Jobs-to-be-Done (JTBD)

Framework for understanding why customers "hire" and "fire" solutions.

Job Statement Format

When [situation/trigger],
I want to [motivation/goal],
so I can [expected outcome].

Example:

When I receive customer feedback after a product launch,
I want to quickly identify common themes,
so I can prioritize fixes before the next sprint.

JTBD Canvas

## Job: [Core functional job]

### Trigger/Situation
- When does this job arise?
- What context are they in?

### Functional Job (what they're trying to do)
[Action verb] + [object] + [clarifying context]
Example: "Organize customer feedback by theme before weekly product meeting"

### Emotional Job (how they want to feel)
- Feel [emotion] about [situation]
Example: "Feel confident presenting insights to leadership"

### Social Job (how they want to be perceived)
- Be seen as [perception] by [audience]
Example: "Be seen as data-driven by the exec team"

### Current Solutions
| Solution | Hiring Criteria | Firing Criteria |
|----------|-----------------|-----------------|
| [Tool/workaround] | [Why they use it] | [Why they'd stop] |

### Outcome Metrics
What does "job done well" look like?
- Speed: [Complete X in Y minutes]
- Quality: [Z accuracy/completeness]
- Confidence: [Feel certain about decision]

Hiring & Firing Criteria

Hiring Criteria (why they start using):

• Solves the functional job better
• Makes them feel the emotional job
• Improves their social perception
• Lower switching cost than pain of status quo

Firing Criteria (why they stop using):

• Job changes or goes away
• Better solution emerges
• Switching cost decreases
• Pain of current solution exceeds benefit

Job Mapping Questions

### Situation
- "When did you first realize you needed something like this?"
- "What was happening right before you started looking?"

### Push/Pull Forces
- "What made the old way unacceptable?" (push away)
- "What attracted you to the new solution?" (pull toward)

### Anxiety/Habit
- "What concerns did you have about switching?"
- "What kept you using the old way for so long?"

Common Mistakes

Mistake	Problem	Fix
Too broad	"Manage my business"	Add context/constraints
Solution-focused	"Use a spreadsheet"	Focus on outcome
Missing emotion	Just functional	Add emotional/social jobs
Ignoring context	Generic job	Specify situation/trigger