Tools of the Trade: Jobs To Be Done (JTBD) Framework

I remember when I first came across the concept of Jobs To Be Done (JTBD). It was one of those “Aha!” moments in my startup journey. I had spent so much time thinking about what my product could do and what features it had, but I wasn’t fully grasping why customers would actually want it. That’s where JTBD flipped the script for me. Last week, we explored how Customer Discovery Interviews help you understand your customers’ problems, but JTBD takes that understanding even deeper—it reveals why people “hire” your product to solve their problems.

Why I Believe This is Essential for Startups

JTBD is about truly getting to the heart of why customers choose to use a product or service. It goes beyond demographics, features, or even surface-level pain points—it digs into the underlying motivations that drive decisions. And trust me, this framework has been a game-changer in my approach to building products.

• Products aren’t just bought; they’re hired. Customers don’t care about all the bells and whistles—they care about what your product helps them achieve. JTBD focuses on the desired outcome, not just the process.
• Solving real jobs helps with product-market fit. By uncovering the real “job” your customer needs to get done, you can design more targeted solutions. This often makes the difference between a product that resonates and one that misses the mark.
• It gives clarity. I’ve wasted time adding unnecessary features that didn’t align with the core job my customers needed done. JTBD keeps you focused on the outcome that matters most to your audience, streamlining both product development and marketing.

How I Apply the JTBD Framework

The beauty of JTBD is that it shifts the focus from your product to your customer’s needs. Here’s how I approach it:

1. Start with the customer’s job. What are they really trying to achieve? It’s not about using your product for its own sake. The goal might be to “save time” or “make me feel more organized,” rather than just using a feature.
2. Break it down into functional and emotional needs. For example, buying a project management tool might serve the functional need to organize tasks, but it could also fulfill an emotional need to reduce stress or gain control over a busy work schedule.
3. Look for the push-pull dynamic. What pushes a customer to seek a solution, and what pulls them toward a specific product? The key is to understand both the pain (push) and the appeal of the solution (pull).

Key Features I’d Focus On

• Outcome-driven Design: Instead of focusing on adding more features, prioritize designing your product around the outcomes your customers are looking to achieve.
• Contextual Research: Use customer conversations and discovery interviews to understand the context of when and why they’re “hiring” your product. Are they in a hurry? Are they frustrated with a competitor’s tool? What’s the real job they need to get done?

What Excites Me About JTBD

When I first started applying JTBD, it was like seeing my product from a new angle. No longer was I thinking about “What more can my product do?” Instead, I started asking, “What does my customer really need to get done?” This mindset shift can be liberating. Suddenly, you’re focused on solving the right problems, not just building features for the sake of building.

I remember working on a SaaS tool and adding feature after feature, hoping that one of them would “wow” customers. After embracing JTBD, I realized I needed to strip things back and focus on one core job—making the process simpler for users. It was a real eye-opener and led to better customer satisfaction and retention.

Lessons I’ve Learned Along the Way

Focus on Jobs, Not Features: Early on, I used to be obsessed with features. If a customer mentioned a problem, I’d rush to add something new to solve it. But through JTBD, I learned it’s about focusing on the bigger picture—the job they need to get done—and building solutions around that, rather than stacking on features.

Customer Conversations Are Gold: Just like with Customer Discovery Interviews, you need to dig deep. You’re not just asking about what they want from a product; you’re understanding why they’re hiring your product in the first place. It’s not always what you expect.

Context Is Everything: I’ve also learned that timing and context play a massive role in the jobs customers need to get done. I once made the mistake of assuming every customer needed my product for the same reason. Turns out, the job they were hiring it for changed depending on the situation they were in—some were using it for everyday tasks, while others only pulled it out when they were in a bind.

Common Mistakes I’ve Made (So You Don’t Have To)

• Overcomplicating the Job: In the early days, I’d get bogged down in trying to define the job too precisely. JTBD isn’t about having a rigid formula—it’s about understanding the core reason your product is being “hired.”
• Ignoring the Emotional Job: I used to focus solely on functional jobs (e.g., “They’re hiring this to complete X task”). But after learning more about JTBD, I started paying attention to emotional jobs too. Customers might hire a product because it makes them feel more confident, more organized, or even more valued.
• Forgetting to Iterate: JTBD isn’t a one-time thing. As your product grows and evolves, so do the jobs your customers are hiring it for. I’ve learned to revisit and refine my understanding of customer jobs as the market changes.

Case Study: Milkshakes at McDonald’s

One of the most famous JTBD examples is McDonald’s. They discovered that many customers were “hiring” milkshakes not as a dessert, but as a convenient, long-lasting breakfast option for their commute. People weren’t buying them for taste alone; they wanted something easy to consume that kept them full during their morning drive. This insight allowed McDonald’s to position their milkshakes differently and even tweak the product to better suit this job. It’s a classic example of how understanding JTBD can unlock unexpected insights into customer behavior.

Recommended Resources:

• Books: “Competing Against Luck” by Clayton Christensen – This book introduced me to JTBD and completely shifted how I think about product design.
• Online Workshops: There are some great JTBD workshops, courses, and content that go deeper into applying this framework. Udemy and Coursera are solid places to start.

Build for the Job, Not the Product

At the end of the day, JTBD is about keeping things simple. It’s not about adding endless features or trying to make your product do everything—it’s about understanding the core job your customers are hiring your product to solve and doubling down on that.

Next week, we’ll dive into Minimum Viable Products (MVPs)—a tool that helps you strip your idea down to its essential elements and get it in front of real users as quickly as possible. But for now, I encourage you to take a step back, think about the real job your product is solving, and make sure you’re building around that need.