Operating Principle

2–4 min read

Customers Hire Products for a Job, Not for Their Features

Customers Hire Products for a Job, Not for Their Features

Customers Hire Products for a Job, Not for Their Features

Customers hire products to make progress on a specific job in their life.

Customers hire products to make progress on a specific job in their life.

Customers hire products to make progress on a specific job in their life.

The job and circumstance—not demographics or features—predict what customers choose.

The job and circumstance—not demographics or features—predict what customers choose.

The job and circumstance—not demographics or features—predict what customers choose.

The job and circumstance—not demographics or features—predict what customers choose.

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Operating Question

What job is the customer hiring you to do, and what did they use before?

What job is the customer hiring you to do, and what did they use before?

What job is the customer hiring you to do, and what did they use before?

Why It Matters

The job and circumstance—not demographics or features—predict what customers choose.

Supporting Evidence

Clayton Christensen on jobs-to-be-done; Tony Ulwick on outcome-driven innovation.

Research Notes

Apply with context: customer situation, severity, and evidence quality shape the effect.

Practical Actions

Identify the job; find prior substitutes; define competition by job served.

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