Jobs To Be Done

Jobs-to-be-Done (JTBD)

Overview

The Jobs-to-be-Done framework shifts focus from who the user is (demographics) to what they're trying to accomplish. People "hire" products to do jobs in their life. This skill helps you identify functional, emotional, and social jobs → design products that get hired, not features that gather dust.

When to Use

• Understanding why users choose your product (or a competitor's)
• Identifying unmet needs in a market
• Defining product strategy and positioning
• Evaluating new feature ideas against core user jobs
• Don't use for: incremental UI improvements, bug prioritization, or compliance work

Instructions

1. Identify the Job Statement

Use the format: When [situation], I want to [motivation] so I can [desired outcome].

Example: "When I'm assigned a new project, I want to understand what's already been decided so I can avoid redoing work."

Break it into three parts:

• Situation: When does this job arise?
• Motivation: What does the user want to do?
• Outcome: What's the end goal?

2. Uncover the Job Dimensions

Every job has three layers:

• Functional: What the user wants to accomplish (the task)
• Emotional: How the user wants to feel (confident, relieved, proud)
• Social: How the user wants to be perceived (competent, innovative, reliable)

Ask: "When this job is done well, how does it make you feel? How do others see you?"

3. Map the Job-to-be-Done Timeline

Jobs don't exist in isolation. Map the full process:

1. Define — What triggers the job?
2. Locate — What information do they need?
3. Prepare — What do they need to set up?
4. Confirm — How do they know it's working?
5. Execute — The core job
6. Monitor — How do they track success?
7. Modify — What adjustments do they make?
8. Conclude — How do they finish?

4. Identify Needs at Each Step

For each step, ask:

• What's frustrating about this step?
• What workaround have you created?
• If you could wave a magic wand, what would happen?
• What makes you abandon this process?

5. Prioritize Jobs

Not all jobs are equal. Rank by:

• Importance: How critical is this job to the user's success?
• Satisfaction: How satisfied are they with current solutions?
• Frequency: How often does this job arise?
• High importance + low satisfaction = big opportunity

Sample Output

JTBD analysis for a note-taking app:

Primary Job: "When I attend a meeting, I want to capture action items so I don't forget what I committed to."

| Step | Current Pain | Opportunity | |------|-------------|-------------| | Define (trigger) | Meeting starts, no prep | Pre-meeting templates | | Execute (capture) | Typing distracts from listening | Voice-to-text + auto-summary | | Confirm (review) | Can't find notes later | Smart search by person/topic | | Conclude (follow-up) | Action items sit in notes | Auto-create tasks from highlights |

Emotional job: Feel prepared and in control Social job: Be seen as reliable and follow-through

Common Pitfalls

1. Feature-thinking, not job-thinking — "Users need search" is a feature. "Users need to find past decisions" is a job
2. Stopping at functional — Emotional and social jobs are often the real purchase drivers
3. Assuming one job per product — Most products serve 3-5 related jobs
4. Ignoring the "hiring" moment — What triggers the user to seek a solution? That's your most important question
5. Writer's block on job statements — If the statement feels forced, go back to customer interviews. Real quotes make the best job statements

Verification Checklist

• [ ] Job statement written in [situation] → [motivation] → [outcome] format
• [ ] Functional, emotional, and social dimensions identified
• [ ] Full timeline mapped (8 steps)
• [ ] Pain points and workarounds documented per step
• [ ] Top opportunity identified (high importance, low satisfaction)

Source & license

This open-source skill is cataloged on AgentStack and links to its original source — we do not rehost the code.

• Author: uthumany
• Source: uthumany/uthy-legacy-os
• License: MIT
• Homepage: https://uthumany.github.io/uthy-legacy-os/

Install and usage instructions live in the source repository linked above.