Jobs to Be DoneWhat customers hire you for

The core idea#

Demographics describe customers. They rarely explain why someone buys. Two people of the same age, income and city may buy the same product for entirely different reasons, and two very different people may buy it for the same reason. Jobs to be done shifts attention from the customer’s attributes to their situation and desired progress.

A job is not a task. “Send an invoice” is a task. “Get paid on time without awkward conversations with clients” is a job. It includes the functional outcome, but also the emotional and social dimensions: feeling in control, looking competent to a boss, avoiding embarrassment.

Why JTBD changes how you see competition#

When you define competition by product category, you see only similar products. When you define it by the job, you see everything a customer might hire instead, including spreadsheets, a cousin who does it informally, an employee, or doing nothing. These non-obvious alternatives are often the real reason deals stall.

For example, a meal-kit brand may think its competitors are other meal kits. The job of “getting a decent dinner on the table on a weeknight without stress” is also done by takeaway apps, a cook, frozen food, or a familiar recipe. Each is a rival for the same moment. This perspective sharpens competitive analysis and positioning.

The forces behind a switch#

JTBD practitioners often describe a buying decision as a balance of forces. Two push towards change; two hold the customer back. A purchase happens only when the forces for change outweigh the forces against it.

This framing is practical. Many marketing programmes pour effort into pull, describing benefits, while the real barrier is anxiety or habit. Reducing switching risk can matter more than adding another benefit.

How to discover jobs: the switch interview#

The most widely used JTBD research method is an interview with someone who recently switched to (or away from) a product. You reconstruct the timeline of their decision, from the first moment they thought something needed to change to the moment they bought and started using it.

• Interview recent switchers. Memories fade quickly; aim for people who decided recently.
• Ask about events, not preferences. “Where were you when you decided?” works better than “What features matter to you?”
• Dig for the trigger. The moment that turned passive dissatisfaction into active searching is gold for marketing timing.
• Listen for the language. Customers’ own words make the best headlines and ad copy.
• Include people who chose not to switch. They reveal the anxiety and habit forces most clearly.

Writing job statements#

A common format is: When [situation], I want to [motivation], so I can [expected outcome]. The situation matters most, because it tells you when the job arises and therefore when to be present.

Illustrative examples, not research findings: “When I am expanding into a new city, I want to know which neighbourhoods will respond to my offer, so I can avoid wasting the launch budget.” Or: “When my team grows past a handful of people, I want a way to see who is doing what, so I can stop chasing updates on WhatsApp.”

Using JTBD in marketing#

• Positioning. Define your category and competition by the job. See brand positioning.
• Messaging. Lead with the situation and the progress, in the customer’s words.
• Timing. Target the trigger moments when the job becomes urgent.
• Content. Create resources for each stage of the switch timeline. See customer journey mapping.
• Offers. Design trials, guarantees and onboarding to reduce anxiety and habit.
• Segmentation. Group customers by job, not only demographics. JTBD complements buyer personas.

JTBD in B2B buying#

In business purchases, several people are involved and each may be hiring the product for a different job. The user wants to stop doing a tedious task. The manager wants visibility over the team. The finance head wants predictable costs. A purchase happens when the offer does enough of each person’s job, and when the anxiety of the most cautious person is addressed.

Map the jobs per role, then check that your messaging and proof cover each. Often the missing piece is the job of the person who signs off, whose main concern is avoiding a bad decision. Content that helps them justify the choice internally can unblock deals that benefits alone will not.

Limits and criticisms#

JTBD is a lens, not a complete strategy. It can become abstract if teams debate job statements without testing them. It is also easy to do poorly: interviews that drift into feature wish lists produce product requests, not jobs. And there are several schools of practice with different vocabularies, which confuses newcomers. Use the core idea pragmatically and test what it suggests.

Published by Fabulous.Media, a network of specialist marketing agencies. Updated 9 October 2026. Platform features change often; check current official documentation before acting on platform-specific detail.