As rightly pointed out by
Steve Jobs, people are not just consumers wanting to
buy a product, but individuals with their own
ambitions, dreams, and hopes. It's not about owning a product but about its
functionality, as it is intended to be an effective
tool for achieving aspirations.
This aligns with the philosophy of
jobs to be done, which we follow. According to it, people don't just
buy products; they
hire them to perform certain
tasks and activities, referred to as jobs. This requires incorporating specific
functionalities in them that can solve problems and fulfill needs. It's
more than consumption as it is knowledge-based. Functionality, therefore, ties in with
"hiring" products and services to get a particular job done.
A person is not interested in
buying a drill; what interests them primarily is the
hole in the wall that it will create. The human focus lies in
making progress in a given activity. In this case, drilling is intended to
create a hole for hanging a shelf. It will
fulfill the need related to space for arranging books and also
solve the problem of limited space.
Therefore, when we think about
functionality, we primarily consider the
fulfillment of specific tasks by the
product or service. The
job they perform is the progress we aim to achieve in a given situation. In other words,
functionality is intended to bring a person closer to
achieving their goal, moving from point A to point B. Functionality becomes a
key factor when something helps achieve this progress, overcoming any
potential barriers on the path to goal realization.