Jobs To Be Done Field Guide: From Customer Needs to Product Job Done

Everyone knows the saying about asking for faster horses instead of imagining the car. The example is often used to document that asking consumers might be misleading. Yet, it also demonstrates the importance of uncovering the real needs. This principle is central to the jobs to be done theory, where innovation begins with understanding the real progress consumers seek.

In this field guide, you will find practical tips for uncovering and prioritizing customer needs, a clear archetype model for classifying jobs, guidance on writing job statements, and methods to align product development with desired outcomes.

Summary and FAQs on jobs to be done

Map the job: Turning customer needs into winning features

The jobs to be done framework was created by Tony Ulwick at the innovation consulting firm Strategyn and was first described in the Harvard Business Review, establishing a structured approach to discovering and prioritizing customer jobs to be done.

A job map gives product teams a structured view of how customers try to accomplish their goals. Developing a strong sense of desire is essential for effective job mapping, as it ensures that teams deeply understand what drives customer actions, behaviors, and decisions. It breaks the work into discrete steps, from recognizing a need to confirming the job is done.

Mapping exposes friction points and reveals opportunities for innovation. Teams can see where current solutions fail and where new features can make a measurable impact.

Why customer needs, not features, drive product development success

Products succeed when they meet important, unmet desires. Features are only valuable if they do not create friction and ease behavior. Focusing on needs ensures resources are invested in outcomes customers care about. Customer centricity is central to this approach, as it prioritizes understanding and addressing needs throughout product development.

This approach aligns product development with measurable value, bringing predictability and increasing market relevance.

Using job maps to break down the customer journey

A map is more than a workflow. It captures social, emotional, and functional jobs in sequence. These represent the three categories in the JTBD framework. The customer journey map highlights jobs to be done and emotions at each stage and touchpoint.

For example, in purchasing, the map could include identifying options, comparing trade-offs, and confirming satisfaction after purchase. Breaking the journey into steps helps teams identify improvement opportunities and discover success strategies.

Writing a clear statement that guides development

A precise job to be done statement anchors the entire process. It should follow a clear format: When [situation], I want to [motivation], so I can [desired outcome]. In each statement, it's important to identify the job executor, the person or user responsible for carrying out the core functional job, so solutions can be tailored to their needs.

This structure keeps the focus on what the customer is trying to accomplish. A well-written statement is short enough for quick communication but rich enough to create a common understanding, inform prioritization, and measurement.

Identifying desired outcomes and prioritizing them

Outcomes customers want are the measurable results. Some outcomes are functional, such as reducing time or effort. Others are emotional, such as feeling confident in a decision.

Teams should score outcomes based on importance to the customer and satisfaction with current alternatives. This is called outcome-driven innovation (ODI).

When prioritizing outcomes, it is important to also discover the perspective of the purchase decision maker, who evaluates and chooses products or services based on financial or performance metrics.

High-importance, low-satisfaction outcomes represent the best opportunities for innovation. These priorities can be linked to roadmaps, ensuring the product development efforts address the best business opportunities for success.

Classify customer jobs with the JTBD archetype model

A job is more than a task. In the jobs to be done framework, every job sits in a wider context that shapes why it matters to the customer. Classifying them into archetypes helps product teams see patterns and anticipate needs across markets.

Understanding different customer types is essential for accurate classification, as each type may have unique needs and motivations that influence how they approach a need.

Archetypes turn abstract research into a practical tool for strategy, portfolio planning, and product development alignment. Our JTBD archetype wheel lists the most common desires and company examples that have a good sense of unlocking those deep customer interests.

The four main types from the jobs theory: functional, emotional, transformational, and social

Jobs theory groups all customer jobs to be done into four broad types.

Functional or economic jobs describe practical tasks that the customer tries to complete.

Emotional jobs reflect how the customer wants to feel while or after doing the task.

Social tasks relate to how the customer wants to be perceived by others.

Transformational interests reflect a higher-level objective.

Any given project may involve all four. A strong product management process considers them together.

Many companies, such as Apple, Intuit, and Airbnb, have successfully applied the jobs theory to product development to better understand what job executors want and to drive innovation.

JTBD archetype wheel and what they reveal about growth strategies

Within these four types, there are recurring archetypes that appear across industries:

The Time Saver: Customers hire features or services to complete tasks faster or with less effort. Example: mobile boarding passes that skip the check-in counter. This archetype focuses on streamlining steps and removing delays.

The Risk Reducer: Solutions that lower uncertainty, increase control, or prevent errors. Example: password managers that secure and auto-fill credentials. Strategy centers on trust, reliability, and measurable safety outcomes.

The Status Seeker: Products or services that help customers signal identity, taste, or expertise. Example: premium coffee equipment that showcases a commitment to craft. Strategies target brand positioning and aspirational design.

The Habit Reinforcer: Products that help maintain routines or commitments. Example: fitness trackers that remind users to meditate to relieve stress and achieve peace in the mind. Growth comes from integration into daily life and personalized feedback.

The Cost Cutter: Interests to minimize financial outlay or maximize value. Example: price comparison tools for utilities. Strategy involves transparency and tangible savings.

The Confidence Builder: Interest in removing doubt and supporting better decisions. Example: trial periods for software before purchase. Growth levers include reassurance, proof points, and customer support.

