domains / business / jobs-to-be-done-analysis / jobs-to-be-done

jobs-to-be-done

Skill card

combined

The three copies overlap on the core JTBD concept (functional, emotional, and social dimensions) but each contains material steps and constraints the others lack. wondelai adds a scoring rubric, the four Forces of Progress (Push, Pull, Anxiety, Habit), and copy patterns. deanpeters adds a structured Pains and Gains taxonomy, anti-patterns, and a step-by-step application process. Owl-Listener adds a specific 8-stage job lifecycle (define, locate, prepare, etc.) and outcome expectations. Because no single copy contains all these distinct frameworks (Forces, Pains/Gains, Job Stages), crowning one would hide real alternatives.

Repositories

Other copies

Combined skill

# Jobs to Be Done (JTBD) Analysis

## Core Principle
Customers don't buy products; they "hire" them to make progress in a specific circumstance. A job is defined by three inseparable dimensions:
1. **Functional:** The practical task or outcome.
2. **Emotional:** How the customer wants to feel.
3. **Social:** How the customer wants to be perceived.

**Job Statement Format:** "When [circumstances], I want to [progress], so I can [outcome]."

## Step 1: Define Context
- Identify the target customer segment.
- Clarify the specific situation or trigger.
- List current solutions (competitors, workarounds, non-consumption).

## Step 2: Map Job Dimensions & Stages
- **Functional:** What tasks are they trying to complete?
- **Emotional:** What feelings do they seek or avoid?
- **Social:** How do they want to be seen by others?
- **Job Stages:** Map the lifecycle: Define, Locate, Prepare, Confirm, Execute, Monitor, Modify, Conclude.

## Step 3: Analyze Pains, Gains, and Forces
- **Pains:** Challenges, costliness, common mistakes, unresolved problems.
- **Gains:** Expectations, savings, adoption factors, life improvements.
- **Forces of Progress:**
  - **Push:** Frustration with the current situation.
  - **Pull:** Attraction of the new solution.
  - **Anxiety:** Fear of the new solution.
  - **Habit:** Comfort with the current behavior.
  - *Note: Change happens when Push + Pull > Habit + Anxiety.*

## Step 4: Identify Opportunities & Implications
- Find where current solutions are underserving the job.
- Identify non-obvious competition (e.g., pen and paper, doing nothing).
- Derive design implications and messaging strategies.

## Quality Checks & Anti-Patterns
- **Do:** Keep jobs solution-agnostic and verb-driven.
- **Don't:** Use demographics as a proxy for jobs.
- **Don't:** List feature wishlists (e.g., "I want AI") as jobs.
- **Don't:** Ignore emotional or social dimensions.

## Scoring (Optional)
Score the analysis 1-10 based on:
- Job stated without product names.
- All three dimensions evidenced.
- Non-consumption included in competition.
- All four forces mapped.