The Complete Guide to Jobs to Be Done

Why Most Innovation Fails — and What Jobs to Be Done Changes

Here is a number worth pausing on: industry research consistently puts the new-product failure rate at roughly 70% — Doblin’s well-known study reported 96% across all innovation initiatives; subsequent academic work has put the figure for new consumer products in the 70–80% range. Whichever number you trust, the majority of new products do not meet their financial targets. Not because teams lack talent. Not because budgets are thin. They fail because teams build products around what they think customers want rather than understanding what customers are actually trying to accomplish.

Jobs to Be Done (JTBD) is the framework that fixes this. It is the single most reliable method for understanding customer needs in a way that directly informs product strategy, feature prioritization, and market segmentation. After 20 years of applying this framework with companies like Liebherr, Hilti, B.Braun, Palfinger, and Teleflex, I can say without reservation: JTBD changes how you win.

This guide covers everything you need to know — from the intellectual origins of Jobs Theory to the practical mechanics of applying it in your organization. It connects the dots between JTBD and Outcome-Driven Innovation (ODI), the quantitative method developed by Tony Ulwick that turns JTBD from a theory into a repeatable innovation process. as an experienced ODI practitioner, MYLES brings this methodology to DACH-region manufacturers, MedTech companies, and industrial B2B firms.

Whether you are a senior product manager trying to build a business case for JTBD adoption, or a VP of innovation looking for a framework that scales, this guide is your starting point.

Table of Contents

1. The History of Jobs to Be Done
2. What Is a “Job to Be Done”?
3. The Three Dimensions of Jobs
4. Job Mapping: The Structure Behind the Theory
5. JTBD and Outcome-Driven Innovation (ODI)
6. JTBD vs. Traditional Market Research
7. How to Start with JTBD
8. Common Mistakes When Applying JTBD
9. JTBD in B2B and Industrial Contexts
10. FAQs

The History of Jobs to Be Done

The intellectual roots of Jobs to Be Done stretch back further than most people realize. The core idea — that people “hire” products to accomplish something — was articulated by Theodore Levitt at Harvard Business School decades before Clayton Christensen popularized it. Levitt’s famous line, “People don’t want to buy a quarter-inch drill. They want a quarter-inch hole,” captures the essence of what JTBD would become.

The Christensen Era

Clayton Christensen brought JTBD into mainstream business thinking through his work at Harvard Business School, most notably in The Innovator’s Solution (2003) and later in Competing Against Luck (2016). Christensen’s contribution was framing the job as the fundamental unit of analysis for innovation. His milkshake study — where a fast-food chain discovered that morning commuters “hired” milkshakes as a convenient, sustaining breakfast companion — became the canonical JTBD example.

But Christensen’s version of JTBD remained largely qualitative. It was powerful as a lens for thinking about innovation, but it lacked a systematic process for identifying, measuring, and prioritizing customer needs.

Tony Ulwick and the Quantitative Turn

This is where Tony Ulwick enters the picture, and where the story gets genuinely transformative. Ulwick had been developing his framework — Outcome-Driven Innovation (ODI) — since the early 1990s, predating Christensen’s popularization of the JTBD term. In fact, Ulwick introduced the concept of a “desired outcome” to Christensen in 1999, which directly influenced the development of Jobs Theory.

Ulwick’s contribution was to make JTBD operational. He developed a systematic process for:

• Defining jobs with precision and consistency
• Identifying the 50–150 measurable outcomes that customers use to judge how well a job is getting done
• Quantifying which outcomes are underserved (high importance, low satisfaction) and which are overserved
• Using this data to drive product strategy, not intuition

His book What Customers Want (2005) and later Jobs to Be Done: Theory to Practice (2016) laid out the ODI methodology in detail. Ulwick’s practice has applied ODI to over 1,000 innovation initiatives with a success rate that exceeds 86% — compared to the industry average of roughly 17%.

The Two Schools Today

Today, there are effectively two schools of JTBD:

1. The “Switch” school (associated with Bob Moesta and the Rewired Group): Focuses on the moment of switching from one product to another, using qualitative interviews to understand the forces that push and pull customers toward change.

2. The “ODI” school (Ulwick): Focuses on defining the complete job map, identifying all desired outcomes, and using quantitative surveys to measure opportunity. This is the approach we practice at MYLES.

Both are valuable. But if you need to make million-euro product investment decisions with confidence, you need the quantitative rigor of ODI.

What Is a “Job to Be Done”?

