Jobs-to-be-Done Product Design

When This Skill Activates

Claude uses this skill when:

• Designing new features
• Understanding customer needs
• Moving beyond feature requests
• Identifying real jobs to be done

Core Frameworks

1. Jobs Theory (Source: Bob Moesta, JTBD Co-Creator)

Core Principle:

"People don't buy products, they hire them to make progress in their lives."

The Job:

• Functional: What needs to get done?
• Emotional: How do they want to feel?
• Social: How do they want to be perceived?

2. Forces Diagram

Four Forces:

PUSH (away from current):
- Pains with current solution
- Frustrations

PULL (toward new):
- Attraction to new solution
- Expected benefits

ANXIETY (hesitation):
- Fear of new
- "What if it doesn't work?"

HABIT (inertia):
- "Current way works okay"
- Switching cost

Action Templates

Template: JTBD Analysis

# Feature: [Name]

## The Job
**When** [situation],
**I want to** [motivation],
**So I can** [expected outcome].

### Example:
When I'm planning my week,
I want to see all my commitments in one place,
So I can feel in control and not miss anything.

## Forces Analysis

### Push (Problems with Current)
- [Current pain 1]
- [Current pain 2]

### Pull (Attraction to New)
- [Desired benefit 1]
- [Desired benefit 2]

### Anxiety (Hesitations)
- [Worry 1: "What if..."]
- [Worry 2: "What if..."]

### Habit (Inertia)
- [Current habit 1]
- [Switching cost]

## Design for the Job

### Functional
[How feature helps get job done]

### Emotional
[How feature makes them feel]

### Social
[How it affects their image]

## Address Forces
- **Reduce anxiety:** [how]
- **Overcome habit:** [how]
- **Amplify pull:** [how]

Quick Reference

🎯 JTBD Checklist

Understand Job:

• Situation identified
• Motivation clear
• Desired outcome defined
• Job story written

Forces:

• Push forces (current pains)
• Pull forces (desired benefits)
• Anxiety forces (hesitations)
• Habit forces (inertia)

Design:

• Solves functional job
• Addresses emotional job
• Considers social job
• Reduces switching anxiety

Real-World Examples

Example: Milkshake Marketing (Bob Moesta)

Wrong Question: "How do we make better milkshakes?" Right Question: "What job is the milkshake being hired for?"

Discovery:

• Morning commuters: Long, thick shake for entertainment during boring drive
• Parents: Quick, thin shake to feel like good parent ("I got you a treat")

Result: Different products for different jobs

Key Quotes

Bob Moesta:

"People don't want a quarter-inch drill. They want a quarter-inch hole."

Clayton Christensen:

"When we buy a product, we essentially 'hire' something to get a job done."