💡 What is Jobs-to-Be-Done (JTBD) and How to Use It to Build What People Really Need

If your product roadmap is full of features but your users still feel underwhelmed, it’s time to step back and ask: what job is the customer hiring us to do?

That question is at the heart of the Jobs-to-Be-Done (JTBD) framework — a powerful way to uncover the real problems people are trying to solve so you can build products that actually make their lives better.

🤔 What Is Jobs-to-Be-Done?

Jobs-to-Be-Done is a mindset and discovery technique that helps you understand what users are really trying to accomplish — not just what they say they want.

People don’t buy products because they want features. They buy them to make progress in their lives.

“People don’t want a 1/4 inch drill. They want a 1/4 inch hole.”
– Theodore Levitt

JTBD asks:

“What job is this product being hired to do in the user's life?”

🛠 Example

Let’s say you’re building invoicing software.

✅ Feature thinking:

“Let’s add a dark mode and advanced export options.”

🔁 JTBD thinking:

“When I finish a client project, I want to send a professional invoice quickly, so I can get paid without chasing.”

See the difference? One is focused on features, the other is focused on progress.

📋 The JTBD Job Story Template

Use this simple format to write job stories:

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

Example:

When I’m traveling and get a new client lead,
I want to capture it quickly on my phone,
So I can follow up later without forgetting.

🎯 Why JTBD Works

• ✅ Helps teams focus on outcomes, not outputs
• ✅ Encourages deeper customer empathy
• ✅ Prevents feature bloat by building what truly matters
• ✅ Uncovers emotional and social needs, not just functional ones

👣 How to Get Started with JTBD

1. Run Customer Interviews

Ask about a specific event or task they were trying to do. Avoid asking what they want. Instead ask:

• “What triggered you to use [X]?”
• “What were you hoping to achieve?”
• “What was frustrating?”
• “What would have made it perfect?”

2. Extract Jobs from Stories

Use the job story format to identify common patterns.

3. Prioritize Jobs

Look for jobs that are:

• Frequently mentioned
• Poorly served
• Urgent or high-impact

4. Design Around the Job

Now shape features around the job, not just the task. Simplify it, speed it up, or remove pain.

📌 Final Thoughts

JTBD isn’t just a UX exercise — it’s a mindset shift. It helps teams focus on progress, not features. It keeps you connected to the why behind everything you build.

Start asking:
“What job are we really being hired to do here?”

And you’ll start building things people actually want to pay for.