Cognitive Scaffold

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MENTAL MODEL · M6684

Jobs To Be Done

Jobs To Be Done
BehaviormediumPsychology
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Updated 2026-08-09

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INTRODUCTION

English translation pending.

CORE DEFINITION

Jobs To Be Done is an innovation framework popularized by Clayton Christensen. Its central claim is that customers do not buy products but hire them to make progress in a specific circumstance, so the unit of analysis is the job rather than the customer or the product. Attention goes to the progress the customer is trying to achieve, and competitors include every alternative that could deliver that progress, including non-consumption and improvised solutions. Jobs are typically stated as a circumstance, a motivation, and an expected outcome. The framework assumes circumstance, not demographic segment, predicts choice.

SCAFFOLDING EFFECT

psychology

Reduce cognitive load

- Use circumstance framing: describe when and where the customer needs progress, not who they are. - Use job statement: write the job as circumstance, motivation, and expected outcome. - Use competitor sweep: list every alternative that could deliver the job, including doing nothing.

anchor

Anchor fast decisions

Products are organized by category, so competition is analyzed within the category and substitutes outside it stay invisible. Starting from the circumstance instead of the product reveals the full set of alternatives, because anything that delivers the same progress is a competitor. This matters most where the real substitute is not another brand but an improvised workaround or doing nothing at all. Stating the job with circumstance and motivation also connects the requirement to a trigger, which explains why the same customer chooses differently on different occasions.

MINIMUM ACTION

In progress 0/1

Practice this model in one real situation:

Check to track your progress (stored locally)
Learning progress0%
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Source support: Explicit

  • link
    en.wikipedia.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outcome-driven_innovationZH · Explicit
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