Jobs-to-Be-Done Framework - A Practical Guide for Product Managers
A playbook for product managers who want to build what matters!
👋🏻 Hey there, welcome to the #14th edition of the Product Space Newsletter, where we help you become better at product management.
Have you ever paid for a product packed with features, only to find that it doesn't solve your core problem? You're left frustrated and wondering, "What were the PMs thinking?”
The truth is, that features alone don't guarantee success. What truly matters is understanding the fundamental reasons why customers choose your product – the "jobs" they're trying to get done.
This is where the Jobs-to-Be-Done (JTBD) framework comes in.
What is the Jobs-to-Be-Done Framework?
Jobs-to-be-Done theory provides a framework for defining, categorizing, capturing, and organizing all your customers’ needs. This approach focuses on the fundamental "job" that customers are trying to accomplish, rather than on the product or its features.
Understanding JTBD
At its core, JTBD theory explains that customers don't buy products; they hire them to get a job done. This job represents the progress that a customer is trying to make in a particular circumstance. By understanding these jobs, product managers can create solutions that truly resonate with customers.
Key Components
Functional job: The practical task the customer wants to accomplish.
Emotional job: How the customer wants to feel or avoid feeling.
Social job: How the customer wants to be perceived by others.
Why use JTBD?
Focus on problem-solving, not feature chasing: Many products get bogged down by feature bloat, adding functionalities that may not actually address customer needs. JTBD helps you shift your focus from "What cool features can we add?" to "What problems are our customers facing?" This ensures you're building solutions that directly address customer pain points.
Prioritize features effectively: With JTBD, you gain a clear understanding of which features matter most to your customers. By mapping features to specific customer jobs, you can prioritize development efforts and allocate resources strategically. This eliminates wasted time and money on features that might not contribute significantly to solving customer problems.
Gain a competitive edge: Traditional market research often overlooks unmet customer needs. JTBD helps you delve deeper, uncovering hidden desires and frustrations that your competitors might be missing. This opens doors for innovation and the development of truly differentiating solutions that set you apart in the market.
Boost user engagement & satisfaction: When your product directly addresses customer jobs, users become more engaged and satisfied. They see the value proposition clearly and experience the product fulfilling their needs. This translates to higher retention rates, increased usage, and positive word-of-mouth marketing.
Achieve product-market-fit (PMF): Launching a product with a strong market fit is essential. JTBD helps validate this fit before launch. Analyze the prevalence and urgency of customer jobs to see if your product solves a significant problem for a sizeable target audience. Focus on core functionalities that address the most critical customer jobs for a successful initial offering.
Implementing JTBD in Product Management
Identify the job
Conduct customer interviews focused on understanding their goals and challenges, needs, desires, and frustrations.
Look for patterns in customer behavior and pain points.
Use techniques like the "5 Whys" to uncover underlying motivations.
Define job statements
Create clear, actionable statements that describe the job from the customer's perspective.
Example: "Help me quickly automate my workflow processes without falling into technical complications."
Uncover desired outcomes
Identify the metrics customers use to measure success in completing the job.
These become the criteria for evaluating potential solutions.
Analyze competing solutions
Examine how customers currently accomplish the job, including non-obvious alternatives.
Identify opportunities for improvement or disruption.
Innovate and prioritize
Generate ideas that address unmet needs within the job.
Prioritize features and solutions based on their potential to help customers make progress.
Align development and marketing
Use job statements to guide product development and feature prioritization.
Frame marketing messages around the job to be done, not just product features.
Case Studies -
1. The Milkshake Story:
Clayton Christensen, applied the JTBD framework to help a fast-food restaurant improve its milkshake sales. The research revealed that many customers were "hiring" milkshakes for an unexpected job: making their morning commute more interesting and filling.
Key Insight: The milkshake wasn't competing with other desserts but with bagels, bananas, and easy-to-carry & fulfilling food.
Result: The restaurant adjusted its milkshake formula and marketing to better address this job, leading to increased sales.
2. Snickers' "You're not you when you're hungry" Campaign:
Mars applied JTBD thinking to reposition Snickers, focusing on the emotional job of alleviating hunger-induced mood changes.
Key Insight: People weren't just buying a candy bar; they were hiring Snickers to quickly transform their mood and energy levels.
Result: The campaign resonated globally, significantly boosting sales and market share.
