These days, it seems like everyone is looking for the next big thing.
The pressure to innovate can be overwhelming, and it’s easy to get caught up in the latest shiny new object.
But what if there was a better way to approach innovation?
What if instead of chasing after the latest trend, you could focus on something that was tried and true?
Enter the jobs-to-be-done theory.
The jobs-to-be-done theory is a framework that can be used to understand customer behavior.
What Is the Jobs-to-Be-Done Theory?
First proposed by Harvard Business School professor Clayton Christensen in the early 2000s, the jobs-to-be-done theory is a framework for understanding customer behavior.
The premise of the theory is that customers don’t simply buy products or services, they “hire” them to do a specific job. For example, someone might buy a power drill because they need to make a hole in a wall. In this case, the “job” is to make a hole, and the drill is the tool that helps them to do it.
This may seem like a simple concept, but it has far-reaching implications for businesses. By understanding the jobs that customers want to get done, companies can develop new products and services that better address their needs.
In addition, they can position their existing offerings more effectively and create more targeted marketing campaigns.
Ultimately, the Jobs-to-be-done theory can help businesses to better understand and serve their customers.
Applying the Jobs-to-Be-Done Theory to Innovation
In order to satisfactorily do that job, the product must meet certain functional, social, and emotional needs.
When a product fails to adequately meet those needs, the customer is said to be “dissatisfied.” This dissatisfaction creates an opportunity for innovation – creating a new product or service that better meets the customer’s needs.
The Jobs-to-Be-Done Theory provides a framework for understanding what customers really want. It can help companies to see beyond the superficial features of their products and identify unmet needs that represent true opportunities for innovation.
For example, consider the case of a customer who wants to buy a new car.
On the surface, it might seem like they simply want “transportation.” But if we dig deeper, we can begin to understand the various jobs that they need transportation to do.
Those jobs might include getting to and from work, running errands, or taking a road trip. Each of these jobs has different requirements in terms of functionality, social acceptability, and emotional appeal.
When considering these things, you can use the data to develop better cars for your target audience based on the outcomes they are expecting from using the vehicle.
Then, you can also market the car to them with better messaging once you know what specific jobs they are “hiring” the car to do.
Outcome-Driven Innovation
The Jobs-to-Be-Done Theory is a powerful tool for businesses, but it’s not the only way to innovate.
In recent years, another framework has gained popularity: outcome-driven innovation.
Outcome-driven innovation is the same as the Jobs-to-Be-Done Theory in that it focuses on understanding customer needs and developing products and services to meet those needs.
The most important difference, however, is that outcome-driven innovation starts with the desired outcome, rather than the specific job that needs to be done.
Essentially, the job-to-be-done has a set of outcomes that the customer is looking for, which are to be uncovered through the outcome-driven innovation process.
For more information on the outcome-driven innovation process, click here: https://strategyn.com/outcome-driven-innovation-process/.
Final Thoughts
The Jobs-to-Be-Done Theory is a powerful tool for businesses that want to better understand their customers and develop products and services that meet their needs.
In addition, the theory can help companies to position their existing offerings more effectively and create targeted marketing campaigns.
By understanding the jobs that customers want to get done, businesses can create products and services that make their lives easier and help them to achieve their desired outcomes.
