Jobs to Be Done: The Innovation Framework That Puts Customers First
Introduction
In the world of corporate innovation, it’s easy to get distracted by features, technologies, and internal KPIs. But real innovation—the kind that drives growth, loyalty, and relevance—starts by deeply understanding the customer. Not just who they are, but what they’re trying to accomplish.
Jobs to Be Done (JTBD) is one of the most powerful frameworks in modern innovation thinking. It helps companies uncover the true reasons customers choose, switch, or abandon products and services. At Hangar 75, we use JTBD inside our IDEATE∞ platform to surface unmet needs, define innovation themes, and reframe product development around real-world progress.
For corporate innovation programs focused on customer-centricity and market traction, JTBD is a critical compass.
What is Jobs to Be Done?
Jobs to Be Done is a customer-centric innovation framework that focuses on the job a customer is trying to complete—rather than their demographics or what they say they want.
Clayton Christensen famously illustrated the concept by asking: “What job are people hiring this milkshake to do?” In that case, it was not about taste or price—it was about solving a boring morning commute.
The core idea: people “hire” products or services to make progress in specific situations. Understanding the functional, emotional, and social dimensions of these jobs reveals untapped innovation opportunities.
Why JTBD Reshapes Corporate Innovation Strategy
Unlike traditional voice-of-customer surveys or personas, JTBD digs below the surface. It uncovers context, motivation, and struggle—allowing innovation teams to identify whitespace and craft offerings that truly resonate.
It’s especially effective in crowded or commoditized markets, where product parity is high but differentiation is low.
Pros of Jobs to Be Done
Customer-Centric by Design: Forces teams to think from the user’s point of view, not the company’s.
Uncovers Hidden Needs: Goes beyond what customers say to what they actually need.
Strategically Actionable: Jobs can drive product roadmaps, segmentation, and marketing.
Cross-Functional Relevance: Useful for product, design, marketing, sales, and strategy teams alike.
Works Across B2B and B2C: Equally powerful in consumer and enterprise settings.
Cons of Jobs to Be Done
Needs Skilled Facilitation: Poor interviews yield shallow or misleading jobs.
Abstract for New Teams: Can feel vague or academic without training or examples.
Requires Qualitative Research: JTBD insights come from deep inquiry—not surveys or analytics alone.
Slow to Scale Without Support: Translating jobs into full innovation programs requires operational follow-through.
Illustrative Example: Reimagining Insurance Onboarding
A leading health insurer approached Hangar 75 to rethink its member onboarding experience. Satisfaction was low, churn was high, and internal teams were focused on transactional improvements.
Using JTBD interviews, we uncovered the real job members were trying to get done:
“Help me feel secure that I’ve made the right choice, and won’t regret this later.”
This job had emotional and social dimensions—confidence, trust, and reassurance—not just functional ease. From this insight, we mapped several new opportunity areas:
A digital “welcome concierge” explaining benefits in plain language
Personalized video messages from the customer’s local provider network
A 30-day check-in system triggered by behavioral cues
Community features showcasing others on the same plan
Within 90 days, the team developed prototypes for three new features—one of which drove a 24% lift in member satisfaction during pilot testing.
Where JTBD Fits Within the IDEATE∞ Platform
At Hangar 75, Jobs to Be Done is one of the foundational frameworks we apply during our early discovery phase within IDEATE∞. We use it to ensure all ideation aligns with real customer outcomes, not just internal assumptions.
IDEATE∞ includes JTBD prompt libraries, customer interview templates, and AI-assisted clustering to help teams identify high-potential jobs. We then layer this insight with techniques like Design Thinking, Mind Mapping, or SCAMPER to explore how to solve for those jobs with bold, actionable ideas.
The result? Innovation that resonates and converts.
The Strategic Role of JTBD in Innovation Portfolios
JTBD is ideal for:
• Identifying new product or service opportunities
• Designing onboarding and customer success journeys
• Reframing underperforming offerings
• Creating demand-side segmentation strategies
• Prioritizing features based on real-world outcomes
It’s especially effective in categories with feature fatigue or shifting customer expectations—where differentiation requires insight, not just engineering.
Final Thoughts: Stop Building Products—Start Solving Jobs
Corporate innovation often stumbles when it focuses on what’s possible, not what’s needed. Jobs to Be Done corrects that course by asking a more human question: What progress is our customer trying to make?
At Hangar 75, JTBD is a core ingredient in our IDEATE∞ engine—not as a one-off tool, but as a strategic lens through which we validate every idea. When you solve for the right job, your product becomes not just relevant—but irreplaceable.
Ready to Unlock Transformational Ideas?
This is just one of the many powerful techniques embedded within IDEATE∞, Hangar 75’s enterprise-grade ideation engine. Whether you’re launching a new product, solving complex challenges, or evolving your innovation strategy, IDEATE∞ helps you generate, enrich, and prioritize high-impact ideas—fast.
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