What is the Jobs-to-be-Done framework? Examples and overview

The Jobs-to-be-Done (JTBD) framework, developed by Tony Ulwick and popularized by Clayton Christensen, is a product development approach that focuses on understanding the core tasks customers aim to accomplish with a product or service. This methodology emphasizes the importance of identifying the underlying needs and goals of customers, rather than focusing solely on the product or the customer itself. Through this understanding, companies can innovate and design solutions that better meet customer needs, leading to more effective marketing and product success. The JTBD framework has been successfully applied across various industries, including Octopus Investments, where it was used to create a customer portal that significantly increased online engagement and improved customer experience. The framework is built on nine tenets that highlight the importance of understanding the functional, social, and emotional components of customer jobs, the stability of these jobs over time, and the need for solution-agnostic approaches. By focusing on the job as the unit of analysis, businesses can make innovation more predictable and marketing more effective, ultimately delivering solutions that align with customer needs and expectations.