A Job to Be Done is the progress that a person or organization is trying to make in a particular circumstance. It is not a task, not an activity, and not a need. It is a goal that exists independently of any product or solution.

The formal definition, as articulated by Ulwick, is: a job is a process — a series of steps that a person goes through to achieve a goal. This process is stable over time, even as the products used to accomplish it change dramatically.

Consider this: the job of “transporting heavy materials to an elevated work area on a construction site” has not changed in 100 years. What has changed are the solutions — from manual labor, to block and tackle, to mobile cranes, to loader cranes with remote-control positioning. The job is the constant. The product is the variable.

Why This Distinction Matters

When you define your market around the job rather than the product, three things happen:

1. You see competition differently. A surgical stapler doesn’t just compete with other surgical staplers. It competes with sutures, tissue adhesives, and any other solution that accomplishes the job of “closing a surgical wound securely and efficiently.” This reframing is particularly powerful in B2B and enterprise contexts.

2. You find opportunities that surveys miss. Traditional VOC (Voice of the Customer) research asks people what they want in a product. JTBD research asks what they are trying to accomplish, what outcomes matter, and where current solutions fall short. These are fundamentally different questions that yield fundamentally different insights.

3. You build innovation roadmaps that hold up. Because jobs are stable, a product strategy built around the job stays relevant even as technology shifts. This is the foundation for creating durable product requirements from JTBD insights.

The Anatomy of a Well-Defined Job Statement

A good job statement follows a specific syntax: [verb] + [object of the verb] + [contextual clarifier]

Examples:

• “Manage personal finances across multiple accounts” (consumer fintech)
• “Monitor patient vital signs during post-operative recovery” (MedTech)
• “Transport heavy loads from ground level to elevated positions on a construction site” (construction equipment)

Notice what is absent: any mention of a product, technology, or solution. The job statement is solution-agnostic. This is not an aesthetic choice. It is a methodological requirement. The moment you embed a solution in your job statement, you constrain your innovation space.

The Three Dimensions of Jobs

Every job has three dimensions, and most companies only address one of them. Understanding all three is what separates adequate products from category winners. We cover this in detail in our article on functional, emotional, and social jobs, but here is the essential framework.

Functional Jobs

The functional job is the core task the customer is trying to accomplish. It is practical, measurable, and typically what engineers and product managers focus on. “Cut through 12mm steel plate at a consistent speed” is a functional job. “Seal a wound without leaving suture marks” is a functional job.

Most companies are decent at identifying functional jobs. They are, after all, the explicit reason customers buy products. But functional jobs alone do not explain market behavior.

Emotional Jobs

Emotional jobs capture how the customer wants to feel (or avoid feeling) while performing the functional job. A surgeon using a new robotic surgical system has a functional job — “remove tumor tissue with millimeter precision.” But she also has emotional jobs: “feel confident during the procedure,” “avoid the anxiety of equipment failure,” “feel that I am providing the best possible care.”

These emotional jobs drive purchase decisions more than most B2B companies realize. In our work with MedTech firms, we consistently find that 30-40% of the underserved outcomes relate to emotional and social dimensions, not functional performance.

Social Jobs

Social jobs concern how the customer wants to be perceived by others. The VP of Engineering who champions a new manufacturing system is not only buying throughput improvement. He is buying professional credibility: “Be seen as someone who drives operational excellence.” “Demonstrate to the board that our innovation investment delivers returns.”

Companies that only address the functional job capture a fraction of the value. The emotional and social dimensions are where differentiation lives — and where premium pricing is justified.

For a practical walkthrough of how to identify all three job dimensions, see our JTBD interview guide.

Job Mapping: The Structure Behind the Theory

Job mapping is the process of deconstructing a job into its component steps. Ulwick’s Universal Job Map identifies eight stages that apply to virtually every job:

1. Define — Determine what needs to be done, plan the approach
2. Locate — Gather the inputs and information needed
3. Prepare — Set up the environment and inputs before execution
4. Confirm — Verify that everything is ready to proceed
5. Execute — Perform the core task
6. Monitor — Track whether the job is being done successfully
7. Modify — Make adjustments if something goes wrong
8. Conclude — Finish the job, clean up, and prepare for the next cycle

This structure is not arbitrary. It reflects how people actually approach goals, and it provides a systematic way to identify outcomes at every stage of the job.

