jobs-to-be-done

Purpose

Systematically explore what customers are trying to accomplish (functional, social, emotional jobs), the pains they experience, and the gains they seek. Use this framework to uncover unmet needs, validate product ideas, and ensure your solution addresses real motivations—not just surface-level feature requests.

This is not a survey—it's a structured lens for understanding why customers "hire" your product and what would make them "fire" it.

Key Concepts

The Jobs-to-be-Done Framework

Influenced by Clayton Christensen and the Value Proposition Canvas (Osterwalder), JTBD breaks customer needs into three categories:

1. Customer Jobs:

• Functional jobs: Tasks customers need to perform (e.g., "send an invoice")
• Social jobs: How customers want to be perceived (e.g., "look professional to clients")
• Emotional jobs: Emotional states customers seek or avoid (e.g., "feel confident in my work")

2. Pains:

• Challenges: Obstacles customers face
• Costliness: What's too expensive in time, money, or effort