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Jobs to be Done (JTBD)

Clayton Christensen's Jobs to be Done framework focuses on understanding the underlying motivations behind customer behavior. People don't buy products—they "hire" them to get a job done.

The Flow

Jobs to be Done Flow

Key Principles

  1. Jobs Are Stable: Customer objectives persist despite changing products
  2. Hire and Fire: Customers "hire" products to do jobs
  3. Three Dimensions: Functional, emotional, and social jobs
  4. Outcome-Focused: Measure success by desired outcomes
  5. Context Matters: Same person, different situations, different jobs

Core Concept

"People don't want a quarter-inch drill. They want a quarter-inch hole." — Theodore Levitt

People buy products and services to get a job done. A job is the task, goal, or objective a customer is trying to accomplish in a specific situation.

VisionSpec Mapping

JTBD Artifact VisionSpec Type Purpose
Job Statement & Context MRD The job to be done
Outcome-Driven Requirements PRD Desired outcomes
Job Map UXD Stages of the job
Solution Architecture TRD How we address outcomes

Using the JTBD Profile

Initialize a Project

multispec init home-organization --profile jtbd

Create Job Statement (MRD)

multispec draft mrd -p home-organization

The Job Statement template includes:

Job Executor

  • Who is performing the job?
  • What is their role/context?

Core Functional Job

  • What are they trying to accomplish?
  • Statement in solution-neutral language

Job Context

  • When does this job arise?
  • What triggers the need?
  • What constraints exist?

Related Jobs

  • Emotional jobs (how they want to feel)
  • Social jobs (how they want to be perceived)
  • Related functional jobs

Current Solutions

  • What do they "hire" today?
  • Why do they "fire" existing solutions?

Create Outcome-Driven Requirements (PRD)

multispec draft prd -p home-organization

The Outcome-Driven Requirements template includes:

Desired Outcomes

Format: [Direction] + [Metric] + [Object of Control] + [Context]

Examples:

  • Minimize the time it takes to find items when needed
  • Minimize the likelihood of forgetting where something is stored
  • Increase the confidence that items are stored safely

Outcome Prioritization

Outcome Importance Satisfaction Opportunity
... 1-10 1-10 I + (I - S)

Underserved Outcomes

  • High importance, low satisfaction = opportunity

Overserved Outcomes

  • Lower importance, high satisfaction = cost reduction opportunity

Create Job Map (UXD)

multispec draft uxd -p home-organization

The Job Map template follows the Universal Job Map:

  1. Define: What aspects must be defined before starting?
  2. Locate: What inputs are needed?
  3. Prepare: What preparation is required?
  4. Confirm: What must be verified before proceeding?
  5. Execute: What is the core action?
  6. Monitor: What must be watched during execution?
  7. Modify: What adjustments might be needed?
  8. Conclude: How is the job completed?

For each stage:

  • Actions taken
  • Desired outcomes
  • Current pain points
  • Opportunity areas

Rubric Categories

Job Statement Evaluation (MRD)

Category Weight Description
Job Executor Clarity 15% Specific person defined
Job Definition 25% Solution-neutral, clear job
Context Definition 20% When/where job arises
Three Dimensions 15% Functional, emotional, social
Current Solutions 15% What they hire today
Competition 10% All job competitors identified

Outcome Requirements Evaluation (PRD)

Category Weight Description
Outcome Format 20% Proper outcome statements
Outcome Coverage 20% All stages of job covered
Quantification 20% Importance/satisfaction measured
Opportunity Identification 20% Underserved outcomes found
Prioritization 10% Clear priority order
Actionability 10% Guides solution design

Job Map Evaluation (UXD)

Category Weight Description
Stage Completeness 20% All 8 stages considered
Outcome Mapping 25% Outcomes at each stage
Pain Point Identification 20% Frustrations documented
Opportunity Areas 20% Clear design opportunities
User Validation 10% Based on real user data
Actionability 5% Guides solution design

The Opportunity Algorithm

Calculate opportunity score for each desired outcome:

Opportunity = Importance + (Importance - Satisfaction)
Score Meaning
> 15 Extreme opportunity
12-15 High opportunity
10-12 Moderate opportunity
< 10 Low opportunity or overserved

Example: The Milkshake Story

The famous McDonald's milkshake study illustrates JTBD:

Morning Commuters

  • Job: Make my boring commute more interesting
  • Context: Alone, driving, before 8am
  • Competition: Bagels (crumbs), bananas (too quick), donuts (sticky)
  • Why milkshake wins: Thick (lasts long), one-handed, entertaining

Afternoon Parents

  • Job: Be a good parent (say yes to something)
  • Context: After school, with kids
  • Competition: Ice cream, cookies, toys
  • Why milkshake loses: Too big, takes too long

Same product, different jobs, different requirements.

Example Workflow

# 1. Initialize project
multispec init laundry-service --profile jtbd

# 2. Define the job
multispec draft mrd -p laundry-service
# Conduct Switch interviews
# Identify job executor, context, competing solutions
multispec eval mrd -p laundry-service
multispec approve mrd -p laundry-service

# 3. Document desired outcomes
multispec draft prd -p laundry-service
# Survey importance and satisfaction
# Calculate opportunity scores
multispec eval prd -p laundry-service
multispec approve prd -p laundry-service

# 4. Map the job
multispec draft uxd -p laundry-service
# Universal Job Map for laundry
# Outcomes at each stage
multispec eval uxd -p laundry-service
multispec approve uxd -p laundry-service

# 5. Synthesize solution architecture
multispec synthesize trd -p laundry-service

# 6. Check status
multispec status -p laundry-service

Switch Interviews

To understand jobs, conduct "Switch" interviews:

Timeline: When did you start thinking about switching?

Push: What wasn't working with your old solution?

Pull: What attracted you to the new solution?

Anxiety: What concerns did you have about switching?

Habit: What made it hard to change from the old way?

Reference Materials

For deeper understanding of Jobs to be Done, see: