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Jobs-To-Be-Done (JTBD)

Definition

Jobs-To-Be-Done (JTBD) is a framework that focuses on understanding why customers "hire" (use or purchase) products or services to accomplish specific goals or resolve particular pain points in their lives. Rather than categorizing customers by demographics or product attributes, JTBD examines the underlying circumstances, motivations, and desired outcomes that drive purchasing decisions and product usage.

The core insight of JTBD is that people don't simply buy products; they "hire" them to help "get a job done." This job might be functional (accomplish a task), emotional (feel a certain way), or social (be perceived in a certain manner). By understanding these jobs thoroughly, product teams can create solutions that more precisely fulfill user needs and are less vulnerable to disruption from superficially different but functionally similar alternatives.

Origins and Development

The Jobs-To-Be-Done framework was popularized by Harvard Business School professor Clayton Christensen, who introduced it in his 2003 book "The Innovator's Solution" and further developed it in subsequent works. Other key contributors include Anthony Ulwick (Outcome-Driven Innovation approach), Alan Klement, and Bob Moesta, each of whom has advanced the theory and practical applications of JTBD in product development and marketing.

The classic example used to illustrate JTBD is the milkshake study: Researchers discovered that many commuters bought milkshakes in the morning not because they were hungry for a milkshake specifically, but because they needed something that could be consumed easily while driving and would keep them full until lunch. The job wasn't "I want a milkshake"; it was "I need something to occupy me during my commute and stave off hunger until lunchtime."

Core Concepts of JTBD

The Job Definition

A "job" in JTBD has several key characteristics:

  • Solution-Agnostic: Describes what the user is trying to accomplish, not how
  • Contextual: Occurs in specific circumstances or situations
  • Stable Over Time: While solutions change, jobs tend to remain consistent
  • Multi-Dimensional: Includes functional, emotional, and social aspects

Types of Jobs

Jobs typically fall into three categories:

  1. Functional Jobs: Practical tasks users need to accomplish

    • "Track my monthly expenses"
    • "Edit and share photos quickly"
    • "Find a nearby restaurant with availability tonight"

  2. Emotional Jobs: How users want to feel (or avoid feeling)

    • "Feel confident when making financial decisions"
    • "Avoid feeling overwhelmed by too many options"
    • "Feel accomplished after completing a workout"

  3. Social Jobs: How users want to be perceived by others

    • "Be seen as knowledgeable about current events"
    • "Appear professional and prepared in meetings"
    • "Be recognized as a thoughtful gift-giver"

Job Stories Format

Job stories are structured statements that capture the context, motivation, and desired outcome:

"When [situation/context], I want to [motivation/goal], so I can [expected outcome]."

For example:

  • "When I'm rushing to work in the morning, I want to have breakfast without stopping, so I can save time while still feeling energized until lunch."
  • "When I notice unexpected charges on my credit card, I want to quickly determine if they're fraudulent, so I can take action before more charges occur."
  • "When I'm planning a vacation, I want to find accommodations that match my budget and preferences, so I can feel confident in my booking decision."

JTBD vs. Traditional Approaches

JTBD vs. Personas

Jobs-To-Be-Done Traditional Personas
Focuses on the circumstances that create needs Focuses on user attributes and characteristics
Solution-agnostic: what needs to be accomplished Often solution-specific: how current products are used
Relatively stable over time May change as demographics and trends shift
Applies across different user segments Specific to defined user groups
Emphasizes why users make choices Emphasizes who the users are

JTBD vs. User Stories

Jobs-To-Be-Done Traditional User Stories
"When [situation], I want to [motivation], so I can [outcome]" "As a [user type], I want [capability], so that [benefit]"
Starts with the context/situation Starts with the user identity
Focuses on the circumstances that trigger needs Focuses on features needed by specific user types
More emphasis on the "why" behind actions More emphasis on the "what" of implementation

Implementing JTBD in Product Development

Research Methods

Effective JTBD research involves several specialized techniques:

  1. Switch Interviews: Investigate why users switched from one solution to another

    • Focus on the timeline of events
    • Identify the "push" away from old solutions
    • Understand the "pull" toward new solutions
    • Explore anxieties about changes
    • Discover habits that influenced decisions

  2. Forces of Progress Diagram: Map the four forces influencing purchase decisions

    • Push of the current situation (what's frustrating)
    • Pull of the new solution (what's attractive)
    • Anxiety about change (fears, uncertainties)
    • Habit of the present (comfort with status quo)

  3. Job Mapping: Breaking down complex jobs into discrete steps

    • Define job steps chronologically
    • Identify pain points at each step
    • Prioritize steps with greatest friction

  4. Outcome Expectation Analysis: Understanding how users measure success

    • Desired outcomes for each job step
    • Metrics users employ to evaluate solutions
    • Importance and satisfaction ratings for each outcome

Application in Design Process

  1. Discovery Phase

    • Identify key jobs customers are trying to accomplish
    • Understand current solutions and their limitations
    • Map the emotional and social dimensions of jobs