These archetypes of the jobs to be done theory give teams a shared language for opportunity mapping. They link directly to measurable outcomes and can be connected to product roadmaps for execution.

How to spot hidden jobs to be done that customers won’t tell you directly

Hidden desires often surface through observation rather than direct questioning. Customers may not articulate them because they are subconscious, taken for granted, or socially sensitive.

Spotting hidden gems requires a mix of methods. Observe customers in context to see workarounds, interruptions, or moments of frustration. Review support tickets and document lessons learned for hints about unmet needs. Become the best customer of your product to realize user needs, pain points, and customer experience yourself. Analyzing consumption chain jobs, from setup to disposal, can reveal unmet needs outside the core function.

Real-world examples from Harvard Business research and beyond

Clayton Christensen credits a classic illustration to explain the to be done theory. People do not buy a quarter-inch drill because they want a drill, but because they need a quarter-inch hole. The core functional job is the outcome, not the tool. Harvard Business research has documented how applying the JTBD framework reshapes markets.

For example, Intuit discovered that small business owners were not hiring accounting software services for bookkeeping features alone, but to “get peace of mind about tax season” and being a stress reliever. By focusing development on automation and compliance, they increased adoption rates and customer loyalty.

In the fast-food industry, McDonald’s applied the JTBD framework to understand the underlying processes of why customers bought milkshakes in the morning. The job done was to make long commutes more enjoyable and satisfying without creating a mess. The solution was a thicker milkshake with a lid that lasted the entire drive, driving higher morning sales and providing a companion to drivers during rush hours.

In consumer electronics, Snickers reframed its product’s jobs to be done as “satisfying hunger and keeping energy up between meals” rather than simply being a candy bar. This insight shaped both product size and marketing strategy, positioning Snickers as a snack replacement, reducing the risk of feeling hungry shortly after consumption, and expanding market share.

Such insights have led to successful innovations in various industries, as companies develop new products and features that better meet customer needs through the JTBD framework.

Execute, measure, and iterate for a thriving innovation process

A thriving innovation process turns strategy into repeatable results. Businesses can achieve greater efficiency and growth by adopting the jobs to be done theory, ensuring their innovation efforts align with customer need statements.

Execution, measurement, and iteration form the backbone of this system. To clarify the jobs to be done, prioritize them, and relate them to follow-up actions, teams need a structured environment to manage priorities, monitor delivery, and adapt to changes.

Map and prioritize customer needs with one operating system

Customer needs must be captured and organized in a single source of truth. This ensures that every stakeholder sees the same information, from high-level strategic goals to individual need statements. Needs can be scored for importance, urgency, and strategic fit, creating a clear view of what to address first and allowing for outcome-driven innovation (ODI).

Advanced platforms allow dynamic reprioritization when new insights emerge, so the backlog always reflects current market realities.

Align priorities with development roadmaps

Prioritized needs should flow directly into development roadmaps. Linking each initiative to a specific job to be done ensures that resources target outcomes that matter most to customers and financial purchase decisions.

Interactive roadmaps let teams visualize dependencies, adjust timelines, and test alternative scenarios without losing sight of the bigger picture. This alignment reduces wasted effort, strengthens stakeholder buy-in, and supports an outcome-driven innovation approach.

Build better products through staged product development

A staged R&D process provides control without slowing progress. Each stage gates investment based on evidence, such as customer experience feedback, validated hypotheses, and experiment results.

Feedback loops connect development stages to customer data, enabling rapid iteration. By tracking performance against desired outcomes at every stage, teams can pivot early, scale what works, and retire low-impact concepts.

10 dos and don'ts for applying the job to be done framework

Applying the jobs to be done framework effectively takes more than knowing the details of the job to be done theory. It requires discipline, curiosity, and a willingness to revisit assumptions as you learn.

The most successful product teams treat the to be done framework as an ongoing part of their development processes, using it to guide decisions from strategy to delivery.

Dos:

• Do - Build a deep understanding of the customer’s situation before defining any job to be done. Observe real behavior and listen for functional jobs, emotional jobs, and social jobs.
• Do - Craft job statements with precision, focusing on the motivation and desired outcomes without prescribing a solution.
• Do - Map related jobs to capture the complete set of needs around the core functional job. This often uncovers growth opportunities.
• Do - Rank jobs by importance and satisfaction so you focus on areas with the highest potential impact.
• Do - Embed JTBD in the product development process, linking job insights directly to roadmaps, feature design, and performance tracking.

Don'ts:

• Don’t - Skip testing alignment with outcome-driven innovation principles by rushing from needs to features.
• Don’t - Rely on a single customer type for defining jobs. Broader perspectives reveal more robust opportunities.
• Don’t - Mistake the job for the tool. A quarter-inch hole is the job; a drill is just one possible way to achieve it.
• Don’t - Overlook hidden jobs like emotional reassurance or bringing predictability, which can strongly influence adoption.
• Don’t - Treat JTBD as a one-time exercise. Update job maps and priorities as markets, technology, and customer needs evolve.

When done well, JTBD provides a living lens for making product and business decisions that truly get the job done for customers. Remember to apply the dos and avoid the don'ts of the to be done framework throughout the process.

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