Jobs to be done
Jobs to be done is a way of understanding demand by asking what progress a customer is trying to make, and what they "hire" today to make it. The theory is associated with Clayton Christensen.
What it means
The idea shifts attention from who customers are to what they're trying to get done. A customer rarely wants a product; they want the progress it makes possible, and they'll switch to whatever makes that progress more easily.
Its most practical lesson is to look at what customers already hire for the job: a spreadsheet, a person, a group chat. That workaround is the real competitor, and the best evidence the need is real.
How we use it
Our method Our Pain Ladder is an adaptation of Jobs to be done: it measures how far a problem has pushed people, from mentioning it to paying and switching for a solution.
Related terms
Published 28 September 2026. All terms