Ehsan Jahandarpour
Jobs to Be Done (JTBD)Pre-Seed

Jobs to Be Done (JTBD): JTBD for New Product Development

Using Jobs to Be Done research to identify unmet needs and design new products that customers are already looking to hire.

How to Apply

1

Interview potential users about their current solutions and frustrations.

2

Find jobs that existing solutions do poorly — this is your opportunity.

3

Detail the functional, emotional, and social outcomes the job requires.

4

Build product features that directly address job specifications.

5

Test: does the product get "hired" for the intended job in user tests?

Expected Outcomes

  • ✓ Products built for real demand
  • ✓ Higher product-market fit probability
  • ✓ Clear value proposition from day one

Real-World Examples

Common Pitfalls

⚠Building features instead of solving jobs
⚠Confusing demographics with job segmentation

Ehsan's Insight

JTBD for new product development has one non-obvious insight: the "struggling moment" matters more than the "desired outcome." Most product teams using JTBD focus on what customers want to achieve. The breakthrough comes from understanding the specific moment of frustration that triggers the search for a solution. Clayton Christensen's milkshake study is the canonical example — the job was not "consume a breakfast food" but "make a boring commute less tedious while keeping one hand free." Basecamp built Hey (email) not around "manage email better" but around the struggling moment of "opening your inbox and feeling overwhelmed before your day even starts." Find your struggling moment by asking: "Take me back to the day you started looking for a solution. What happened that morning?" The struggling moment dictates which features matter and, critically, which do not.

EJ

Ehsan Jahandarpour

AI Growth Strategist & Fractional CMO

Forbes Top 20 Growth Hacker · TEDx Speaker · 716 Academic Citations · Ex-Microsoft · CMO at FirstWave (ASX:FCT) · Forbes Communications Council

Frequently Asked Questions

When should I use Jobs to Be Done (JTBD) for new product development?
Using Jobs to Be Done research to identify unmet needs and design new products that customers are already looking to hire.
What are the steps in JTBD for New Product Development?
There are 5 key steps: Research target market struggles, Identify underserved jobs, Define job specifications, Design for the job, Validate with job test.
What results can I expect from JTBD for New Product Development?
Products built for real demand. Higher product-market fit probability. Clear value proposition from day one.
What are common mistakes with JTBD for New Product Development?
Building features instead of solving jobs. Confusing demographics with job segmentation.
Can I combine Jobs to Be Done (JTBD) with other frameworks?
Yes, Jobs to Be Done (JTBD) works well with other growth frameworks. Many teams combine it with AARRR metrics and ICE scoring for a comprehensive growth system.