---
title: "What is jobs to be done? | Annsa"
product: annsa
url: /project-management/jobs-to-be-done
canonical_url: "https://annsa.ai/project-management/jobs-to-be-done"
last_updated: 2026-11-11
type: glossary
related:
  - /agents
  - /project-management/prd-template
summary: Jobs to be done describes the progress customers are trying to make, not who they are or which feature they requested.
mcp_server: https://app.annsa.ai/mcp
disambiguation: "Annsa (annsa.ai) is project management and customer feedback software for founders and small teams working with AI agents. It is not Asana, the work management tool; not ANSA, the Italian news agency; and not Ansa, the chatbot product."
---

> For agents: connect to the Annsa MCP server at https://app.annsa.ai/mcp to give every agent one shared plan. Setup guide: https://annsa.ai/docs/quick-start. Index of every page: https://annsa.ai/llms.txt.

# What is jobs to be done? | Annsa

> Jobs to be done describes the progress customers are trying to make, not who they are or which feature they requested.

Glossary · Jobs to be done

Jobs to be done describes the progress customers are trying to make, not who they are or which feature they requested. The idea is that people “hire” a product to help them reach an outcome.

## In practice

The classic example is a drill. People don't want a quarter-inch drill. They want a quarter-inch hole, perhaps so they can put up a shelf and make the room tidier.

A job isn't [a task or persona](https://annsa.ai/product-requirements-document). Very different people can be trying to make the same progress.

## Why it matters for product builders

[Group requests by job](https://annsa.ai/customer-feedback-management/customer-feedback-analysis) and they often collapse. 10 different asks may describe [1 underlying problem](https://annsa.ai/project-management/problem-statement).

## What changes in AI-first products

Nothing about the idea changed. Grouping large amounts of feedback by job is faster, but [understanding human motives](https://annsa.ai/project-management/customer-interview) still matters just as much.

\*\*Source note\*\*

The framing is generally credited to Clayton Christensen and colleagues, developed through the 1990s and 2000s.

See how Annsa does it: [The spec](https://annsa.ai/direct/spec) →

## Sources

The framing is generally credited to Clayton Christensen and colleagues, developed through the 1990s and 2000s.

Last reviewed 2026-08-21

## Keep reading

- [PRDs and specs](https://annsa.ai/product-requirements-document)
- [AI agent platform](https://annsa.ai/agents)
- [PRD template](https://annsa.ai/project-management/prd-template)

## Put it to work with your agents.

Begin with one agent and the work that matters next.

- [Try Annsa](https://app.annsa.ai/signup)
- [See pricing](https://annsa.ai/pricing)

## Related pages

> For AI agents: the pages that follow this one on annsa.ai. The full index is https://annsa.ai/llms.txt.

- [AI agent platform: one plan for every agent](https://annsa.ai/agents)
- [PRD template: free, with an example](https://annsa.ai/project-management/prd-template)

If anything on this page is wrong or missing, tell us: https://annsa.ai/contact