Summary of Competing Against Luck

The “Theory of Jobs to Be Done”

According to the Theory of Jobs to Be Done, people do not merely buy products. They “hire” products to help them make personal progress toward a specific objective. Unless the purchase and use of a product helps the consumer make progress toward his or her goal, no amount of fidgeting with its features will translate to successful innovation. Identifying a Job to Be Done calls for a narrative description of a “job” or of the specific type of progress prospective customers seek.

On the surface discerning what exactly caused a customer to purchase one product over all other choices may be difficult. But if you look more closely, what customers hire – and equally importantly, what they “fire” – tells a story. That story is about the functional, emotional and social dimensions of their desire for progress – and what prevents them from getting there. The challenge is in becoming part sleuth and part documentary filmmaker by piecing together clues and observations to reveal what jobs customers are trying to get done. This construct can help product marketers clarify the processes that drive their consumers’ choices to buy and sell.