Jobs-to-Be-Done

Jobs-to-Be-Done (JTBD) is a framework that focuses on understanding the specific tasks, goals, or problems that users aim to accomplish when using a product or service. It shifts the perspective from features or demographics to the outcomes users desire, making it a valuable approach in both Design Thinking and Growth Hacking.

In Design Thinking:

• Understanding User Needs: JTBD aligns with the Empathise stage, helping teams uncover the underlying motivations and goals that drive user behaviour, beyond surface-level needs.
• Defining Problems Clearly: By focusing on the job users want to achieve, teams can frame problem statements that are more precise and relevant, ensuring solutions address core user challenges.
• Inspiring Innovation: The JTBD framework encourages teams to think about new ways to help users accomplish their goals, fostering creative and user-centred solutions.

In Growth Hacking:

• Targeting User Goals: Growth strategies informed by JTBD focus on how a product or campaign helps users achieve their desired outcomes, increasing relevance and engagement.
• Optimising User Journeys: By understanding the jobs users are hiring a product to do, growth teams can streamline onboarding, features, or messaging to better align with user expectations.
• Driving Retention: JTBD highlights the value users derive from a product, enabling growth teams to reinforce these benefits through retention campaigns or feature updates.

Examples of Application:

• In Design Thinking: Designing a budgeting app with features that support the job of “managing monthly expenses effortlessly,” such as automated categorisation of transactions and visual spending insights.
• In Growth Hacking: Creating targeted ads for a ride-sharing service based on the job of “getting to work on time,” focusing on reliability and speed to attract more users.

The Jobs-to-Be-Done framework bridges user understanding and actionable design or growth strategies in both Design Thinking and Growth Hacking. By focusing on the outcomes users want to achieve, JTBD ensures that solutions and campaigns are aligned with real-world needs, fostering innovation, satisfaction, and growth.