THE JOBS TO BE DONE
There are more than 18 million bicycles in the Netherlands. This is a staggering number implying 1.3 bicycles for every citizen between the ages of 4-84. Just for comparison, the ratio for the USA or even China is less than 0.4 bicycles per citizen.
So, what is the job-to-be-done for bicycle manufactures?
Selling bicycles so that people can move between points A and B. Makes sense. And that has been like that for many years. Except that a young (very young) Dutch entrepreneur investigated further and found out that there are two major associated jobs that are not fulfilled today by the old paradigm. Number (1) if your bike breaks down, you will need to drag it to the nearest bicycle store, wait for a repair, come back to pick it up and experience disruption in your life. and number (2) if your bike gets stolen, and that happens quite frequently in Holland, you are pretty much on your own…
So, he decided to incorporate “Swapfiets”, which means in Dutch - bicycle-swap. a monthly rental service for bicycles. For Euro 15/month you get a bike BUT with the promise that if something breaks down it will be fixed on-the-spot so that you can carry on riding with minimal disruption. If god forbids, your bike gets stolen - same thing – for a small fee, you will get a new bike wherever you are and off you go. Simple. Clean. Brilliant.
You see, if you’d ask me a day before I saw Swapfiets crossing the 150,000 subscribers mark, I would have told you – are you nuts ! – this is like trying to sell ice to Eskimos.
Redefining the customers job-to-be-done in an elaborative way, un-learning everything you knew about it, with the deep realization that your products and services are only means to a bigger end is the key here. SO what could be the “Swapfiets” of your business?
Food for thought !