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StrategyIntermediate

Jobs to Be Done Mapping

A framework for understanding why customers 'hire' a product or service — what job they're trying to get done in their lives. Developed by Clayton Christensen, JTBD shifts focus from user demographics to the functional, emotional, and social jobs customers need done. A well-mapped JTBD reveals competitive alternatives that demographics never would.

Duration
1h–2h
Group size
2–10 people
Materials
JTBD canvas template or whiteboard, Interview insights, Sticky notes
Origin
Workshop Weaver

How to run it

  1. 1

    Start from research: interviews, support tickets, churn interviews, sales call recordings. Look for the moment of 'hiring' — when did someone switch from their old solution to yours?

  2. 2

    For each key use case, map the job using the structure: Situation → Motivation → Expected Outcome ('When I [situation], I want to [motivation], so I can [outcome]')

  3. 3

    Identify the functional job (what they're trying to accomplish), the emotional job (how they want to feel), and the social job (how they want to be seen).

  4. 4

    Map competing 'hires': what was the customer doing before your product? What would they use instead if you didn't exist? (Often surprising — a spreadsheet, a consultant, doing nothing.)

  5. 5

    Identify unmet jobs: what jobs do customers need done that nothing in the market handles well?

  6. 6

    Use the job map to challenge product decisions: 'Which job does this feature serve?'

Tips

  • The best JTBD insights come from churn interviews — ask people why they stopped using your product.

  • 'Hire a milkshake in the morning' (Christensen's famous example): commuters hired milkshakes as companions for a boring commute. Demographics never would have revealed this.

  • Avoid JTBD jargon in customer conversations — ask about situations and motivations naturally.

  • One product can serve multiple jobs. Map them separately.

Variations

JTBD timeline: map the full sequence of steps a customer takes to get a job done — each step is an opportunity for improvement or disruption.

Where it fits

Product strategyInnovationMarket positioningCustomer development

Related methods

IdeationEmpathy Map
Problem SolvingPoint of View Statement
Problem SolvingUser Interview
StrategyValue Proposition Canvas
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Method descriptions on Workshop Weaver are original content written by our team, based on established facilitation practices. This method was inspired by work from Workshop Weaver.

Jobs to Be Done Mapping — Facilitation Method | Workshop Weaver