  2. Definition Phase

    • Prioritize jobs based on frequency, importance, and dissatisfaction
    • Create job stories to guide design
    • Develop job-based user journeys

  3. Development Phase

    • Design features specifically addressing job requirements
    • Evaluate prototypes against job completion metrics
    • Use jobs as criteria for feature prioritization

  4. Delivery Phase

    • Test how effectively the solution fulfills the job
    • Communicate product benefits in job-centered terms
    • Measure success by job completion efficiency

Examples of JTBD in Action

Product Innovation Examples

Spotify's Discover Weekly

  • Traditional View: Users want more music like what they already listen to
  • JTBD View: "When I'm tired of my current playlist, I want to discover new music that matches my taste without spending time searching, so I can enjoy fresh music while still liking what I hear"
  • Solution: Algorithm-generated personalized playlists delivered weekly

Airbnb Experiences

  • Traditional View: Travelers want things to do while visiting new places
  • JTBD View: "When I'm visiting a new city, I want to experience it like a local would, so I can create unique memories and feel a deeper connection to the place"
  • Solution: Local-hosted activities and tours beyond typical tourist attractions

Apple Watch

  • Traditional View: Users want a smaller version of their smartphone
  • JTBD View: "When I'm on the go, I want to stay connected and track my health without taking out my phone, so I can maintain awareness while being more present in my activities"
  • Solution: Wearable focused on quick interactions, notifications, and health tracking

Business Model Applications

JTBD can inform not just what products do, but how they're delivered:

  • Netflix: Shifted from DVD rentals to streaming, understanding the job wasn't "rent DVDs" but "be entertained at home without effort"
  • Adobe: Moved from boxed software to subscription, recognizing the job wasn't "own creative software" but "have continuous access to the best creative tools"
  • Dollar Shave Club: Disrupted razor market by focusing on the job "maintain grooming routine without the hassle of shopping for replacements"

Common Challenges and Solutions

Implementation Difficulties

  1. Identifying True Jobs vs. Solutions

    • Challenge: Users often describe solutions rather than underlying jobs
    • Solution: Use "Five Whys" technique to dig deeper into motivations

  2. Balancing Breadth and Specificity

    • Challenge: Jobs can be defined too broadly or too narrowly
    • Solution: Create hierarchies of jobs (main jobs and sub-jobs)

  3. Determining Which Jobs to Prioritize

    • Challenge: Multiple competing jobs create feature prioritization challenges
    • Solution: Evaluate jobs based on frequency, importance, and current satisfaction

  4. Measuring Success

    • Challenge: Success metrics may not align with traditional product metrics
    • Solution: Develop job-specific success metrics and leading indicators

Tools and Frameworks

Practical JTBD Tools

  1. Job Canvas: Visual template for documenting job aspects

    • Context/Situation
    • Motivation/Goal
    • Expected Outcome
    • Current Solutions
    • Pain Points
    • Success Criteria

  2. Progress-Making Forces Diagram: Tool for analyzing switching behavior

    • Push (from current solution)
    • Pull (toward new solution)
    • Anxiety (of change)
    • Habit (of current behavior)

  3. Job Prioritization Matrix: Framework for deciding which jobs to address

    • Frequency (how often the job occurs)
    • Importance (how critical the job is)
    • Satisfaction (how well current solutions work)
    • Addressability (how feasible it is to solve)

Best Practices

  1. Stay Solution-Agnostic: Focus on the job, not how it's currently solved
  2. Include Context: Always understand when and where the job arises
  3. Look for Workarounds: Existing hacks and adaptations reveal important jobs
  4. Listen for Emotional Language: Pay attention to frustrations and satisfactions
  5. Investigate Switching Behavior: Study why users changed from one solution to another
  6. Combine with Other Methods: Use JTBD alongside personas, journey maps, etc.
  7. Start with High-Level Jobs: Identify main jobs before breaking into smaller components
  8. Validate with Users: Test job formulations with users to ensure accuracy
  • Outcome-Driven Innovation (ODI): Anthony Ulwick's methodology using jobs to identify opportunities
  • Value Proposition Design: Connects closely with JTBD by mapping value to specific customer jobs
  • Customer Journey Mapping: Can be restructured around jobs rather than product touchpoints
  • Design Thinking: JTBD provides focus for the empathy and problem definition phases
  • Blue Ocean Strategy: Using job insights to create uncontested market space

Conclusion

The Jobs-To-Be-Done framework provides a powerful lens for understanding user needs that transcends traditional demographic segmentation and feature-focused development. By focusing on the circumstances and motivations that drive users to "hire" products, teams can develop more innovative and relevant solutions.

JTBD shifts the perspective from "What features should we build?" to "What jobs are our users trying to accomplish?" This change often reveals opportunities for innovation that feature-centered approaches might miss. When products are designed to fulfill specific jobs effectively, they not only meet functional requirements but also address the emotional and social dimensions that influence purchase decisions and user satisfaction.

As markets become more competitive and users grow more sophisticated, understanding the deeper motivations behind product choices becomes increasingly crucial. The JTBD framework offers a structured approach to gaining these insights and translating them into successful products and services.

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