Daily 60 Second Startup Advice
Jobs to be Done (JTBD) for Startups

Jobs to be Done (JTBD) analysis is a valuable framework for understanding why customers choose certain products or services to fulfill specific needs or jobs. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to conduct a JTBD analysis for your startup:

1. Identify the Job or Need:
- Start by identifying the specific job or need that customers are trying to fulfill. This job could be functional, emotional, or social in nature.
- Ask questions like, "What problem are customers trying to solve?" or "What are they trying to achieve?"

2. Define the Customer Segment:
- Clearly define the customer segment you are analyzing. Different customer segments may have different jobs to be done.
- Consider demographics, psychographics, and behavioral traits to create a detailed customer persona.

3. Conduct Customer Interviews:
- The heart of JTBD analysis is gathering insights directly from customers through interviews or surveys.
- Ask open-ended questions to understand their experiences, motivations, and decision-making processes related to the job.
- Encourage customers to share stories and examples of when they successfully or unsuccessfully completed the job.

4. Identify Job Steps and Progress:
- Break down the job into specific steps or tasks that customers take to complete it.
- Understand the progress customers make at each step and the obstacles or challenges they face.

5. Document Functional and Emotional Jobs:
- Differentiate between the functional aspects of the job (e.g., the tasks to be completed) and the emotional aspects (e.g., how customers feel during the process).
- Explore the emotional gains and pains associated with the job.

6. Map Customer Goals:
- Create a visual map or timeline that illustrates the customer's journey from recognizing the need to successfully completing the job.
- Note the key touchpoints, interactions, and decisions along the way.

7. Identify Competing Alternatives:
- Determine what alternatives or solutions customers consider when trying to complete the job. These could be other products, services, or even DIY solutions.
- Understand why they might choose one alternative over another.

8. Analyze Customer Insights:
- Review the interview data and look for patterns, common themes, and trends related to customer motivations and pain points.
- Identify the "job drivers," which are the most critical factors that influence the choice of a product or service.

9. Create Personas and Scenarios:
- Develop customer personas based on the insights gained during interviews. These personas should represent different customer segments with distinct jobs and motivations.
- Create scenarios or use cases that describe how these personas use your product or service to complete the job successfully.

10. Prioritize Opportunities:
- Based on your analysis, prioritize opportunities for product or service improvements or innovations that align with the identified jobs to be done.
- Focus on addressing the most critical pain points or unmet needs.

11. Iterate and Test:
- Develop and implement solutions based on your findings and test them with real users to validate their effectiveness.
- Continue to refine your offerings based on feedback and data.

12. Monitor and Measure:
- Continuously monitor user behavior, gather feedback, and measure the impact of your changes on the job satisfaction and outcomes of your customers.

In the dynamic landscape of startups, the validation phase is a make-or-break moment. Armed with the "Jobs to Be Done" theory, your goal is to validate not only the demand for your product but also its ability to solve the identified problems effectively. Engage with your potential customers, gather feedback, and assess their willingness to pay for your solution. This iterative process not only refines your product but also solidifies your understanding of the job it fulfills. Remember, innovation often lies at the intersection of customer problems and ingenious solutions, and this phase is where those connections are forged.