3. Airbnb's Shift from Accommodation to Experiences:
Airbnb expanded its focus from just providing accommodations to offering local experiences, addressing the job of creating memorable travel moments.
Key Insight: Travelers weren't just looking for a place to stay; they wanted to immerse themselves in local culture and create unique memories.
Result: Airbnb Experiences became a significant new revenue stream and differentiator for the company.
Practical Application Examples -
Job Statement: "Help me quickly find a gift that will impress my colleagues." Potential Solution: An AI-powered gift recommendation service that considers workplace dynamics and personal preferences.
Job Statement: "Enable me to maintain a consistent fitness routine despite my busy schedule."
Potential Solution: A mobile app that adapts workouts based on available time, location, and equipment, integrating with the user's calendar.
Job Statement: "Assist me in learning a new language while making the most of my daily commute."
Potential Solution: A podcast-style language learning app with hands-free, conversational lessons optimized for commute times.
How to Apply JTBD in Your Product Management Practice - (example: Spotify)
Create job stories: Instead of user stories, write job stories.
For example:
"When I'm feeling down, I want to listen to uplifting music so that I can improve my mood and feel more energized."
"When I'm hosting a dinner party, I want to create the perfect playlist effortlessly so that I can set the right atmosphere without spending hours curating songs."
"When I'm working out, I want continuous high-energy music that matches my pace so that I can stay motivated throughout my entire exercise session."
Use job mapping: Break down complex jobs into steps to identify pain points and opportunities. For the job "discover new music I'll love":
Decide to explore new music
Choose a starting point (genre, artist, mood)
Browse or search for options
Sample tracks
Save liked songs or add them to the playlist
Share discoveries with friends
Revisit and refine preferences
Conduct switch interviews: Talk to customers who recently switched to or from Spotify to understand the circumstances that prompted the change. For example:
Interview users who switched from Apple Music to Spotify
Interview users who canceled their Spotify subscription
Interview users who upgraded from free to premium
Questions might include:
What triggered your decision to switch?
What were you hoping to achieve by switching?
How has your music listening experience changed since the switch?
Leverage quantitative data: Use analytics to identify patterns in user behavior that might indicate underlying jobs to be done. For Spotify, this could include:
Analyze times of day when certain genres are most popular
Track how often users skip songs in different contexts (e.g., personalized playlists vs. curated playlists)
Measure the correlation between podcast listening and music discovery
Examine patterns in playlist creation and sharing
Analyze user engagement with different features like lyrics display or canvas videos
Context application of our research in Spotify’s example:
Let's say Spotify's product team is working on improving the workout music experience. They might:
Create a job story: "When I'm starting a high-intensity workout, I want music that immediately energizes me so that I can quickly get into the right mindset and pace."
Use job mapping for "have the perfect workout with music":
Decide to work out
Choose workout type
Select appropriate music
Start workout and music simultaneously
Maintain energy throughout the workout
Cool down with appropriate music
Save successful playlists for future use
Conduct switch interviews: Interview users who recently started using Spotify for workouts instead of a competitor, asking questions like:
What made you choose Spotify for your workout music?
How does Spotify enhance or detract from your workout experience?
What features do you wish Spotify had for better workout support?
Leverage quantitative data:
Analyze tempo and genre preferences during typical workout hours
Track how often users manually change songs during workout-labeled playlists
Measure the correlation between consistent workout playlist usage and overall app engagement
Potential Solution to the Gained Insights:
AI-powered playlist generation that adapts in real-time to workout intensity
Integration with fitness apps to sync music with workout phases
Social features for sharing and competing with workout playlists
Improved voice controls for hands-free playlist management during workouts
This approach ensures that product development is driven by genuine user needs rather than assumptions, potentially leading to more impactful and successful feature releases.
Challenges and considerations while implementing JTBD -
Requires deep customer understanding, which can be time-consuming to develop.
May challenge existing assumptions about your product or market.
Balancing multiple jobs or competing desired outcomes can be complex.
Key Takeaway:
The Jobs-to-Be-Done framework offers product managers a valuable lens for understanding customer needs and driving innovation.
By focusing on the progress customers are trying to make in their lives, rather than on product features, PMs can create solutions that truly resonate and provide lasting value.
That’s a wrap for today!
Have you ever built a product using this framework? We’d love to hear from you!
Share in the comments below or reply to this email.
Until next time, keep innovating, keep iterating, and above all, keep being awesome.
Cheers!
Product Space