The Jobs To Be Done (JTBD) framework is a powerful tool for businesses to gain deep insights into customer motivations, leading to more successful product development and improved customer satisfaction. By aligning products with the real jobs customers are trying to accomplish, companies can build stronger, more meaningful connections with their target audience.

The framework provides a framework for defining, categorizing, capturing, and organizing customer needs. It also helps align developers, marketers, strategists and others in an organizations around a shared understanding of what needs are and which customer needs are unmet. 

How to use it

Implementing the Jobs To Be Done framework involves a structured process of understanding and addressing customer needs. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to apply the JTBD framework:

1. Identify the Job: Start by identifying the core “job” that customers are trying to get done. This requires a deep understanding of your customers and their motivations. Conduct interviews, surveys, and observations to uncover the functional and emotional aspects of the job.
2. Define the Job Statement: Clearly articulate the job in the form of a job statement. This statement should capture the goal or outcome the customer is trying to achieve. For example, instead of focusing on the product features, frame the statement around what the customer is hiring the product to do in their life.
3. Understand the Context: Context is crucial in the JTBD framework. Explore the circumstances, constraints, and challenges surrounding the job. Consider situational factors that may influence the customer’s decision-making process.
4. Segment by Jobs, Not Demographics: Instead of relying solely on demographic information, segment your market based on the different jobs customers are trying to accomplish. This segmentation helps tailor products and marketing strategies to meet the specific needs of each job segment.
5. Gather Data on Switching Behavior: Understand the circumstances under which customers switch from one product or solution to another. Investigate what triggers the decision to change and what factors contribute to the customer’s perception of a better solution.
6. Analyze Pain Points and Gains: Identify the pain points associated with the current solutions customers use to get the job done. Simultaneously, recognize the gains or positive outcomes customers seek. This analysis helps in designing products that alleviate pain points and enhance gains.
7. Develop Personas: Create detailed personas based on the jobs customers are trying to get done. These personas should reflect the motivations, challenges, and preferences of individuals within each job segment.
8. Map Customer Journeys: Map out the customer journey for each job. Understand the various touchpoints and interactions customers have throughout the process of getting the job done. This helps in identifying opportunities for improvement and innovation.
9. Innovate and Iterate: Develop products or services that align with the identified jobs. Continuously iterate based on customer feedback and changing market dynamics. The goal is to create solutions that effectively address customer needs and preferences.
10. Communicate Value Propositions: When marketing your product, focus on the value it brings to customers in terms of helping them achieve the job. Craft messaging and positioning that resonates with the functional and emotional aspects of the job to be done.
11. Measure Success: Define key performance indicators (KPIs) that align with the success of the job. Monitor and analyze these metrics to assess how well your product is addressing customer needs and making progress in the market.

More information around Jobs-To-Be-Done

• Jobs-to-be-Done: A Framework for Customer Needs – A brief primer – a good starting point
• Jobs-To-Be-Done Framework – what is is and how it applies to product development
• Know Your Customers’ “Jobs to Be Done” (Harvard Business Review) – Is innovation inherently a hit-or-miss endeavor? Not if you understand why customers make the choices they do. 
• Personas vs. Jobs-to-Be-Done – Jobs-to-be-done focus on user problems and needs, while well-executed personas include the same information and also add behavioral and attitudinal details.
• JTBD Tools & Resources – Information about approaches (Switch, ODI: Outcome-Driven Innovation®) and Job Stories.