What is Jobs to Be Done (JTBD)?
Jobs to Be Done (JTBD) is a theory and framework that suggests customers don't buy products or services; they 'hire' them to get a specific 'job' done. This 'job' represents a fundamental problem a customer is trying to solve or a goal they are trying to achieve in a particular circumstance.
By understanding the functional, social, and emotional dimensions of the job, companies can design offerings that better meet customer needs, leading to more predictable innovation and effective marketing.
Key Principles of JTBD
- Focus on the Job, Not the Customer or Product: The 'job' is the unit of analysis, not demographics or product features alone.
- Jobs are Stable Over Time: While products and solutions change, the underlying jobs customers are trying to get done often remain remarkably stable.
- Circumstances Matter: The context in which a customer is trying to get a job done heavily influences their choices and priorities.
- Jobs Have Functional, Social, and Emotional Dimensions: Customers seek solutions that address all these aspects.
- People Hire Products/Services to Make Progress: Customers are looking for solutions that help them achieve a desired future state.
- Competition is Broader Than You Think: Anything a customer could use to get the job done is a competitor, not just direct category rivals.
How to Uncover Jobs to Be Done
Identifying JTBD often involves qualitative research methods:
- Customer Interviews: Conduct in-depth interviews focusing on past purchasing decisions, the struggles that led to them, and the desired outcomes. The 'Switch' interview technique is popular here.
- Observation (Ethnography): Observe customers in their natural environment to understand their behaviors, workarounds, and unmet needs.
- Analyzing Customer Support Data: Look for patterns in complaints, feature requests, and how customers describe their problems.
- Identifying 'Non-Consumption': Understand why potential customers are not using any solution to get a job done.
Benefits of Applying JTBD
- More Predictable Innovation: By focusing on stable jobs, innovation efforts become less about guesswork and more about solving real problems.
- Clearer Value Propositions: JTBD helps articulate how a product or service helps customers make progress.
- Improved Product Design: Design features that directly address the functional, social, and emotional aspects of the job.
- Effective Marketing: Craft messages that resonate with the customer's struggle and desired outcome.
- Better Customer Segmentation: Segment customers based on the jobs they are trying to get done, rather than just demographics.
- Identification of New Market Opportunities: Uncover underserved or unarticulated jobs that represent new growth areas.
Neuronify & Jobs to Be Done
Neuronify empowers you to integrate JTBD insights into your strategic processes:
- AI-Powered Customer Insight Analysis: Use Neuronify to analyze customer feedback, interviews, and support data to identify patterns that point to underlying jobs.
- Job Mapping Tools: Visually map out the steps, needs, and desired outcomes associated with a specific Job to Be Done.
- Value Proposition Canvas Integration: Connect JTBD insights directly to your Business Model Canvas and Value Proposition Design efforts.
- Competitive Analysis through JTBD Lens: Analyze how competitors are (or are not) addressing specific customer jobs.
- Innovation Idea Generation: Leverage Neuronify's AI to brainstorm solutions that better serve identified Jobs to Be Done.
With Neuronify, you can systematically uncover and act upon the Jobs to Be Done by your customers, driving meaningful innovation and growth.
Ready to truly understand your customers and build what they need?
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