Jobs to Be Done Strategy Template

Twelve to fifteen interviews typically uncover 80%+ of the outcomes for a given job. After 10 interviews, new outcomes appear infrequently. If you are still hearing entirely new outcomes after 15 interviews, expand the sample. The [Product Discovery Handbook](/discovery-guide) covers JTBD interview techniques in detail.

A user story describes a desired feature from the user's perspective: "As a PM, I want to drag and drop roadmap items." A job describes the underlying progress: "Reprioritize the roadmap when business conditions change." Jobs are solution-agnostic. User stories imply a specific implementation. JTBD research generates jobs. Product development translates jobs into user stories.

Yes. In B2B, the "job performer" may be different from the "economic buyer." Map the jobs for each stakeholder role. The PM's job is to plan and communicate strategy. The VP's job is to allocate resources across competing priorities. The CTO's job is to ensure technical feasibility. Each role has distinct outcomes. Your product may serve some roles better than others.

Show customers the outcome statement and ask them to rate importance and satisfaction on a 1-10 scale. You can do this in a survey after the qualitative JTBD interviews to quantify the opportunity landscape. You do not need to show a prototype. The outcome itself is the unit of validation. The [RICE framework](/frameworks/rice-framework) helps score outcomes alongside effort estimates.

Use both, but for different purposes. Personas describe who your customer is (demographics, behaviors, attitudes). JTBD describes what your customer is trying to accomplish (the job). A single persona may have multiple jobs. A single job may span multiple personas. Use personas for targeting and messaging. Use JTBD for product strategy and prioritization. ---