Overview
The JTBD framework is one of the most common approaches to identifying user needs in product management.
The framework frames products as jobs that the user hires to get a task done. The framework is powerful because it reframes user needs in terms of their relationship to the problem.
A good JTBD is solution agnostic — it can be approached in many ways.
It can take the form:
Action verb → object of action → clarifier
i.e. listen to (verb) music (object) without buying the whole album (clarifier).
JTBD’s can be functional, personal-emotional, or social-emotional.
Product teams can develop JTBD’s by asking customers to articulate their thoughts prior to the point of purchase.
By using the JTBD framework effectively, product managers can find what customers are truly trying to get solved, or even find a market fit for an existing product.
