Jobs to be Done

Jobs to be Done is a framework that describes what people are trying to achieve in a given situation, rather than who they are. Product teams use it to understand why someone would choose a product and to write requirements around the progress the user wants to make.

The core ideas

The main points of Jobs to be Done:

  • Focus on the situation and motivation, not demographics
  • Describe the progress the user wants, not a feature
  • Include functional, emotional and social dimensions of the job
  • Write job stories: When [situation], I want to [motivation], so I can [outcome]

How to apply it to your product

Interview users about the last time they tried to get the job done, write job stories from what you hear, then derive MVP requirements and user flows that serve those stories.

Check your designs with Fleck

Fleck's UX Audit reviews a screen or live URL for usability, accessibility and visual hierarchy problems and returns specific fixes you can apply in the same project.

Common mistakes

  • Writing a job that is really a feature request
  • Inventing jobs without talking to anyone who has them

سوالات متداول

What is the difference between a job story and a user story?

A user story starts from a persona and a feature. A job story starts from a situation and the motivation behind it, which keeps the focus on why.