What is Jobs To Be Done (JTBD)?
The JTBD framework was popularised by Clayton Christensen, a professor at Harvard Business School. At its core, JTBD posits that users “hire” products and services to get specific jobs done in their lives. Instead of merely categorising users based on demographics or behaviours, JTBD delves into the motivations and circumstances driving their decisions.
Key principles of JTBD include:
- Job Focus: Understanding what job the user needs to accomplish, which goes beyond the surface level of what the product does.
- Contextual Insight: Recognising the context in which the job arises, which includes emotional, social, and functional dimensions.
- Outcome-Driven: Emphasising the desired outcome or benefit the user seeks to achieve by using the product.
How JTBD Differs from Other Growth Frameworks
While several growth frameworks aim to boost user acquisition, engagement, and retention, JTBD provides a distinct lens through which to view user needs and product development. Here’s how it stands apart:
AARRR (Pirate Metrics):
AARRR Framework: Focuses on five metrics – Acquisition, Activation, Retention, Referral, and Revenue. It is a data-driven approach to track and optimise different stages of the user journey.
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- JTBD: Rather than focusing on metrics, JTBD seeks to understand the fundamental reasons why users interact with a product. It helps in identifying new opportunities by revealing unmet needs and motivations.
RICE Scoring Model:
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- RICE Framework: Prioritises features based on Reach, Impact, Confidence, and Effort. It is used to decide what to build next based on potential impact and feasibility.
- JTBD: While RICE helps in feature prioritisation, JTBD informs what features should be considered in the first place by understanding the core jobs users need to get done.
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Growth Hacking Funnel:
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- Growth Hacking: Emphasises rapid experimentation across the acquisition, activation, retention, revenue, and referral stages to find the most effective growth strategies.
- JTBD: Complements growth hacking by providing deeper insights into why users behave the way they do, which can inform more targeted and effective experiments.
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JTBD and Product Discovery
Product discovery involves understanding user needs, validating ideas, and defining what to build. JTBD plays a crucial role in this process by offering a user-centric approach to uncovering and articulating these needs.
- Deep User Insight: JTBD encourages teams to look beyond surface-level data and delve into the real jobs users are trying to accomplish. This can reveal insights that traditional user research methods might miss.
- Problem Definition: By framing user needs as jobs to be done, teams can better define problems and opportunities. This ensures that product development is aligned with genuine user needs rather than assumptions.
- Innovative Solutions: Understanding the job context can inspire more innovative solutions. For example, knowing that users “hire” a music streaming service to relax during their commute can lead to features tailored to that specific context.
- Prioritisation: JTBD helps prioritise features and initiatives based on their ability to fulfil critical jobs. This ensures that development efforts are focused on delivering maximum value to users.
Getting Started with JTBD
- Conduct User Interviews: Speak with users to understand the jobs they are trying to get done. Focus on the circumstances, motivations, and desired outcomes.
- Create Job Stories: Formulate job stories using the format: “When [situation], I want to [motivation], so I can [desired outcome].”
- Map the Job Journey: Identify the steps users take to accomplish their jobs and the pain points they encounter.
- Innovate and Iterate: Use these insights to brainstorm and prioritise features that address unmet needs, and continuously iterate based on user feedback.
In conclusion, the JTBD framework offers a powerful, user-centric approach to understanding and fulfilling user needs. By focusing on the jobs users are trying to accomplish, JTBD provides deeper insights that can drive innovation and more effective product development. Whether used alone or in conjunction with other growth frameworks, JTBD can significantly enhance the process of product discovery and lead to more successful and meaningful products.