The Jobs to Be Done Theory

This post is also available in: Deutsch (German)

You’ve heard of the Jobs to Be Done Method (JTBD) – but don’t know exactly what’s behind it or how you can use it sensibly?

Here you will find a clear, practical explanation of how JTBD works, when it is most effective – and how you can use it to truly understand customer needs and drive innovation in a targeted manner.

We show you:

• What “jobs” really are,
• How you identify them,
• And why JTBD brings so much more than classic personas or ideation workshops.

What is the Jobs to Be Done (JTBD) theory?

The JTBD theory helps companies to understand why customers choose certain products or services.

Core principles:

• Focus on the actual tasks (‘jobs’) of the customers.
• Less emphasis on product features, more on fulfilling needs.

This customer-orientated thinking enables the development of innovative solutions that are precisely tailored to the target groups.

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Why is JTBD so important?

Studies show that up to 90% of all product launches fail because companies do not sufficiently understand customer needs (see: Why companies fail). JTBD helps companies to effectively minimise this risk by making the real needs and buying motives visible.

We have summarised everything about the development of the Jobs To Be Done theory here

People do not buy features

Customers don’t buy products because of their functions, but because they want to use them to fulfil specific tasks. A classic example: people do not buy a car primarily because of technical details, but to get from point A to point B reliably. The JTBD theory helps to precisely identify such customer needs and to design products or services based on them that fulfil these requirements.

Understanding Jobs

An in-depth understanding of customer tasks enables companies to develop targeted and successful products or services. In cooperation with UTXO Solutions, Oberwasser Consulting offers comprehensive JTBD workshops and consulting services that support companies in systematically analysing customer needs and implementing innovative solutions.

Discover how your company can benefit from the JTBD methodology and take part in our specialised workshops.

How does the Jobs to Be Done method work?

The focus is on structured customer interviews that are systematically analysed. The JTBD method, which is taught by Oberwasser Consulting in close cooperation with UTXO Solutions, uncovers hidden customer motives and enables companies to develop successful innovations in a targeted manner (more on JTBD workshops)

JTBD and the Theory of Disruption

The JTBD theory is closely linked to the Theory of Disruption, a concept developed by Professor Clayton Christensen. Christensen uses it to describe how innovative companies radically change (‘disrupt’) established markets by offering products or services that solve existing customer problems (‘jobs’) much better than previously available solutions.

The basis of disruption is the assumption that people are always looking for better ways to solve certain tasks or problems. If a new offering fulfils the customer’s job significantly easier, faster or cheaper, customers can quickly switch from the established provider to the disruptive company.

Jobs to Be Done forms the decisive basis for this: only those who understand exactly what progress customers want to achieve can specifically develop products that have disruptive potential. Disruptive innovations therefore always arise when a company uses JTBD to recognise and fulfil deep, previously unsolved customer needs.

To summarise: JTBD enables companies to recognise opportunities for real disruption and develop products or services that can displace established competitors and create new markets.

JTBD in practice – How companies use the method successfully

The Jobs-to-Be-Done method is primarily used in the areas of product development, marketing, sales and innovation management in order to better understand customer needs and behaviour. In contrast to traditional approaches, JTBD does not focus on the product itself, but on the progress (‘job’) that the customer would like to achieve with the help of a product or service.

Specifically, JTBD helps companies to do this:

• Discover hidden customer needs that are not recognised by traditional market research.
• to develop targeted innovations that are precisely tailored to the actual needs and expectations of customers.
• Develop clearer marketing messages by targeting the jobs that are really relevant to customers.
• Significantly increase customer satisfaction, as products fulfil actual needs instead of being developed without meeting customer requirements.

Typical practical examples for the application of the JTBD method are

• Product development: New products or functions are not developed based on assumptions, but on specific ‘jobs’ that customers want to do.
• Marketing & sales: Customer communication specifically addresses the progress that customers want to achieve – not just product features.
• Strategy development: The jobs-to-be-done method enables clearer positioning and market differentiation from competitors.

To summarise, the JTBD method helps companies to identify the right problems and offer more effective solutions. This demonstrably increases the probability of success of new products and services as well as customer satisfaction in the long term.

Popular examples

• Apple iPod: The iPod revolutionised the music market by providing an easy and convenient way to record and listen to music on the go. The iPod did the job better than other music players by having a large capacity, being easy to use and having an attractive design.
• Airbnb: Airbnb disrupted the accommodation market by allowing private individuals to rent out their houses or flats to tourists for short periods of time. Airbnb did the job better than established providers like hotels by offering a wider choice of accommodation that was cheaper and had a more personal atmosphere.
• Uber: Uber disrupted the market for passenger transport by offering a platform where passengers and drivers could be connected. Uber did the job better than traditional taxis by providing an easy way to order and pay for a vehicle, and by using GPS tracking, passengers could follow the progress of their journey.
• Zalando: Zalando disrupted the market for fashion online by offering a platform where customers could buy a wide range of fashion items from different brands. Zalando did the job better than traditional retailers by offering a wider selection of items, having a simple ordering and payment system and offering fast deliveries.

