Jobs to Be Done (JTBD) Analysis
Jobs to Be Done is a framework for understanding why customers "hire" products to help them make progress in specific circumstances.
When to Use This Skill
Keywords: jobs to be done, JTBD, customer jobs, functional jobs, emotional jobs, social jobs, job statements, outcome-driven innovation, Clayton Christensen, hiring products, customer progress
Use this skill when:
- Understanding the underlying motivation behind feature requests
- Reframing requirements from features to customer outcomes
- Discovering unmet needs that competitors haven't addressed
- Prioritizing features based on importance vs satisfaction
- Interviewing customers about their struggles and desired progress
- Analyzing why customers switch to or from competitors
Core Concepts
The JTBD Framework
Customers don't buy products.
Customers HIRE products to get a JOB done.Classic Example: People don't buy a 1/4" drill. They hire it to make a 1/4" hole. But even deeper: they hire it to hang a picture, which helps them feel at home.
Job Dimensions
| Dimension | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Functional | The practical task to accomplish | "Hang a picture on the wall" |
| Emotional | How the person wants to feel | "Feel proud of my decorated home" |
| Social | How they want to be perceived | "Be seen as having good taste" |
Job Statement Format
When [situation], I want to [motivation], so I can [expected outcome].Examples:
job_statements:
- context: "When I'm starting a new project"
motivation: "I want to quickly find qualified freelancers"
outcome: "so I can get work done without spending weeks recruiting"
- context: "When I'm cooking dinner for guests"
motivation: "I want a recipe that's impressive but not complex"
outcome: "so I can enjoy the evening without stress"
- context: "When my flight is delayed"
motivation: "I want real-time updates on my phone"
outcome: "so I can plan my connections and notify people waiting"JTBD Interview Technique
The Switch Interview
Understand why customers switched to your product:
switch_interview_flow:
1. First thought:
"When did you first start thinking you needed [solution]?"
2. Passive looking:
"What did you do about it initially?"
3. Active looking:
"When did you start actively looking for alternatives?"
4. Deciding:
"What made you finally choose [product]?"
5. Consuming:
"What happened after you started using it?"
6. Satisfaction:
"How is it working out? What's still frustrating?"Push/Pull Forces
PUSH (Away from current situation)
├── Problems with current solution
├── Frustrations and pain points
└── Triggering events
PULL (Toward new solution)
├── Attraction to new way
├── Hoped-for outcomes
└── Perceived improvements
INERTIA (Keeping current behavior)
├── Habits and familiarity
├── Switching costs
└── "Good enough" mentality
ANXIETY (About new solution)
├── Will it actually work?
├── Learning curve
└── Risk of wrong choiceFor change to happen: Push + Pull > Inertia + Anxiety
Mapping Jobs to Requirements
Job Map Structure
Break down the main job into stages:
job_map:
main_job: "Prepare a healthy meal for my family"
stages:
1_define:
name: "Define what to make"
sub_jobs:
- "Decide on dietary constraints"
- "Consider what's in the fridge"
- "Find a suitable recipe"
2_prepare:
name: "Prepare ingredients"
sub_jobs:
- "Gather all ingredients"
- "Prep vegetables and proteins"
- "Measure quantities"
3_execute:
name: "Cook the meal"
sub_jobs:
- "Follow recipe steps"
- "Time multiple dishes"
- "Adjust seasoning"
4_complete:
name: "Serve and clean up"
sub_jobs:
- "Plate attractively"
- "Clean as you go"
- "Store leftovers properly"From Jobs to Features
translation_pattern:
job: "Find a suitable recipe quickly"
requirements:
functional:
- "Search recipes by ingredient"
- "Filter by dietary restrictions"
- "Sort by prep time"
emotional:
- "Show confidence ratings"
- "Display success photos"
- "Offer beginner-friendly options"
social:
- "Enable sharing on social media"
- "Show what friends have made"
- "Community ratings and reviews"Outcome-Driven Innovation (ODI)
Outcome Statements
More precise than job statements:
[Direction] + [measure] + [object of control] + [context]Examples:
outcome_statements:
- "Minimize the time it takes to find a relevant recipe"
- "Increase the likelihood that ingredients are in stock"
- "Reduce the effort required to clean up after cooking"
- "Minimize the risk of burning or overcooking food"Importance vs Satisfaction Matrix
HIGH IMPORTANCE
│
OVER-SERVED │ UNDERSERVED
(Don't invest) │ (Opportunity!)
│
──────────────────────────────────────────────
│
APPROPRIATELY │ APPROPRIATELY
SERVED │ SERVED
(Low value area) │ (Maintain)
│
LOW IMPORTANCE
│
LOW SATISFACTION ───────── HIGH SATISFACTIONOpportunity Score = Importance + (Importance - Satisfaction)
Integration with Elicitation
JTBD-Enhanced Interview Questions
Add these to stakeholder interviews:
jtbd_questions:
context:
- "When do you typically need to [activity]?"
- "What triggers you to start this process?"
motivation:
- "What are you ultimately trying to achieve?"
- "Why is this important to you?"
current_solution:
- "How do you handle this today?"
- "What's frustrating about the current approach?"
desired_progress:
- "In an ideal world, how would this work?"
- "What would success look like?"
emotional:
- "How do you feel when this goes wrong?"
- "How would you feel if this was effortless?"
social:
- "Who else is affected by how you do this?"
- "How do others perceive this activity?"Synthesizing JTBD from Requirements
# After elicitation, analyze through JTBD lens
/requirements-elicitation:discover "inventory management"
# Then apply JTBD framework
# Load this skill and analyze:
# 1. What job are users hiring this system to do?
# 2. What are the functional/emotional/social dimensions?
# 3. Which jobs are underserved?Output Format
JTBD Analysis Report
jtbd_analysis:
domain: "inventory management"
date: "2025-12-26"
main_job:
statement: "Keep the right products in stock without excess inventory"
context: "As a retail manager responsible for product availability"
job_dimensions:
functional:
- "Predict demand accurately"
- "Reorder at the right time"
- "Track stock levels"
emotional:
- "Feel confident about stock decisions"
- "Avoid the stress of stockouts"
- "Pride in efficient operations"
social:
- "Be seen as competent by leadership"
- "Maintain customer satisfaction"
- "Demonstrate data-driven decisions"
job_map:
- stage: "Monitor inventory levels"
jobs: [...]
opportunities: [...]
opportunity_scores:
- job: "Predict seasonal demand"
importance: 9
satisfaction: 4
score: 14 # High opportunity
- job: "Generate reorder reports"
importance: 6
satisfaction: 7
score: 5 # Low priorityRelated Commands
/interview- Conduct JTBD-style interviews/simulate- Simulate stakeholders for JTBD exploration/discover- Full elicitation workflow/prioritize- Use JTBD opportunity scores for prioritization
References
For detailed guidance:
- Interview Techniques - JTBD interview methods
- Job Mapping - Creating job maps and outcome statements
External:
- Clayton Christensen's "Competing Against Luck"
- Bob Moesta's "Demand-Side Sales 101"
- JTBD.info
Version History
- v1.0.0 (2025-12-26): Initial release - JTBD Analysis skill
Last Updated: 2025-12-26