The Jobs-to-be-Done Market Discovery Template
Deciding what market to pursue is one of the most important decisions a new business startup must make. Pursuing a phantom market is devastating. Targeting a market that doesn’t hold the potential for profitable growth is equally painful.
The Jobs-to-be-Done Market Discovery Template is a framework that entrepreneurs, startups and managers can use to define a target market through a jobs-to-be-done lens. Using it mitigates the risk of targeting a phantom or overserved market as it directs the user to define a market around an underserved job.
Here is how to use it:
- Define the market around a core functional job-to-be-done. For example, define a market as “get breakfast” (verb + object) + “while commuting to work” (contextual clarifier). This accurately defines the market around a core functional job.
- Then ask one or more actual customers, “When getting breakfast while commuting to work, how do you struggle to get the job done.” If they don’t struggle, then look for another market to pursue. If they do struggle, then define several dimensions along which they struggle. For example, they may struggle to “place the order without waiting”, “receive the order fast enough to get to work on time”, or “eat in the car without making a mess.” If a number of potential unmet needs can discovered up front, then the market may be worthy of a detailed analysis.
- Lastly, determine if the customer has emotional jobs they want satisfied. Ask, “How do you want to be percevied by people in your car pool or by your co-workers?” They may want their co-workers to perceive them as professional, on-time, and tidy.
When all is said and done, an underserved target market is revealed. After a number of potential market opportunities are discovered, then the market sizing exercise can begin.
Learn more: download a FREE PDF or AUDIO version of my latest Jobs-to-be-Done book, JOBS TO BE DONE: Theory to Practice.
In addition, you can now access ODIpro, our online innovation strategy platform, where you can:
- Get certified in putting Jobs Theory and Outcome-Driven Innovation (ODI) into practice.
- Apply the process to your markets using Strategyn’s latest tools and templates.
- Align your team around a winning product strategy.
To learn more about Strategyn’s consulting offerings and customized programs for innovation, go to Strategyn.com.
