Jobs to Be Done (JTBD)

Jobs to Be Done is a framework for understanding customer needs by focusing on the "job" customers are trying to accomplish, rather than demographic characteristics or product features. The insight: people don't buy products—they "hire" them to get a job done.

The Core Concept

Traditional question: "What type of person buys our product?"

JTBD question: "What job are people trying to get done when they buy our product?"

Example - Milkshakes: Traditional thinking: "Who buys milkshakes? Young males, families, etc."

JTBD thinking: "What job do milkshakes do? Morning: makes boring commute more interesting, keeps me full until lunch. Evening: small reward for kid that isn't a fight."

Same product, different jobs. Understanding the job reveals what customers actually value.

The Famous JTBD Quote

"People don't want a quarter-inch drill. They want a quarter-inch hole." - Theodore Levitt

More accurately: they don't even want the hole. They want to hang a picture, which requires a hole, which requires a drill. The job is "hang this picture" not "make a hole."

Understanding the job helps you understand what features matter, what alternatives customers consider, and how to position your product.

Jobs Have Circumstances

The same person might "hire" different products for the same outcome depending on circumstances:

Job: Get food quickly

Circumstances matter:

Driving: Fast food drive-through
At desk: Delivery app
At home: Microwave meal
With client: Nice restaurant

The circumstance shapes which solution fits the job.

Functional job: The practical outcome ("organize my files," "communicate with team")

Emotional job: How they want to feel ("feel productive," "reduce stress," "feel creative")

Social job: How they want to be perceived ("look professional," "appear cutting-edge," "show I care about security")

Great products satisfy all three. Slack isn't just team communication (functional)—it makes work feel less corporate and more fun (emotional), and makes your company seem modern (social).

Progress, Not Features

JTBD focuses on progress: the movement from current state to desired state.

Current state: I'm disorganized and missing customer feedback

Desired state: I have clear visibility into what customers need

The job: Help me get organized and make better product decisions

Dozens of features could help, but understanding the job reveals which features actually matter.

Competing Against "Non-Consumption"

Your biggest competitor often isn't another product—it's people doing nothing at all.

Traditional competition: "We're better than Tool X"

JTBD competition: "We're better than continuing to use spreadsheets" or "We're better than ignoring feedback entirely"

This shifts your positioning from "why us vs. them" to "why change at all?"

How to Discover JTBD

Jobs-focused interviews: Ask about specific purchase situations:

"Walk me through the last time you needed [outcome]"
"What were you doing when you decided you needed a solution?"
"What did you try before this?"
"What almost stopped you from making a change?"

Look for switching moments: When and why do people change from one solution to another?

Identify pushing and pulling forces:

Push: What makes current solution inadequate?
Pull: What makes new solution attractive?
Anxiety: What concerns do they have about switching?
Habit: What makes staying easier than switching?

JTBD and Product Feedback

Feedback describes symptoms. JTBD reveals underlying jobs.

User says: "I want dark mode"

The job might be: "Help me work comfortably late at night" or "Help me look like I use modern software" or "Help me save battery on laptop"

Different jobs suggest different solutions. Understanding the job helps you decide if dark mode is the right answer or if something else addresses the need better.

JTBD and Roadmap Prioritization

Organize roadmap around jobs, not features:

Feature-based roadmap:

Q1: Dark mode
Q2: Integrations
Q3: Mobile app

Jobs-based roadmap:

Q1: Help users capture feedback easily (in-app widget, mobile-friendly)
Q2: Help users make sense of feedback (AI analysis, categorization)
Q3: Help users close the loop (automated notifications, response templates)

Jobs-based roadmaps communicate strategy better and help teams understand why features matter.

Common Mistakes

Confusing job with solution: "I need a drill" isn't the job. "I need to hang a picture" is the job.

Too broad: "Be successful" isn't a useful job. "Reduce time spent on X" is actionable.

Too narrow: "Click this button" isn't a job. "Complete this workflow efficiently" is the job.

Ignoring emotional/social jobs: Focusing only on functional while customers make decisions based on all three.

Interviewing wrong people: Talking to current users only. Also talk to people who chose competitors or chose nothing.

JTBD Framework in Practice

When building new product:

What job will this product be hired for?
What are people using today to get this job done?
Why is current solution inadequate?
What would make someone switch to our solution?

When prioritizing features:

What job does this feature help customers do?
How critical is this job?
Do existing features already help with this job?
Is this the best way to help customers make this progress?

When handling feedback:

What job was the user trying to do when they gave this feedback?
What progress were they trying to make?
Did they succeed or get blocked?
What would help them make this progress better?

JTBD vs. Personas

Personas: Demographic + psychographic customer profiles. "Who is buying?"

JTBD: Outcome-focused needs. "What are they trying to accomplish?"

Both can be useful, but JTBD often reveals more actionable insights. Same persona might hire your product for different jobs in different circumstances.

Example: "Sarah, VP of Product" is a persona. "Help me prioritize roadmap with confidence" and "Help me demonstrate product impact to executives" are jobs Sarah might hire different tools for.