Why Job Mapping Changes Everything

Most product teams focus obsessively on the “Execute” stage. They optimize the core function of their product. But customer frustration often lives in the other stages. In our work with a loader crane manufacturer, we found that the most underserved outcomes were in the “Prepare” and “Confirm” stages — operators spent significant time and effort ensuring the crane was properly positioned and stabilized before lifting. The competition was adding lifting capacity. The opportunity was in setup speed and confirmation certainty.

This is why we walk through the JTBD Canvas step by step — it forces teams to think about the entire job, not just the part their product addresses today.

Outcome Statements: The Language of Measurable Needs

At each stage of the job map, customers have desired outcomes — specific metrics they use (often unconsciously) to judge how well the job is getting done. Ulwick’s methodology captures these as outcome statements with a precise syntax:

[Direction of improvement] + [unit of measure] + [object of control] + [contextual clarifier]

Examples:

• “Minimize the time it takes to stabilize the crane before lifting” (Prepare stage)
• “Minimize the likelihood of wound dehiscence after closure” (Execute stage for surgical closure)
• “Minimize the effort required to document the procedure for compliance” (Conclude stage)

A well-mapped job typically has 50–150 desired outcomes. This may sound excessive, but it is this level of granularity that enables quantitative prioritization. When you survey customers on each outcome — asking both how important it is and how satisfied they are with current solutions — you get an opportunity score that tells you exactly where to invest.

JTBD and Outcome-Driven Innovation (ODI)

ODI is the methodological engine that turns JTBD from a theory into a repeatable innovation process. Developed by Tony Ulwick over three decades, ODI follows a structured sequence:

Step 1: Define the Market Around the Job

Instead of defining your market as “loader cranes” or “surgical staplers,” define it as the job your customers are trying to get done. This reframes competitive analysis, market sizing, and segmentation.

Step 2: Map the Job and Capture Desired Outcomes

Through qualitative research — typically 15-30 in-depth interviews — capture the complete job map and all associated desired outcomes. This is where the JTBD interview process is essential.

Step 3: Quantify Opportunity

Survey a statistically significant sample (typically 200-600 respondents) on each outcome: how important is it, and how satisfied are you with how current solutions address it? The resulting data reveals underserved outcomes (high importance + low satisfaction) and overserved outcomes (low importance + high satisfaction).

Step 4: Segment by Unmet Needs

Traditional segmentation divides markets by demographics, firmographics, or psychographics. ODI segments by patterns of unmet needs. Two customers who look identical on paper — same industry, same company size, same job title — may have radically different patterns of unmet needs. This is why traditional personas often fail.

Step 5: Drive Innovation Strategy

With quantified, prioritized outcomes, product teams can make evidence-based decisions about:

• Which features to build (address underserved outcomes)
• Which features to cut (overserved outcomes — candidates for simplification)
• How to position the product (emphasize the outcomes your product addresses better than alternatives)
• How to price (premium pricing is justified when you address outcomes that competitors miss)

The Evidence for ODI

the published ODI track record across 1,000+ innovation engagements shows an 86% success rate — nearly five times the industry average. This is not because the methodology is magic. It is because when you measure customer needs with the same rigor that you measure manufacturing tolerances or financial performance, you eliminate guesswork.

In MYLES’ own practice, we have seen similar results. Our work with B.Braun on enteral feeding systems, with Palfinger on crane control interfaces, and with Eaton on power management solutions has consistently delivered products that outperform internal benchmarks for market acceptance.

JTBD vs. Traditional Market Research

Traditional market research asks customers what they want. JTBD research asks customers what they are trying to accomplish and how they measure success. The difference sounds subtle. It is not.

The practical consequence is this: traditional VOC produces a list of feature requests that engineering must interpret. JTBD/ODI produces a prioritized list of outcomes that engineering can directly address. The translation layer from insight to specification becomes dramatically simpler. We explore this translation process in From JTBD to Product Requirements.

What About Design Thinking?

JTBD does not replace design thinking. It supercharges it. Design thinking excels at generating creative solutions. JTBD excels at defining the problem space with precision. When you combine a rigorous understanding of which outcomes are underserved with a creative exploration of how to address them, you get innovation that is both imaginative and strategically sound.

How to Start with JTBD

If you are new to JTBD, here is a practical path to adoption:

Phase 1: Education and Alignment (2-4 weeks)

Read Ulwick’s Jobs to Be Done: Theory to Practice. It is the most practically useful book on the topic. Share it with your product leadership team. Align on the vocabulary — jobs, outcomes, opportunity scores — before you start applying the framework.

