Electric Car Jobs-to-be-Done
Unpacking the story of Sari's first electric vehicle purchase
The way I equate Teslas … it's almost like back when everyone had their flip phone. And then you got the Apple iPhone for the first time, and you're like, “Oh my God,” this is amazing! It's so easy to use and easy to navigate and intuitive. I don't want anything else!
Contents
Debrief
The Four Forces
Optimizing the Screener
Managing Challenging Interviews
Introduction
I’ve been fascinated by electric cars for some time now, and it’s exciting to finally get to study the space. There are so many dimensions of value that could possible drive people to an EV, including convenience (not having to stand out in the cold to refill gas), performance, environmental consciousness, and social pressures. But which forces are really strong enough to cause someone to switch?
This interview is packed with learning that goes beyond just hearing Sari’s story of how she switched from her Porsche to a Tesla.
I discover fairly early on in the interview that my screener had some flaws in it, so we’ll talk about how we would manage this if we were doing a full Jobs-to-be-Done project and needed to course-correct.
You’ll also see me struggle quite a bit to get the interview rolling and down to the level of detail that we’re always looking for. I’ve had quite a few people reach out to ask me whether or not this is common, and for ideas on how to manage interviews like this, so it’s great that we have an opportunity to dig in.
And through all of these challenges we still have some great insights that we can use if we’re working in the space, so with that said, let’s get into the interview.