You will have a thorough awareness of your client's requirements.

The JTBD framework works because it adds a new dimension to traditional ways of segmenting consumers, such as customer personas or competitive analysis.

Assume you are "Stan" and want to purchase a chocolate bar. The fact that you work as a bank consultant and drive a BMW doesn't explain why you want to buy that chocolate bar from a brand. And, while knowing "Stan's" demographic or segment and his psychographic triggers are valid, it won't help you comprehend why your client does or does not pay for your goods.

• You'll know how your consumer will shop in the future.

How often have you seen and read articles titled "Top 5 Trends to Look Out for Right Now," "3 Ways to Kickstart Your Innovation Process in 2023," and so on? These publications focus only on current client behaviors.

Returning to the example of mobile phones, we can see that this is the thinking that a brand like Blackberry was doing - thinking solely about today. On the other hand, Apple was considering how it might produce something fresh to assist its consumers in improving in the future.

The JTBD framework will assist you in anticipating your clients' buying behavior. Once you understand your customer's job, you are no longer bound by what is currently happening in the category. You can make creative judgments that will drive change years in advance.

• You will be sure that your product fits the demands of your customers.

Moesta, an innovation expert, was approached in the 1990s by a construction business trying to increase sales for their new condo project. They'd done market research, built high-quality flats, and launched intensive marketing efforts, but nothing had increased sales.

Moesta discovered that the dining table was frequently highlighted in talks with current condo purchasers - it was both a source of concern ("How do I transfer my cumbersome dining table here?") and of uttermost significance ("I felt relieved once I found a spot for my dining table"). After considerable study, Moesta realized that the dining table symbolized “family” to many of his consumers.

With this in mind, the construction firm redesigned its innovation and product development processes. They created more significant places for dining tables and larger rooms. They provided new services to make clients confident that their dining table issue would be resolved.

That is the brilliance of the JTBD idea. Instead of creating something your clients do not want, you make new things that meet their needs.

And with that being said...

Applying Jobs to be done theory in software development can help ensure that software meets customers' needs and helps them achieve their goals. 

Developers can create software that makes a difference in customers' lives by focusing on outcomes rather than features and continually gathering customer feedback. 

JTBD can be applied in various software development contexts, from traditional software development to agile development methodologies.

One of the key benefits of using JTBD is that it provides a clear and actionable framework for product development that can help teams stay focused on the most important aspects of their work. 

By understanding the jobs customers are trying to accomplish, developers can prioritize features and functionality that will be most beneficial to their users. 

This can help ensure that the software delivers real value to customers rather than just providing a laundry list of features that may or may not be helpful.

Another advantage of using JTBD is its encouraging ongoing customer research and feedback. Developers can ensure that the software remains relevant and useful over time by continually gathering customer input about their needs and the jobs they are trying to accomplish.

This can help prevent outdated or irrelevant software and keep customers engaged and satisfied.