Jobs to Be Done Template
Map what customers actually hire your product to do. This template includes job statements, job maps, desired outcomes, and switch trigger analysis to help your team build features that match real customer needs.
Why Jobs to Be Done matters for product teams
Most product teams collect feature requests. The problem with feature requests is that they are solutions, not problems. A customer asking for “a CSV export button” is really trying to get data into another system. Understanding the job reveals that integration, not export, is the real need.
JTBD shifts the conversation from “what features should we build?” to “what jobs are our customers struggling to do?” This reframing leads to better solutions because you are solving root causes, not surface symptoms. It also reduces the risk of building features that check a box but do not actually change customer behavior.
The template below walks you through four components of a JTBD analysis. Start with job statements to identify the core jobs, map the steps within each job, define measurable outcomes, and analyze the forces that drive switching decisions.
The JTBD template
Four components to systematically understand and document the jobs your customers need done.
Job Statement
Define the core job your customer is trying to accomplish. Use the format: "When [situation], I want to [motivation], so I can [expected outcome]." The job should be solution-agnostic. Focus on the underlying need, not how your product solves it. A good job statement remains true regardless of which product the customer uses.
Example: "When I am preparing for a quarterly planning meeting, I want to understand which features had the most impact last quarter, so I can make data-driven recommendations for next quarter's priorities."
Tips
- Keep the job solution-agnostic: no product names
- Use "When / I want to / So I can" format
- One job per statement, not a bundle
- The job should be stable over time, not trend-dependent
Job Map
Break the main job into its constituent steps. Every job follows a universal sequence: Define what is needed, Locate inputs, Prepare the environment, Confirm readiness, Execute the core task, Monitor progress, Modify as needed, Conclude. Not every step applies to every job, but walking through this sequence reveals where customers struggle.
Example steps for "prepare quarterly planning recommendations": 1. Define: Identify which metrics matter for planning. 2. Locate: Find data across analytics, customer feedback, and engineering output. 3. Prepare: Compile data into a comparable format. 4. Execute: Analyze trends and rank features by impact. 5. Conclude: Present recommendations to leadership.
Tips
- Walk through the 8-step universal job map
- Identify where customers spend the most time or effort
- Note which steps require switching between tools
- Mark steps that are error-prone or frustrating
Desired Outcomes
List the measurable outcomes customers use to judge whether the job was done well. Use the format: "[Direction] + [metric] + [context]." For example: "Minimize the time it takes to compile data from multiple sources." Outcomes should be measurable and independent of any specific solution.
Example: "Minimize the time spent switching between analytics tools and documents. Minimize the likelihood of missing a key data point when compiling quarterly results. Maximize the accuracy of feature impact attribution."
Tips
- Use Minimize/Maximize + metric + context format
- Each outcome should be independently measurable
- Outcomes are solution-agnostic, not feature requests
- Survey customers to rate importance vs. satisfaction for each
Switch Triggers
Identify the forces that push customers away from their current solution and pull them toward a new one. There are four forces: Push (problems with current solution), Pull (attraction of new solution), Anxiety (fear of switching), and Habit (comfort with the status quo). Understanding all four reveals why customers do or do not switch.
Example: "Push: Current process requires 4+ hours of manual data gathering across 5 tools. Pull: A single workspace that connects all data sources. Anxiety: Will the team adopt a new tool? Habit: The team has used spreadsheets for 3 years and knows the workflow."
Tips
- Map all four forces: Push, Pull, Anxiety, Habit
- Push and Pull drive switching; Anxiety and Habit resist it
- Collect switch triggers from customer interviews
- Address Anxiety and Habit in onboarding and messaging
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