Our article What Are Jobs to Be Done? provides a concise introduction you can share with colleagues who need a quick primer.

Phase 2: Pilot Project (6-10 weeks)

Select one product line or market segment for a pilot. Run a full JTBD/ODI cycle:

1. Define the job
2. Conduct 15-20 qualitative interviews to map the job and capture desired outcomes
3. Build a quantitative survey instrument
4. Survey 200+ respondents
5. Analyze the data to identify opportunity segments and underserved outcomes

This pilot serves two purposes: it generates actionable insights for one product, and it demonstrates the methodology to skeptics in your organization.

Phase 3: Institutionalize (3-6 months)

Embed JTBD into your product development process. Train product managers on interview techniques. Build JTBD Canvases for each major product line. Use opportunity scores as inputs to your innovation roadmap.

Common Mistakes When Applying JTBD

Having guided dozens of teams through their first JTBD initiatives, I see the same mistakes repeatedly:

Mistake 1: Defining Jobs Too Narrowly

“Attach the document to the email” is not a job. It is a step within a job. Jobs exist at a level of abstraction that encompasses an entire goal. “Share information with colleagues for decision-making” is closer to a job. If your job statement sounds like a feature requirement, you are too granular.

Mistake 2: Embedding Solutions in the Job Statement

“Use our CRM to track customer interactions” embeds a solution. “Track customer interactions across touchpoints” is solution-agnostic. This distinction determines whether your innovation space is open or constrained.

Mistake 3: Stopping at Qualitative Insights

Qualitative JTBD interviews are invaluable for discovering the job map and outcomes. But they are not sufficient for prioritization. You need quantitative data — importance and satisfaction scores across a representative sample — to know which outcomes represent the greatest opportunity. Without this, you are still making decisions on intuition, just with better vocabulary.

Mistake 4: Ignoring Emotional and Social Jobs

Particularly in B2B contexts, teams dismiss emotional and social jobs as “soft” or irrelevant. This is a costly mistake. When a hospital procurement committee evaluates two surgical systems with similar functional performance, the decision often turns on emotional outcomes (confidence, ease of training) and social outcomes (professional reputation, peer recognition). Read more in our piece on the three job dimensions.

Mistake 5: Treating JTBD as a One-Time Exercise

Jobs are stable, but customer satisfaction with current solutions changes as competitors innovate. The opportunity landscape shifts. JTBD/ODI should be a continuous practice, not a one-off research project. Revisit your outcome data annually.

JTBD in B2B and Industrial Contexts

JTBD was originally illustrated with consumer examples — the milkshake, the mattress, the music player. But the methodology is arguably more powerful in B2B and industrial contexts, where the stakes are higher, buying decisions are more complex, and the cost of a wrong product bet can be enormous.

In B2B, you face:

• Multiple job executors: The operator, the maintenance technician, the purchasing manager, and the safety officer all have different jobs, different outcomes, and different satisfaction levels. A loader crane that excels for the operator but creates nightmares for the maintenance technician has a problem that surveys will reveal.

• Longer buying cycles: B2B purchasing decisions can take 6-18 months. During that time, the buying committee evaluates solutions against a complex set of criteria. JTBD helps you understand those criteria at the outcome level, not just the feature comparison level.

• Higher switching costs: When switching costs are high, customers tolerate more dissatisfaction before changing. This means the underserved outcomes you discover through ODI represent pent-up demand — and an opportunity to capture market share from incumbents who take their customers for granted.

We explore B2B-specific applications in depth in JTBD for B2B: How Enterprise Product Teams Use Jobs Theory, with real examples from Pöttinger, Liebherr, and other industrial firms.

The JTBD Content Cluster: Go Deeper

This guide provides the foundation. The articles below go deeper into specific topics:

• What Are Jobs to Be Done? A Primer for Product Leaders — A concise introduction to share with your team
• JTBD vs. Personas: Why Traditional Segmentation Fails — The case for needs-based segmentation
• How to Conduct a JTBD Interview — Questions, process, and template
• JTBD Examples: Manufacturing and MedTech — Real-world case studies from Palfinger, Fresenius, MOTUS
• The JTBD Canvas: A Step-by-Step Guide — How to structure your job analysis
• Functional, Emotional, and Social Jobs — The three dimensions most teams miss
• From JTBD to Product Requirements — Bridging insights to specifications
• JTBD for B2B Enterprise — Applying Jobs Theory in complex buying environments

Frequently Asked Questions