Jobs to be done - When people aren’t customers yet

It's not about what you offer, but about what the user is trying to get done.

I came across the book Connected Strategy by accident – someone had recommended it in a LinkedIn comment. I picked it up and read it in one go.

The core idea is compelling: how companies can create continuous connections with their customers to improve experiences and efficiency at the same time. It’s about turning episodic interactions into ongoing relationships. The book is clear, practical, and relevant.

And still, I kept stumbling over the same point: To become “connected” to a company, you already need to feel friction – and have the will to interact with that specific company and their “connected products and services”. The lens is that of the company, not of the human. More specifically: it starts only once a person is already recognized as a potential customer (marketing or sales lead). But what happens before? And what remains after the transaction?

Connected Strategy starts when someone becomes a customer. Jobs to be Done starts when someone becomes restless.

People don't start with a product – they start with friction

Let me give you a simple example: I’m currently planning a trip to Copenhagen. I’ve never been there.

What’s on my mind?