n o ren
Building & Strategy

How Amazon Outcompeted Google with a Misunderstood Framework

Amazon secretly used a deceptively simple tool to steal Google's product strategy crown.

2026-06-041 min read

In the early 2000s, Amazon's Jeff Bezos was on a mission to disrupt Google's dominance in search. While Google focused on optimizing algorithms, Amazon employed the "Jobs To Be Done" (JTBD) framework to understand customers' underlying needs. The JTBD framework, developed by Harvard Business School professor Clayton Christensen, asks a simple yet profound question: What is the job that customers are trying to get done? By answering this question, Amazon discovered that customers didn't just want to search for information; they wanted to find answers to specific problems. This insight led Amazon to develop Alexa, a virtual assistant that helped customers accomplish tasks more efficiently. Meanwhile, Google continued to optimize its algorithms, neglecting to address the underlying customer needs. This common mistake of focusing on features rather than customer needs ultimately led to Amazon's success in voice search.

Key insights
The JTBD framework helps you focus on customer needs rather than just features, leading to a more effective product strategy.
By understanding the jobs that customers are trying to get done, you can develop products that are more relevant and valuable to your customers.
Amazon's success in voice search demonstrates the power of the JTBD framework in developing a competitive advantage over a dominant market player.
The JTBD framework can be applied to various industries and products, making it a versatile tool for product strategists.
Why it matters

By applying the JTBD framework, you'll become more valuable to your company by developing a deeper understanding of customer needs and preferences, making you a more effective product strategist.

When deciding which features to prioritize, you'll make better decisions by considering the jobs that customers are trying to get done, rather than just focusing on technical feasibility.

Most peers miss the importance of understanding the JTBD framework, allowing you to gain a competitive advantage by applying this deceptively simple yet powerful tool.

Use this tomorrow
1
In your next product strategy meeting, ask your team to identify the underlying jobs that customers are trying to get done with your product, and how your product can better address those needs.
2
When evaluating product feature requests, consider the jobs that customers are trying to get done and how each feature can help accomplish those tasks.
3
When facing a situation where customers are struggling with your product, propose using the JTBD framework to identify the underlying needs and develop solutions that address those needs.
Go deeper

Clayton Christensen's book "The Innovator's Solution" provides a comprehensive overview of the JTBD framework and its applications. Amazon's Alexa team has spoken publicly about how they applied the JTBD framework to develop their virtual assistant. Studies have shown that companies that apply the JTBD framework have a higher success rate in developing innovative products.

The JTBD framework has connections to other strategic frameworks such as design thinking and customer development, highlighting the importance of customer-centricity in product strategy.