Curso Job-to-be-done / Jobs to be done theory - Introduction to the framework part 2: core functional jobs, new market vs existing market, core functional jobs and chained jobs, and structure to desired outcome statements

Meeting context

• Scope: Jobs-to-be-done course
• Study notes by Marcio S Galli
• Status: Working draft
• This meeting: "a06-320 — minisites — mgalli — writing — jobs to be done needs framrwork an introduction to the core functional job in the context of markets and relationship with chain jobs or desired outcome statements — 941641dc-592b-49ae-a17a-f1692320a561 Wednesday, January 15⋅3:30 – 4:00pm"
• Parent meeting: "talk — j2bd — Ulwick's book PDF "Job to be done" — needs framework part 2 - ab38938c-d604-4524-a3b6-bb611886c077 Wednesday, January 15⋅2:30 – 3:30pm"
• Episode 11
• Prior 10
• Next 12

Subject of study

• Type: Book, PDF
• Title: Jobs to be Done - Theory to Practice
• Author: Anthony W. Ulwick
• Date published: 2016
• Book PDF: https://jobs-to-be-done-book.com/
• Audio on SoundCloud, link not available
• Author: Anthony Ulwick
• Summary: Jobs-to-be-done course - study notes. This is part 2 related to the section entitled "Jobs-to-be-done Needs Framework". Ulwick presented the notion of Core Functional Jobs as a main simple job task related to a customer target; after that other chained jobs may exist. He also explored a bit the relationship of this subject with markets, indicating that jobs-to-be-done seems to be more concrete for when a company is already working in a given market; because companies may not understand exactly the jobs that customers are trying to accomplish. He also points an additional complexity because many offerings can be used for multiple jobs, like banking. In this context, the jobs-to-be-done process is helpful, while he also recognizes that this case depends on qualitative work to uncover data and enabling quantitative and other methods to be applicable.
• Tags: #jtbd #leanstartup #customervoice #customerneeds

The Jobs-to-be-done introduction to the needs framework part 2

• This annotation was also produced with the support from Ulwick's recently launched audio https://soundcloud.com/user-747429668/jobs-to-be-done-theory-to-practice/s-ounWE

Core functional job

• A job and tools or services — We use things to accomplish jobs, or tasks. We buy, rent, or use services, in the context of other things we want to accomplish (p.53)

• A single statement — to put gas in the car for a trip, can be a job (marcio). The example from Ulwick would be "cut a piece of wood in a straight line" (p.53)

• An anchor, and related chain jobs — while we can produce a statement, for a core functional jobs, other needs or jobs are related to it. Examples of related jobs are a) emotional and b) related or c) consumption. These are referred by Ulwick as chain jobs, associated with the core functional job. (p.54)

Functional jobs and markets

• New market — For new jobs to address and new markets to target — this seems not to be the forte of the jobs-to-be-done, initially (p.54)

• Existing market — Will help to define, in a new way, a market that a company is already serving. The intent is to serve it better, as they understand better the needs of customers. This seems to be make sense also because Ulwick have indicated a degree of structure and validation method, such as the fact that quantitative methods are going to be used after clearly defined Desired Outcome Statements. (p.54)

• How should we go about focusing in one job or multiple? Or, when should be seek for multiple jobs vs one job — Note on Ulwick removal of a statement between the audio and the PDF — Ulwick removed the statement "While the first activity new jobs / new market requires a company to discover multiple functional jobs a customer is trying to get done, the latter requires a clear definition of just one functional job". (p.54) (Soundcloud audio)

• Concept of market selection — a company may find itself in a discovery phase, making analysis for which markets to enter, seeking new revenue streams. In this case, the company should pick target customers, like moms or surgeons (example from Ulwick audio not included in the page 54), and then they determine the jobs they are trying to get done. Then they move into mapping which jobs are important but not satisfied; for prioritizing the solutions and strategy. While this process is interesting, it maybe that this is not usually the out of the box (marcio) or straight value of this jobs-to-be-done, because this process can be useful to improved the value for the markets that companies are already working.

Platform solutions and customers trying to do multiple jobs (p.55)

• Jobs-to-be-done shows improved results for existing market — in the sense of helping to understand the actual jobs people are trying to get done.

• It sounds simple — but many offerings are platforms, which may make things complicated, as the user uses tools and services to do multiple things.

• Qualitative before quantitative — because of such complexity, qualitative methods needs to be used to help with discoverability of the needs before moving into quantitative methods.

• Qualitative methods to uncover the reasons — that the customers are using the multi-purpose offering. An example of a multi-purpose offering would be bank.

• Quantitative methods and factor analysis — enter after the qualitative process, they are intended to group together what Ulwick referred as "like attributes" that will help the discovery of the core job.

3 unique characteristics — of a core functional job-to-be-done (p.55-56)

• Stable — does not change over time. The delivery vehicle may change, like from CD to online.

• No geographical boundaries — Brazil to USA or India. Things may vary but the collective set of desired outcomes are the same. This may explain things coming from Silicon Valley, or Israel, or Portugal.

• Solution agnostic — jobs is not related to the form that we are serving. Meaning it can be a software, a hardware, a service, or all. This seems to align with the notion presented by Joe Gebbia in the Airbnb talk with Reid Hoffman. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCA_7RVo7Uo

Desired outcomes, related to the core functional job

• Desired Outcome Statements — that explains how customers measure success and value, "as they go through each step of the core functional job" (p57)

• How efficient can a job step, related to a core functional job, be accomplished;

• N:1 — for one core functional job, you will find about 50-150 Desired Outcome Statements, applicable. (p.57)

• Example for the listening to music core functional job — "minimize the time it takes to get the songs in the desired order for listening" (p.57-58)

Desired Outcome Statements, the Structure

The need for structure, aiming validity is key. According to Ulwick, the Desired Outcome Statements needs to be developed with rigour so they become meaningful for prioritizing efforts leading to the solution. They need to be:

• Measurable
• Controllable
• Actionable
• Devoid of solutions
• Stable - in the sense of being meaningful over time, or immutable

With such structure they can be prioritized with association with "statistically valid market research methods." (p.58)