DEFINE
Jobs to be Done
Jobs to Be Done (JTBD) helps you understand what users are really trying to accomplish, not just what they say they want. A “job” could be a task, a goal, a struggle, or a need they’re trying to resolve in work or life. By identifying these jobs, you design for progress, not just features.
WHY USE THIS TOOL?
Design for real change, not just features.
Jobs to Be Done helps you focus on the progress people are trying to make in their lives, the transformation from a “before” state to a “better after.” Instead of thinking only about what your product does, you uncover the deeper goals: saving time, feeling safe, gaining confidence, or avoiding frustration. When you design for progress, you align your solutions with what truly matters to people.
what you should know
Start With: Discovery research (interviews, observations, contextual inquiry)
End With: A set of clearly defined jobs (functional, emotional, social)
Time Needed: Several hours
Difficulty: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐(5 out of 5 – requires deep synthesis)
A quickguide to start
2. List your stakeholders. People, teams, organizations with a stake.
3. Map connections. Draw lines or symbols to show influence or relationships.
4. Group & label. Circle related groups to reveal clusters or dynamics.
helpful tips
- Don’t just list the obvious ones, think of hidden or indirect players too.
- Keep it focused: too many names can make the map messy.
- Think beyond the usual suspects, but if you’re stuck, start with customers, internal teams, sponsors, partners, regulators, influencers.
Different Ways to Frame Jobs to Be Done
Jobs to Be Done isn’t a single method, it’s a toolkit you can zoom in or out with. From quick statements to detailed maps, these approaches let you capture needs at different depths, depending on whether you’re aligning a team, exploring switching behavior, or redesigning an entire experience.
Job Statement Formula
When to use it?
Use when you need a quick, clear, and testable way to express user needs. Great for lightweight discovery, quick team alignment, or everyday projects.
What It Is?
A simple sentence structure that captures what users are really trying to achieve. It frames jobs as: When… (situation), I want to… (action), so I can… (progress).
Why Use This Tool?
It turns raw findings into one clear, memorable line. This makes it easy to check if you’re solving a real need — not just a product feature.
What You Should Know
- Start With: Discovery data or a user story
- End With: One or more clear job statements
- Time Needed: 15–30 minutes
- Difficulty: ★★☆☆☆ (2/5 – simple but thoughtful)
Quick Guide
- Spot the trigger → “When I’m hungry at work…”
- Capture the action → “…I want to order lunch fast…”
- Define the progress → “…so I can recharge and stay productive.”
- Write it all together.
- Check clarity. Does it describe a real need?
Helpful Tips
- Keep it natural, like how a user would talk.
- One job = one sentence. Shorter is better.
- Emotional and social angles often unlock the most powerful progress.
When to use it?
Use when you want to understand why users switch (or don’t switch) to a new solution. Best for analyzing adoption barriers and motivations.
💡 What It Is
A 2x2 lens that explains behavior change: the push of their old situation, the pull of your solution, plus the habits and anxieties that resist change.
✨ Why Use This Tool?
It shows the real “forces of progress” behind decisions, helping you spot what nudges adoption and what blocks it.
📌 What You Should Know
- Start With: Switching stories from interviews
- End With: A matrix of push, pull, habits, and anxieties
- Time Needed: 30–60 minutes
- Difficulty: ★★★☆☆ (3/5 – needs careful listening)
🛠️ Quick Guide
- Gather real stories of people switching solutions.
- Note the push (what frustrated them).
- Capture the pull (what attracted them to the new).
- Identify habits keeping them with the old.
- Spot anxieties that made them hesitate.
💡 Helpful Tips
- Stick to what actually happened, not guesses.
- Emotions (fear, excitement, relief) are as important as logic.
- Ask “why now?” to uncover the real trigger.
When to use it?
Use when you need to align your solution with what users truly value. Best for shaping products, services, or offers.
💡 What It Is
One half of the Value Proposition Canvas, focused on the customer. It breaks down a segment into three buckets: jobs, pains, and gains.
✨ Why Use This Tool?
It makes sure your value proposition connects directly to real user struggles and aspirations, not assumptions.
📌 What You Should Know
- Start With: A defined customer segment
- End With: A clear profile of jobs, pains, and gains
- Time Needed: 45–90 minutes
- Difficulty: ★★★☆☆ (3/5 – structured, needs synthesis)
🛠️ Quick Guide
- List jobs → functional, emotional, and social.
- Capture pains → frustrations, risks, fears.
- Capture gains → desired outcomes, delights, dreams.
- Summarize into a clear, focused profile.
💡 Helpful Tips
- Don’t confuse jobs with features, keep it user-centered.
- Add real quotes for authenticity.
- Emotional and social jobs often reveal untapped opportunities.
When to use it?
Use when you want a deep dive into a core functional job. Best for finding inefficiencies, unmet needs, or opportunities step by step.
💡 What It Is
A structured map that breaks any job into 8 stages: Define, Locate, Prepare, Confirm, Execute, Monitor, Modify, Conclude. It shows what must happen for the job to succeed.
✨ Why Use This Tool?
It gives you a full view of the job, letting you see where users struggle and where you can innovate.
📌 What You Should Know
- Start With: A clear job to analyze
- End With: An 8-step map showing tasks and pain points
- Time Needed: 1–2 hours
- Difficulty: ★★★★☆ (4/5 – requires depth and patience)
🛠️ Quick Guide
- Define the main job.
- Break it into 8 steps.
- Note what users must do at each step.
- Spot struggles, delays, or unmet needs.
- Highlight opportunities to improve or simplify.
💡 Helpful Tips
- Focus on what needs to happen, not current solutions.
- Ask “what’s the job behind the job?” for hidden insights.
- Look for small “side jobs” (unexpected uses), they often spark innovation.
RACU meets AI
Jobs to be Done
How Can AI Make RACU Easier ?
AI can be your creative partner and research assistant, ready to help you move faster and think deeper at every step of the RACU process.
For each RACU tool, we’ll share a ready-to-use AI prompt. Just copy the prompt into your favorite AI tool (like ChatGPT or Copilot) and it will guide you through the method step by step.
No need to fill out a blank form, the prompt starts the conversation and adapts to your answers in real time.
PROMPT – COPILOT, CHAT GPT
You are my assistant helping me uncover Jobs to Be Done (JTBD) for a project or challenge. Guide me step by step, asking me focused questions and proactively suggesting possible jobs when useful.
- Define the context
Ask me: “What is the opportunity, project, or challenge you want to explore with JTBD?”
→ Use my answer as the anchor. - Spot job triggers (When…)
Ask: “What situations or moments trigger the user’s need here?”
→ Summarize back and propose 2–3 alternative triggers. - Capture the action (I want to…)
Ask: “What is the user trying to do in that moment?”
→ Suggest possible variations. - Define progress (So I can…)
Ask: “What deeper progress is the user after?”
→ Suggest emotional or social angles if I only give functional ones. - Write job statements
Use the formula: “When [trigger], I want to [action], so I can [progress].”
→ Generate 3–5 variations. - Classify job types
Sort each statement into:
- Functional (do)
- Emotional (feel)
- Social (appear)
- Supporting (setup, purchase, co-creation, disposal)
- Reflect and prioritize
Ask me: “Which of these jobs feel most important and least well served today?”
→ Suggest prioritization criteria (importance × current satisfaction).
Copilot
Chat GPT