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JTBD from chat

Organized Notes on Jobs to Be Done (JTBD)

1. Introduction to JTBD

How I Got Into JTBD:

We should take time to identify customer needs in the way suggested in the audiobook. I agree 100%.

However, my approach differs. I’m writing this book without focusing much on directly asking customers about their needs.

Customers’ needs are data, and data alone doesn’t help unless it has a practical application.

2. What is JTBD?

JTBD is a research framework focused on uncovering the "jobs" customers hire products or services to do. It aims to understand motivations, contexts, and desired outcomes.

While fundamentally a research method, many treat JTBD as a design method because its insights often directly inform product and service design.

Instead of asking "Who is the user?", JTBD asks "What are they trying to accomplish?" This shifts the focus from demographics to actions and outcomes.

JTBD doesn’t prescribe how to create personas but provides a structure for understanding needs that can integrate into persona creation.

3. The Limitations of Data-First Approaches

I haven’t used data-first personas since realizing their limitations.

Data describes the past but doesn’t necessarily predict the future or address unarticulated needs.

Companies need to understand customer needs comprehensively, but finding those needs is often a mystery.

Departments must know customer needs to function effectively. This ties directly into the concept of alignment.

Identifying needs without clarity is like trying to solve a puzzle without understanding what the pieces represent.

4. Challenges in Identifying Needs

Early-stage companies may not be ready to hear actual needs. They often need to address:

The messiness of innovation.

The challenges of securing funding.

Partnerships and internal politics.

The high expectations of building while managing these dynamics.

Talking to real customers is essential but challenging in these scenarios.

5. Complexity of Needs

Needs are inherently complex (reference to "J Theory" book).

Slowing down to identify these needs is critical.

If teams can’t slow down entirely, at least clean the metaphorical floor to make sure the "carpet" (or solutions) will stick.

6. Examples of Customer Needs

Customers often have unmet needs, such as:

To keep going.

To launch successfully.

To avoid disappointing investors.

To see their ideas come to life.

"Bad needs" like wanting to fail fast.

There’s an unsatisfied need to align startups and teams so they can stop going in circles and "get out of their own way."

7. Origins of Early-Stage Ideas

Early-stage ideas often come from observing unmet needs or "holes."

Finding people who relate to these needs generates additional ideas in technology, business, and operations.

8. The Misalignment Between Data and Action

Customers often claim to value data but act as though it doesn’t exist.

Possible reasons:

Products or reports may be too lengthy.

Something more powerful than data may drive decisions.

Without setting the stage properly ("Oreo-ing the field"), data cannot create meaningful impact.

9. How Alignment Personas Fit into JTBD

Alignment Personas as a JTBD Tool:

Alignment personas can bridge the gap between JTBD insights and practical design or strategy execution.

While JTBD uncovers the "job," alignment personas ensure stakeholders are on the same page about who the key users are and what they need.

By focusing on shared assumptions and measurable goals, alignment personas help JTBD findings "land" within teams.

Key Benefits of Combining JTBD and Alignment Personas:

JTBD provides the "what" (the job to be done), and alignment personas provide the "who" (the archetype or context of the person performing the job).

Together, they offer a clear framework for addressing both functional and emotional customer needs.

Alignment personas also help organizations navigate internal politics and conflicting priorities, which can derail even well-researched JTBD efforts.

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Summary: JTBD emphasizes understanding the nuanced and often messy needs of customers. While data is valuable, it’s not the ultimate solution without alignment and clear application. Early-stage companies must focus on identifying and addressing foundational misalignments to build impactful products and services. Alignment personas complement JTBD by ensuring stakeholder alignment and providing actionable clarity for executing on customer insights.

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