The "Jobs To Be Done" Framework: How Empact Helps Startups Make Progress

Introduction

Understanding customer needs is key to your startup success. One framework that has gained traction for its effectiveness in understanding customer needs is "Jobs To Be Done" (JTBD). Developed by Bob Moesta and Clayton Christensen, JTBD framework helps businesses understand why customers "hire" a product or service.

In this blog post, we'll explore the JTBD framework and how Empact leverages it to help startups transform their ideas into intuitive products that meet the real needs of their customers.

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What is Jobs To Be Done?

"People don't want a quarter-inch drill, they want a quarter-inch hole." - Theodore Levitt

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The JTBD framework suggests that customers don't buy products; they hire them to fulfill a specific need or job. This job is a problem that the customer is trying to solve or a goal they are trying to achieve. By understanding the "job" your product is hired to do, you can create more targeted, effective solutions.

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The Eight Elements of JTBD

‍The JTBD framework is built around eight elements that help you understand the job your product is hired to do:

1. Context: The situation in which the customer finds themselves.
2. Struggling Moments: The point where the customer realizes they need a solution.
3. Pushes & Pulls: The factors that drive the customer towards a new solution.
4. Anxieties and Habits: Concerns or old habits that might prevent a customer from trying something new.
5. Desired Outcomes: What the customer hopes to achieve.
6. Hiring and Firing Criteria: The factors that will make a customer choose or abandon a product.
7. Key Trade-offs: What the customer is willing to compromise on.
8. Basic Quality of the JTBD: The fundamental requirements the solution must meet.
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How Empact Uses JTBD

At Empact, we use the JTBD framework as a foundational tool in our product and design approach. We start by identifying the job that the customer is trying to do with the product. This involves interviews, surveys and market research. We also consider the customer's context, struggles, desired outcomes, hiring and firing criteria.

Once we understand the job, we move to the design phase, where we create prototypes that specifically address the elements of the JTBD. We then test these prototypes with real customers, iterating based on their feedback until we find the most effective solution. Understanding the job to be done also informs our go-to-market strategies, helping us position client's products in a way that resonates with what customers are truly seeking.

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Case Study: Transportation Client

The Challenge
A transportation startup was struggling to compete with market leaders despite offering a competitive price and a user-friendly interface.

Empact's Approach
Using the Jobs To Be Done (JTBD) framework, Empact discovered that customers were hiring the service for a safe and reliable commuting experience, not just getting from point A to B.

The Solution & Result
We guided the startup to focus on safety features like real-time tracking, in-app feedback mechanisms and emergency SOS buttons. The outcome was a significant increase in customer engagement and an uptick in customer retention.

Key Takeaway
Understanding the job your product is hired to do can be a game-changer. For this startup, aligning their services with the customer's true needs—safety and reliability— led to significant growth.

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Conclusion

The Jobs To Be Done framework offers a robust methodology for understanding your customer's needs at a granular level. At Empact, we've integrated JTBD into our design thinking approach, helping startups create products that not only solve problems but also deliver exceptional value.

Additional thoughts

• JTBD can be used to improve existing products, as well as develop new ones. By understanding the job that the customer is hiring the product to do, businesses can identify areas where it can be improved to better meet the need of their customers.
• JTBD is a customer-centric framework. It focuses on understanding the customer's needs and motivations, rather than the features and benefits of the product.
• JTBD can be challenging to implement, especially for complex products. However, the benefits of using JTBD far outweigh the challenges. By understanding the job that your product is hired to do, you can create better products that customers  love.

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Ready to build something amazing? Get in touch

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Resources

1. Christensen, C. M., Hall, T., Dillon, K., & Duncan, D. S. (2016). Competing Against Luck: The Story of Innovation and Customer Choice. Harper Business.
2. Moesta, R., & Spiek, C. (2020). Demand-Side Sales 101: Stop Selling and Help Your Customers Make Progress. Wiley.

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