Jobs-to-be-Done – What Are Customers Really Hiring?

Jobs-to-be-Done (JTBD) is a framework developed by Clayton Christensen and Bob Moesta that focuses on the progress customers are trying to make in their lives. Instead of asking “who is the customer?” it asks “what job are they hiring this product to do?”

When to Use This Skill

• Defining product strategy and positioning
• Conducting customer research interviews
• Writing user stories and requirements
• Identifying true competitors (often surprising)
• Finding innovation opportunities
• Understanding why customers switch products

Core Concepts

The Hiring Metaphor

Customer has a "job" to get done
           |
           v
    +-------------+
    | "Hires" a   |
    | product to  |
    | do the job  |
    +-------------+
           |
           v
   If it does well → keeps using
   If it fails → "fires" it, tries another

The Milkshake Story

Clayton Christensen’s famous example:

Traditional approach: “Who buys milkshakes? Demographics, preferences…”

JTBD approach: “What job is the milkshake being hired to do?”

Discovery: Morning milkshake buyers had a completely different job than afternoon buyers.

Types of Jobs

Job Statement Format

When [situation/context]
I want to [motivation/job]
So I can [expected outcome]

Analysis Framework

Step 1: Identify the Job

Interview questions to uncover jobs:

Step 2: Map the Forces

+------------------+------------------+
|   PUSH           |    PULL          |
|   (away from)    |    (toward)      |
|                  |                  |
| - Current pain   | - Better outcome |
| - Frustration    | - Emotional gain |
+------------------+------------------+
        |                   |
        v                   v
+------------------+------------------+
|   ANXIETY        |   HABITS         |
|   (of new)       |   (of old)       |
|                  |                  |
| - Will it work?  | - "I've always   |
| - Learning curve |    done it this  |
+------------------+    way"          |
                   +------------------+

For customers to switch: Push + Pull > Anxiety + Habits

Step 3: Define True Competition

True competitors are anything hired for the same job:

Job: “Help me fall asleep faster”

Output Template

## Jobs-to-be-Done Analysis

**Product/Feature:** [Name]

### Core Job Statement

When [situation] I want to [motivation] So I can [outcome]

### Job Dimensions

**Functional:** [What they're trying to accomplish] **Emotional:** [How they
want to feel] **Social:** [How they want to be perceived]

### Forces Analysis

**Push:** [Pain points driving change] **Pull:** [Benefits of new solution]
**Anxieties:** [Concerns about switching] **Habits:** [Behaviors keeping them in
place]

### True Competition

| Competitor | Job Performance |
| ---------- | --------------- |
| [Alt 1]    | [How well]      |
| [Alt 2]    | [How well]      |

Real-World Examples

Example 1: Snickers vs. Milky Way

Example 2: LinkedIn Learning

Not hired for: “I want to learn Python” (Udemy does this) Hired for: “I want to show my employer I’m developing professionally”

Best Practices

Do

• Interview actual users about real past behavior
• Focus on the “hiring moment” and context
• Look for workarounds and “non-consumption”
• Identify emotional and social jobs

Avoid

• Asking what features users want
• Taking stated preferences at face value
• Ignoring context and situation
• Focusing only on functional jobs

Integration with Other Methods

Resources

• Competing Against Luck – Clayton Christensen
• The Jobs to be Done Playbook – Jim Kalbach