The Milkshake That Changed Product Thinking

What the Jobs-to-be-Done framework teaches us about user intent.

Competing on features alone

The Problem

Two products.

Same category.

Similar price.

Which one wins?

A vs. B

Two products.

Same category.

Similar price.

Which one wins?

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The one that does

the 'job' better.

Customers don't buy. They hire your product.

The Insight

You don't wake up

wanting a drill 🔧

You wake up

wanting a hole 🕳️

You don't plan to

book a cab 🚕

You plan to

reach on time ⏰

Your goal is not to

subscribe to courses 🎓

Your goal is to

upskill yourself 📚

What Clayton Christensen discovered about customer behaviour

The Milkshake Story

studied milkshake sales

A fast-food chain

When?

Why?

Who buys them?

Scribbled Underline

Morning customers

bought for commute.

To survive a long, boring drive 🚗

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Scribbled Underline

Afternoon customers

bought for their kids.

To keep them busy after school 🏫

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Different business strategies

Different business strategies

Same product.

Different jobs.

"Keep me awake and full."

Morning job:

Morning job:

"Keep my kids quiet."

Afternoon job:

Afternoon job:

This is the

This is the

framework

Jobs-to-be-Done

Scribbled Arrow

underlying job

to understand the

Where you try

Squiggly Line

Obsess over features.

Bloat takes over.

Solve the right job.

Adoption follows.

What do we learn?

The Takeaway

that truly

We Learn That

needs doing.

Listen to users.

Observe their habits.

But build for the job

- Keep upskilling.

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