What are the advantages of the Jobs to Be Done method?

The Jobs-to-Be-Done method provides companies with a precise understanding of the progress their customers really want to achieve. This understanding has a direct impact on turnover, efficiency and customer satisfaction.

✅ Specifically, JTBD offers the following advantages:

• Higher sales:
  Companies that use JTBD consistently report significant increases in sales – because they develop offers that actually target what customers want to achieve.
• Lower marketing expenditure:
  If you know which tasks customers really want to complete, advertising can be extremely targeted. Scatter loss is reduced and campaigns convert better.
• Faster product development:
  A deep understanding of customer tasks replaces assumptions with clarity – this saves resources in development and testing and leads to relevant solutions more quickly.
• Better customer approach:
  When customers feel understood, the relevance of the message increases. Language, benefit arguments and sales processes are orientated towards the actual desire for progress.
• Higher customer satisfaction and loyalty:
  Products and services that specifically help with a desired progress are not only useful – they are meaningful. This creates emotional loyalty.

🧠 A concrete example:

The German company Mantrafant has gained a much better understanding of its target group by using the JTBD method.
Within just a few weeks, sales increased fivefold – while advertising costs were reduced at the same time.

‘We learnt more about our customers in just two days of JTBD interviews than we had in the previous three years. We were able to triple the effectiveness of our advertising campaigns within a week.’
– Stefan Hück, Managing Director of Mantrafant

👉 Go to the complete case study

For which companies is Jobs to Be Done suitable?

JTBD is equally suitable for B2C and B2B companies. As recent studies show, up to 50% of start-ups and numerous established companies fail because they do not know the exact needs of their target groups (link to report). Whether start-ups, SMEs or corporations – JTBD offers companies of all sizes the opportunity to radically improve their understanding of the market and customers.

How can you use Jobs to Be Done?

Start with a structured JTBD workshop from Oberwasser Consulting and UTXO Solutions, which gives your team the practical skills to conduct and analyse JTBD interviews. Alternatively, you can carry out a Customer Insights Sprint together with our team and learn directly in your own project on your own product how to identify customer needs accurately and make your business more successful immediately, as in the example of Mantrafant yoga mats (B2B) or Digital Armour (B2B).

JTBD and successful innovation

JTBD stands for “Jobs to be Done” and is a concept that aims to understand the reasons why people use certain products or services. It is about understanding the needs and goals of customers rather than focusing on the functionality of a product or service.

JTBD can help with innovation by helping companies better understand the needs of their customers and develop new products or services that meet those needs. For example, a company that specialises in developing software for businesses could use JTBD to understand the reasons why customers want specific features in their software. These insights could then help to design the software to better meet the needs of customers and thus be more innovative.

Overall, JTBD is an important concept for innovation as it helps companies to better understand the needs of their customers and develop new products or services that meet those needs.

Business tools that use the JTBD concept

There are several business tools that use the concept of JTBD to help companies better understand their customers’ needs and develop products or services accordingly. Some of these tools are:

• Customer Development: This is an approach that focuses on understanding the needs of customers and aims to incorporate these needs into the development of products or services.
• Lean Startup: This is a method that focuses on testing ideas quickly and agilely to ensure they meet customers’ needs.
• Design thinking: This is an approach that aims to develop creative solutions to complex problems by taking into account the user’s perspective and needs.
• Empathy Mapping: This is a tool used to understand the user’s perspective and needs by visualising their thoughts, feelings and actions.
• Value Proposition Canvas: This is a tool used to understand and visualise the needs of customers and the solutions a company offers.
• The Wheel of Progress® is used to describe and analyse Jobs to Be Done (JTBD). It is designed to help organisations better understand and align with customer needs by providing a mindset, language and methodology to use JTBD quickly and effectively. The framework is compatible with the Value Proposition Canvas and the Business Model Canvas and can be used in companies of any size and industry.
• The Progress Design Map is a design tool to find a problem-solution fit in each phase of the progress cycle.
• The Progress Management Map The PM Map is a visual management tool for optimising TCA and controlling customer centricity with key figures.

Each tool has a task – but all build on jobs

Overall, these tools can help put the concept of JTBD into practice and help companies better understand their customers’ needs and develop appropriate products or services. Much more crucial than just the tools are a well-structured process and data.

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