Toolbox: Jobs to be done (JTBD)

A mini-series on useful research & strategy tools

What is our audience trying to do, in the context of their life and in the context of using our product or service? These are the ultimate questions that “Jobs to be done” (JTBD) thinking answers well.

JTBD is a classic approach, originated by Harvard Professor Clay Christensen, to digging into the behaviors that people are trying to accomplish. The approach is brought to life well by Strategyzer in their incredible book, Value Proposition Design.

JTBD This is the backbone of value proposition thinking, in which we consider the underlying motivations for why someone purchases a product or service. It’s about getting below the surface... if someone is in the market for a vehicle, the “job” they really want to complete is getting from Point A to Point B. This slight reframe helps bring out pains, gains, and ultimately enables a team to identify areas of innovation.

The essence of JTBD thinking is that people “hire” products or services to fulfill a deeper need. One classic example is that people could “hire” a milkshake in the morning to satisfy hunger and also give them something to do during a long commute.

For example, a job could be being healthy enough to play with my kids. Or, I need more space to house my growing family. Or, I need a way to get from Point A to Point B.

Anything that humans have hopes, dreams, and to-do items around is worthy of being a JTBD. Pains and Gains flow directly from the JTBD, and we’ll cover this in a future edition.

“People don’t want to buy a quarter-inch drill, they want a quarter-inch hole.” – Theodore Levitt