jobs-to-be-done

name	jobs-to-be-done
description	Jobs to Be Done (JTBD) framework for understanding customer motivations and designing products people actually want. Use when the user needs customer research, product-market fit analysis, value proposition design, competitive positioning, or innovation strategy. Focuses on outcomes customers want, not features they request.
author	ronyang
version	2.0
tags	["strategy","product","customer-research","innovation","jtbd","value-proposition"]

Jobs to Be Done (JTBD) Skill

When to Use

• User needs to understand WHY customers buy, not just WHAT they buy
• Product-market fit validation
• Competitive positioning using outcome-based framework
• Innovation and new product ideation
• Customer interview design and analysis
• Value proposition design

Core Framework

The JTBD Principle

People don't buy products. They "hire" them to get a job done. When the product does the job well, they "re-hire" it. When it doesn't, they "fire" it and look for alternatives.

Formula: When [situation], I want to [motivation], so I can [desired outcome]

Job Statement Structure

[Action verb] + [Object of the action] + [Context/Constraint]

Examples:

• "Help me stay focused during long work sessions without feeling drained"
• "Organize my team's tasks without spending more than 10 minutes a day on it"
• "Learn a new skill quickly enough to apply it at work this week"

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Step 1: Job Discovery

Customer Interview Questions

1. Push: "What was going on that made you look for a solution?"
2. Pull: "What drew you to this specific solution?"
3. Anxiety: "What concerns did you have before trying it?"
4. Habit: "What were you doing before to solve this problem?"

Job Mapping

For each job, map the full process:

1. Define: Customer defines what needs to be done
2. Locate: Customer finds resources/inputs needed
3. Prepare: Customer sets up to do the job
4. Confirm: Customer verifies everything is ready
5. Execute: Customer does the main work
6. Monitor: Customer checks progress
7. Modify: Customer adjusts if needed
8. Conclude: Customer wraps up the job

Job Types

Type	Description	Example
Functional	Practical task to accomplish	"Schedule meetings efficiently"
Emotional	How customer wants to feel	"Feel confident presenting"
Social	How customer wants to be perceived	"Look professional to clients"
Supporting	Enables the main job	"Learn the tool quickly"

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Step 2: Outcome-Driven Innovation

Desired Outcome Statements

[Direction of improvement] + [Metric] + [Object of control] + [Context]

Example: "Minimize the time it takes to find relevant information when researching a new topic"

Outcome Scoring (1-5 scale)

Dimension	Importance	Satisfaction	Opportunity
Metric 1	[1-5]	[1-5]	Importance + (Importance - Satisfaction)
Metric 2	[1-5]	[1-5]	...

Opportunity Score Formula: Importance + max(Importance - Satisfaction, 0)

Scores > 10 = underserved (high opportunity) Scores 7-10 = served appropriately Scores < 7 = overserved

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Step 3: Competitive Positioning

Job-Based Competitive Map

Plot competitors on 2 axes:

• Y-axis: How well does each competitor serve the primary job?
• X-axis: How well does each competitor serve the secondary/emotional jobs?

Switch Interview Framework

Understand why customers switch:

1. First thought: "When did you first realize you needed something different?"
2. Passive looking: "What did you do to explore options?"
3. Active looking: "What made you start actively searching?"
4. Trigger event: "What finally pushed you to make a change?"
5. Hiring decision: "Why did you choose this specific solution?"

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Step 4: Product Strategy

From Jobs to Features

1. List all jobs (functional + emotional + social)
2. Score each job by opportunity (underserved vs. overserved)
3. Focus on the top 3-5 underserved jobs
4. For each, ideate features that directly serve the outcome
5. Prioritize by: job importance x underserved level x feasibility

Value Proposition Canvas

Customer Side:
- Jobs to be done
- Pains (obstacles, risks)
- Gains (desired outcomes, benefits)

Product Side:
- Products & services (how you serve the job)
- Pain relievers (how you eliminate pains)
- Gain creators (how you create gains)

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Common Mistakes

1. Confusing jobs with solutions: "I need a faster drill" is a solution. "I need a hole in my wall" is a job.
2. Ignoring emotional jobs: Functional jobs are 50% of the equation. Emotional and social jobs drive preference.
3. Job statements too broad: "Be productive" is too vague. "Focus on deep work for 2 hours without distraction" is specific.
4. Copying competitors' features: They may be serving different jobs for different customers.
5. Asking customers what they want: Customers are bad at predicting what they'll use. Ask about their struggles instead.

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JTBD Interview Template

Opening: "I'm trying to understand your experience with [topic]. There are no right or wrong answers."

1. Tell me about the last time you [did the relevant activity].
2. What was going on that made you decide to do that?
3. Walk me through what you did, step by step.
4. What was the hardest part?
5. What did you wish was different?
6. Had you tried other solutions before? What happened?
7. If you could wave a magic wand, what would change?
8. Is there anything else about this experience you'd like to share?

Closing: "Thanks for sharing. Is there someone else you think I should talk to?"