Yep. You heard me. Ok..Maybe “wrong” is a little harsh. He’s just missing the full picture. Let’s talk about why.

One of Sinek’s oft-quoted phrases is: “People don’t buy what you do. They buy ‘why’ you do it”. Every time I watch the clip I’m struck with how good a speaker he is. He slows down just a touch to emphasize why. He looks at the crowd as if to drive his point home. It’s a great lecture and Sinek himself is very charismatic. He weaves compelling stories and biological science that make you buy in completely into what he’s saying. But, let’s examine where his assertion breaks down.

Buying a Toaster

Think back to the last time you bought a toaster. Did you make your purchase because you wanted to join some “perfect toast movement?” Or, was it because you wanted a toasted piece of bread? If we’re being honest with ourselves, it’s probably the latter. And, it’s not just toast. There are plenty of other mundane things we buy purely based on function. Then there are other things we buy based solely on social pressure. That’s where Clayton Christensen comes in.

Jobs Theory in a Nutshell

Prof. Clayton Christensen is one of my heroes. He was a brilliant man who left a lasting mark on business management through his theory of disruptive innovation, which was the basis for things like the Ipod and Iphone. It’s true, Steve Jobs loved Clay’s work and used it to turn Apple from a company on the verge of bankruptcy in 97 to a business worth roughly Poland 15 years later.

One of Clay’s lesser-known theories is the theory of jobs to be done. He says that people don’t buy your product or service. Instead, they “hire” it to help them make progress in their lives. These jobs have three different aspects: functional, social, and emotional; which can all be weighted differently based on what the customer’s job looks like. We call these the three motivations.

The Three Motivations

Functional – When people hire your product or service, it’s not just because they believe with some grand political or ideological movement you’re trying to push. In fact, it’s often the last thing on the list. Top of mind for them is whether or not it will do the job they are hiring it to do. And they want to know how difficult it will be for them to get the progress they’re hunting.

Social – People want to look “cool”. They want to be respected by their peers, regardless of how big that peer group is. This means that part of the job is to either help them look cool or at least not make them look socially awkward or out of touch.

Emotional – Purchase decisions can be driven by positive or negative emotions. These emotions impact the “job” that you are being hired to do. Your product or service is being hired to take them from one emotional state to another, and that takes a lot of trust.

IKEA’s Job Isn’t What You Think

IKEA is a business built entirely around a single job – furnishing a home or apartment in a single day. Think about it, everything they do is oriented off of that job. Do you have kids? Great. IKEA has childcare. You can take them there so they won’t be tugging on your sleeve all day. You’ve been there a few hours and feel hungry? Cool. IKEA has two different places where you can sit down to eat. The furniture is flat-packed so you can pack it into your car easily. You don’t have to rent a truck or bother your friends to borrow one. And, if you do have to get a truck, IKEA has same-day delivery. Wonder what the furniture looks like? No problem, IKEA has floor models laid out for people to try out. The list goes on and on.

By understanding the job, IKEA has built a business empire that spans the globe, you can too. Just remember, your customers don’t care about you. They care about themselves and making progress in their life. And you can either help or hinder that.

And, Don’t Give Up The Ship!