Anatomy of a Job-To-Be-Done
by Dan Toma & Tendayi Viki (authors of The Corporate Startup)
“People are not buying quarter-inch drills, they buy quarter-inch holes. The drill just happens to be the best means available to get the job done.”
- Ted Leavitt (Harvard Business School)
The concept of customer jobs-to-be-done (JTBD), was introduced by Harvard Business School Professor Clayton Christensen almost a decade ago. With the help of Alex Osterwalder’s Value Proposition Canvas the concept is becoming increasingly popular and is gradually finding it’s way into the buzzword dictionary of most innovation professionals.
While the concept seams to be quite trivial and straightforward only a handful of innovators use it to discover new business opportunities. In trying to explain the concept to students and business professionals we have dissected the concept and put it under a magnifier with the hope of clarifying it. By dissecting a job, and understanding the gains for customer, an innovator can than proceed to building products and services that will fulfill the customer’s expectations and add value at each step.
But before we kick off our JTBD anatomy class let’s take a quick look at some general aspects about the concept:
1. all jobs- to-be-done are processes.
2. all jobs-to-be-done are often followed by other jobs-to-be-done. (for example, after finishing the job of painting the fence you commence the job of cleaning the mess — different tools will be used)
3. all jobs fall in one or more of the following 3 categories:
a. functional jobs: are the tasks that customers want to achieve (e.g. make a hole in wall).
b. emotional jobs: are related to feelings and perceptions of the customers (i.e. how does the customer want to feel, how does the customer want to be perceived by others).
c. ancillary jobs: are the other jobs that customers want to get done before, during, or after they get their main job done.
4. a job-to-be-done can be fulfilled by multiple solutions. (for example, the JTBD can be communicating with a friend. There are several solutions you can use to do this job: write an SMS, write a WhatsApp text message, make a call, send a voice message over WhatsApp, write on Facebook, write an email, write a Twitter message, etc.)
5. a solution can be hired for multiple jobs-to-be-done. (for example, Facebook can be employed to do the jobs of entertainment, communication, media storage, etc.)
Anatomic Structure of JTBD (the JTBD magnifier canvas)
Understanding why a particular offering is chosen over another is paramount to developing a lasting relationship with customers. As such, adding value to the customer at each stage of the process is becoming critical in clogged marketplaces where customers have the opportunity of jumping from one offering to another with minimal costs.
1. Trigger. The trigger of a JTBD can come in many size and shapes. For example, the triggering source can be extrinsic (e.g. advertising, word of mouth, peer pressure), or the source can be intrinsic with regards to a specific need that that the individual wants to fulfill. This need can also be the result of a previous job or pain that needs tackling.
2. Definition of the JTBD. Followed by the trigger, the customer then engages in the definition of the JTBD. This is where the foundation of a purchasing decision is laid. A major part of the definition step is the setting of expectations about outcomes. More on expectations can be found here.
3. Planning the JTBD. This step can involve the following steps; preparing the inputs or the environment in which the job will be executed and the location of particular items that will be used in execution of the job. There is value that companies can provide customers at this stage. They can help customer understand their objectives better. Companies can also provide solutions that simplify the planning involved in getting the job done.
4. Consumption of the JTBD. This steps seams to be the most trivial one, the one most customers see and the one most companies focus on. This is the execution of the job-to-be-done. To help the customer do the job, innovators should come up with solutions that help the customer get the job done. Since consumption is the most visible step to the customers, companies need to ensure that a high degree of quality goes into this step (visible quality).
5. Assessment of results against expectations. After the execution of the job is completed an assessment of the result is done. In doing so, the customer compares the actual result to the result they expected. At this stage they can see if the results delivered by the selected solution fulfill the expectations.
Mid-course corrections are happening with a lot of jobs, due to assessments being carried out while the job is still being executed. However, at this step companies can add a lot of value to customers. If the results match the expectations the customer can move onto concluding the job. But if the results are not satisfactory they may have to go for alternatives, or accept the lower standard.
The assessment step can very well be viewed as a job in itself. Say you have a job defined as loosing weight, then a tool such as a scale or a mobile app informing you the number of calories burned in a workout can add a lot of value. This is actually a customer job to be done.
6. Altering (only if there’s a gap between outcome and expectations). Alterations can have take of two dimensions: the customer is either going to alter the expectations (any one of three components of the expectations), or alter the solution but keep the expectations fixed.
When the solution is altered the customer either goes back, re-planning the entire approach or if the solution is radically changed what happens is that an entire new job is defined.
7. Conclusion of JTBD. With trivial jobs the conclusion step is often times skipped, because it is self-evident. However, when it comes to more complex jobs the conclusion steps may very well be a process. Even though the majority of customers will not notice the conclusion step of a job, value can be added here as well. Solutions can be provided that simplify the process, providing good feelings to the customer.
8. New JTBD. Note that the successful completions of a job will, most of time, result in the commencement of a new one. As such, mapping this stage companies can ensure that another product from their product line will be used in the new job (either by means of advertising or by my means of product placement).
The above anatomy of a job-to-be-done can also be viewed as a value chain map offering companies the possibility of positioning their offerings at one or more of the steps outlined above. For example, if we take a look at the job to be done as weight loss; a person hires more than one offering to get the job done (i.e. shoe company, portable music player company, progress tracking service, etc).
Key in becoming successful and delivering value at every step of the way is developing empathy for the customers and the job they are trying to get done. Since it’s always better to have the customers locked in an ecosystem or constellation of complementary offerings, mapping each stage of a job on a canvas like tool can help the entire team understand the complexity of a particular job a customer wants to get done.
Although the described process is described as deliberate step, it is also important to note that purchasing decisions are often times irrational, understanding the anatomy of a job-to-be-done can offer unprecedented value by adding opportunities for any company seeking to differentiate itself from the competition by means of innovation.
