The Jobs to be Done methodology

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There comes a time when all of us, as buyers, wake up. This is the moment when we discover we have a need we want to address, and to meet it, we set ourselves a task. Often, it's such an important need that we write it down somewhere: in a manager, in a notebook...

We have to do something to solve our need, even though we're not yet ready to know what we can do. That unique moment is the JTBD .

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The acronym JTBD stands for Jobs to be done.
The JTBD methodology seems to have been created by Rick Pedi and has subsequently been revived by several authors, most notably Alan Klement in his book When Coffee and Kake Compete . If you read the title of this book, you'll probably have some clue as to where this article is going next.

To summarize the theory, the Jobs to Be Done methodology argues that a consumer doesn't buy a product from us, but rather a fulfilled need . That is, I acquire a product to solve a specific task that allows me to progress in a specific aspect of my life.

And here, is where we could talk about the different dimensions that these tasks can have, according to the aspects that they help us resolve: emotional, functional and social :

Emotional : All tasks related to feelings, sensations, and emotions. Example: I need to reconnect with my inner self.
Functional : All those related to practical and functional aspects. Example: I need to organize my kitchen.
Social : Tasks that integrate me into the community and help me build relationships. Example: I need to spend more time with my family.
Perhaps you've already thought of a product that could help you solve one of the first two of these tasks. If the situation arises: A coach, a new wardrobe, but... what about the third? Can you think of a product, brand, or service that could help you solve it? In reality, there's more to it than meets the eye at first glance. From an amusement park to a board game.

That's the paradigm shift. There are likely many companies that could help you with your task, but the key is for those companies to recognize that this is your need and not another.

Let's look at another example. Theodore Levitt , one of the proponents of this method, sums it up with these words:

"People don't want to buy a quarter-inch drill. They want a quarter-inch hole!"

What this means is that buyers don't want to buy a size 4 drill; what they want is a size 4 hole in their wall. The drill is simply the tool that solves their need and transforms them from a moment of dissatisfaction to one of satisfaction. I'm exaggerating greatly, but understand me: you could probably live without a size 4 hole in your wall.

But you know what? It's quite possible that that's not even the JTBD . Because the consumer doesn't want a hole, no way! What they really want is a picture hanging on their wall. And one that looks good and doesn't fall off.

For this reason, perhaps the solution isn't a drill, but one of those adhesive strips that allow you to hang any picture of any weight or size without making holes. Especially if the consumer, the potential buyer (that's me), is anything but handy when it comes to these things.