What is the JTBD framework? Jobs-To-Be-Done is a framework developed from the classic marketing concept of 'jobs theory'. The theory states that consumers aspire to 'hire' products and services to help them get a job done - whether it's getting them to work on time, entertaining them or making them feel better.
Jobs theory
In practice, the theory works by reverse engineering products and services to find out what function they perform and how they help you get the job done. By understanding the job, the product becomes the hero.
The framework is also based on the premise that jobs are not always obvious and that customers are not always aware of the job they are trying to get done. Indeed, they may not even know a job is needed in the first place.
Jobs-To-Be-Done framework
The JTBD framework is a simple multi-step process:
1. What job do customers want to be done?
2. What job is the product already doing for customers?
3. What new jobs might the product enable?
Jobs-To-Be-Done framework
The framework is not a technique or method. It is not a set of questions or a step-by-step process. It is a framework for thinking. It is an approach to getting past your preconceptions about the product, service or experience you're trying to develop.
It is a way to explore what people want to accomplish, why they want to accomplish it and what it will take to deliver on that need.
It is a way to recognise unmet needs and new opportunities.
It is a way to build a business that creates value.
Jobs-To-Be-Done framework – the context
Start with an understanding of the product or service, how it works, what features it has and how it is currently being used. This is known as the current state.
Next, we ask the questions:
What job is this product or service currently doing for the customer?
How is it helping them to get the job done?
What is its function?
Jobs-To-Be-Done framework – the gaps
From there, we must look for jobs you haven't considered. We simply ask:
1. What job is the customer trying to get done?
2. What job do customers or users want to get done?
3. What job do they urgently need to get done?
Jobs-To-Be-Done framework – improvements
Finally, you must consider how your product or service might enable new jobs. What jobs might it enable? What new jobs might it enable?
Ask yourself: What new jobs might the product enable?
What new jobs might the product enable?
What new jobs might the product enable?
Jobs-To-Be-Done framework
The framework helps to unearth unmet needs and new opportunities. It forces us to explore the job people are trying to get done, rather than focusing on the product or service itself. The framework helps to discover the real reason why people are engaging with a product or service. It helps to understand what people really value and how they define value. And it helps to create products and services that deliver real value and create real value.
