Anthony W. Ulwick

DEFINE THE JOB-TO-BE-DONE

Making the core functional job the unit of analysis is the cornerstone of successful innovation. The core functional job is the stable, long-term focal point around which all other needs are defined and around which value creation should be centered.


Defining the core functional Job-to-be-Done correctly is a prerequisite to predictable success. Getting it wrong is a big problem, and getting it right is not that easy. Defining the job too narrowly will limit the
discovery of growth opportunities. Defining the job too broadly will result in non-actionable insights.

From our experience, most products only get part of a job done. The goal is to discover the entire job the customer is trying to accomplish. This is why it is incorrect to ask a customer, “What job did you hire that product to do?” as this may not reveal the entire job. Asking this question is a common mistake. It is indicative of a product-centric mindset.

To avoid defining the job to narrowly, work directly with customers to understand not why they bought your product, but how your product fits into what they are trying to accomplish. Ask, “Why are you using that product, what job are you ultimately trying to get done”.

For example, if a stove-top kettle maker were to ask its users “what job did you hire that product to do”, it is likely they would tell you they hired it to “boil water”. That may be correct, but boiling water is just a step in the job the customer is ultimately trying to get done—which is to ”prepare a hot beverage for consumption”. If the stove top kettle maker defines the job too narrowly, then it is at risk of a competitor coming along (like Keurig) with a solution that gets the entire job done on a single platform.

It is not uncommon for a new competitor to overtake a market by finding the capabilities, resources, funding,

technology, and know how to create an offering that gets the entire job done.

On the other hand, defining the job too broadly can make it difficult, if not impossible, for the company to tackle the job in its entirety. To avoid this from happening, think about the company, its products and its capabilities and ask, “Can and will the company address this job from beginning to end over time?” If the company does not have or is not willing to acquire the capabilities, resources, funding, and technology and know how to tackle the broader job then the job is defined too broadly from a practical standpoint.