Jobs-to-be-Done Framework
Uncover what customers really want by understanding the jobs they're trying to get done, not just the products they buy
Focus on the Job, Not the Product
The Jobs-to-be-Done theory states that people don't simply buy products or services; they "hire" them to make progress in specific circumstances. Understanding the job makes it possible to create solutions customers actually want.
Three Types of Customer Jobs
Functional Jobs
Practical tasks people want to accomplish
Examples:
- Cut a straight line
- Get from point A to B
- Store and organize files
- Clean a surface
Emotional Jobs
Emotional states people want to achieve
Examples:
- Feel secure
- Be perceived as successful
- Have peace of mind
- Feel accomplished
Social Jobs
How people want to be perceived by others
Examples:
- Look professional
- Be seen as innovative
- Appear responsible
- Show status
How to Write a Job Statement
Help me [verb] + [object of verb] + [contextual clarifier]
Verb
Action word describing what to do
Object
What the action is performed on
Context
Circumstances or constraints
Example Job Statements:
Help me cut food more quickly when preparing dinner
Help me transport items safely when moving homes
Help me stay informed about industry trends while commuting
Help me organize documents efficiently when working remotely
The Universal Job Map
Every job follows a universal structure with eight steps. Understanding this map helps identify innovation opportunities at each stage of the customer's journey.
Define
Determine objectives and plan the approach
• What am I trying to accomplish?
• What are my goals?
• What resources do I need?
Locate
Gather necessary materials and information
• Where can I find what I need?
• What information is required?
• Who can help me?
Prepare
Set up and organize everything needed
• How do I get ready?
• What needs to be in place?
• What could go wrong?
Confirm
Verify readiness before proceeding
• Is everything ready?
• Am I prepared to start?
• Have I checked everything?
Execute
Perform the core job
• How do I do this?
• What steps do I follow?
• How do I know I'm doing it right?
Monitor
Track progress and assess performance
• How is it going?
• Am I on track?
• Do I need to adjust?
Modify
Make adjustments and iterations
• What needs to change?
• How can I improve?
• What's not working?
Conclude
Finish and clean up
• How do I wrap up?
• What needs to be stored?
• What did I learn?
Outcome-Driven Innovation
Customers use desired outcomes to measure success when getting a job done. Focus on these outcomes to create breakthrough innovations.
Minimize
- Time to complete
- Likelihood of errors
- Cost of solution
- Physical effort required
Maximize
- Accuracy of results
- Reliability of outcome
- Ease of use
- Flexibility of solution
Improve
- Quality of output
- User confidence
- Process efficiency
- Overall satisfaction
Focus on Jobs, Not Solutions
Jobs (What to Focus On)
- • Remain stable over time
- • Are solution agnostic
- • Provide a stable target for innovation
- • Unite diverse customer segments
Solutions (What Changes)
- • Evolve with technology
- • Are temporary and replaceable
- • Compete for the same job
- • Can address multiple jobs
Uncover Hidden Jobs with Commercify AI
Our AI-powered platform helps you discover, validate, and prioritize customer jobs to drive innovation and create products people actually need.
Job Discovery
AI-powered analysis to uncover unarticulated customer jobs
Outcome Prioritization
Identify which outcomes matter most to your customers
Opportunity Mapping
Find underserved jobs with the highest innovation potential
Solution Validation
Test how well your solutions address identified jobs
Why Use Jobs-to-be-Done?
Customer-Centric Innovation
Build products based on real customer needs, not assumptions
Predictable Innovation
Systematically identify and address unmet customer needs
Market Validation
Validate product-market fit before heavy investment
Ready to Discover What Your Customers Really Want?
Use Commercify's AI-powered Jobs-to-be-Done analysis to uncover hidden opportunities and build products that truly matter.