UX STRAT USA 2017 workshop by Jim Kalbach, Author, Head of Customer Success, MURAL

1. Practical Jobs To Be Done:
A Way Of Seeing

2. @JimKalbach

3. 1. Discover
2. Define
3. Design
4. Deliver
Develop

4. AGENDA
1. What are JTBDs? 30 minutes
2. Discover value 60 minutes
Break 15 minutes
3. Define value 45 minutes
4. Design value 30 minutes
5. Deliver value 15 minutes
6. (Re)developing value 15 minutes

5. 1. WHAT ARE JTBDs?

6. “People don’t want a
quarter-inch drill, they
want a quarter-inch hole.”
THEODORE LEVITT

9. JOBS TO BE DONE (JTBD)
Why people “hire“ a
product or service
Progress toward a goal
Process of solving a
problem or evolving

10. WHAT‘S THE JTBD?

11. WHAT‘S THE JTBD?

12. WHAT‘S THE JTBD?

13. HIERARCHY OF JOBS
Big
Small
Micro
Values

14. MAPPING

16. DON‘Ts
 Reference technology
 Indicate solutions
 Mention specific methods
 Don‘t use AND or OR
RULES FOR FORMULATING JTBD
DOs
✓ Start with a verb
✓ Focus on outcome of a process
✓ Indicate context / granularity
✓ Represent user‘s perspective

17. SCENARIO
You work for a software company called “Evensity“ that is developing a service
that enhances a conference attendee‘s experience. You‘re launching a new
solution that will eventually be used before, during and after an event by your
customers.
There are many aspects of attending events you could focus on. Your team is
looking to prioritize capabilities and focus the over strategic direction to get
started.
Target job executor Conference goer
Core functional job Attend an industry event to continue professional
development

19. Research and Observations

20. EXERCISE: FORMULATE JTBD
INSIGHT JTBD
You learned that getting permission from a boss
to attend a conference is a big hurdle
People expressed that there are so many
conferences these days, they don’t know which to
attend
You observed people taking photos of slides with
a mobile phone
Many people said that it’s hard to remember
references while a presenter is speaking
Attendees often complained about poor wifi at
conference venues
People worked on PowerPoint presentations
summarizing their experience for colleagues back
at the office who couldn’t attend
1

21. “Job to be done”

22. 2. DISCOVER VALUE

23. 1. Define job executor
2. Formulate core functional job
3. Conduct interviews
4. Extract JTBD
5. Create Job Map
6. Prioritize desired outcomes
Based on ODI by Tony Ulwick

24. 4. EXTRACT JTBD
Look for verbs

25. 5. MAP JTBD
via Tony Ulwick

26. NOT A CJM

27. NOT A CJM

28. 2EXERCISE: CREATE JOB MAP
PART 1
Individually, read ONE interview and comb for JTBD. Write ~5
functional jobs on individual sticky notes beginning with an
action verb.

29. 2EXERCISE: CREATE JOB MAP
PART 1
Individually, read ONE interview and comb for JTBD. Write
functional jobs on individual sticky notes beginning with an
action verb.
PART 2
a. As a group, map your JTBD to “before,“ “during,“ and “after“
b. Then map to the 8 standard phases of a job map and re-label:
Define, locate, prepare, confirm, execute, monitor, modify, conclude.

30. BEFORE DURING AFTER

31. BEFORE DURING AFTER
Define Locate Prepare Confirm Execute Monitor Modify Conclude

32. BEFORE DURING AFTER
Decide Plan Prepare Attend Network Record Summarize Report

33. SEE ALSO: Switch Method
Jobs-to-be-Done: The Handbook

34. Switch Timeline

35. 3. DEFINE VALUE

36. Minimize the time it takes to summarize notes from an event
Minimize
Reduce
Lower
Maximize
Increase
Raise
Time
Ability
Effort
Chances
Likelihood
DIRECTION UNIT QUALIFIER
DESIRED OUTCOMES
No “ands” or “ors”

37. 1. Maximize the ability to allow visitors in during the day
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Very low Very high
A. How important is this to you?
B. How well is this currently being satisfied?
DESIRED OUTCOMES SURVEY
2. Reduce the chance of intruders getting in
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Very low Very high

38. 9
Importance
3
Satisfaction
Satisfaction Gap
6
Importance + Satisfaction Gap = Opportunity score
9 + 6 = 15

39. FIND OPPORTUNITIES
Satisfaction
Importance
TONY ULWICK

40. 3EXERCISE: PRIORITIZE
PART 1
Individually, formulate desired outcome statements based on
the job map. Write about 3 each on separate sticky notes.
Examples:
• Increase the chance of getting permission from boss
• Maximize the amount of relevant information captured during event
• Minimize the time it takes to summarize notes from an event

41. 3EXERCISE: PRIORITIZE
PART 1
Individually, formulate desired outcome statements based on
the job map. Write about 3 each on separate sticky notes.
PART 2
As a group, prioritize the desired outcomes on a 2x2 grid:
satisfaction vs importance

42. Satisfaction
Importance

43. Satisfaction
Importance

45. 4. DESIGN VALUE

46. DON‘Ts
 Reference technology
 Indicate solutions
 Mention specific methods
 Don‘t use AND or OR
RULES FOR FORMULATING JTBD
DOs
✓ Start with a verb
✓ Focus on outcome of a process
✓ Indicate context / granularity
✓ Represent user‘s perspective

47. DESIGN VALUE
Job Stories
Alan Klement, “Replacing The User Story With The Job Story”

48. #2 – DESIGN FOR THE MARKET

49. 4EXERCISE: WRITE JOB STORIES
PART 1
As a group decide on a desired outcome that has the most
potential for Evensity. Locate where that would fall on the job
map.
Write as many job stories as you can, getting more and more
granular as needed.
BONUS: Sketch a version of the solution from the job stories

50. 5. DELIVER VALUE

51. WHAT‘S THE JTBD?

52. WHAT‘S THE JTBD?

53. SPEAK TO THE MARKET
Shift language to reflect JTBD
BEFORE
Our conference software features integrations
with professional networking platforms.
AFTER
Connect with like-minded people to increase
your professional network

54. Functional job (1)
Desired outcome
Situation &
Motivation
Functional job (2)
Emotional job
Social job

55. 5EXERCISE: SPEAK TO THE MARKET
PART 1
Compose a few marketing messages for Evensity that highlight
different jobs to be done
PART 2
Write a help desk article for a key feature you‘re focusing on
using the JTBD pattern.

56. 6. (RE)DEVELOP VALUE

57. WHAT IS A MARKET?
T.A.M.

58. WHAT‘S THE JTBD?

59. WHAT‘S THE JTBD?
“If you can’t identify an exit
strategy, you can’t identify
your market”
Michael Boysen

60. Disruption
Sustaining
WHAT IS “DISRUPTION“?
Lower performance:
Cheaper
Easier
Quicker
Convenient
PERFORMANCE
TIME
MARKET
DEMAND
LOW
HIGH

61. Encyclopedias Wikipedia
Book stores Amazon
CDs MP3
Film photography Digital photography
Premium airlines Budget airlines
Rental cars Car sharing
Telephone VOIP

62. GoToMeeting gets high-definition
video conferencing
chamilton Aug 2, 2011 - 5:00 AM CDT

64. Skype for business

65. The greatest competitor [in tax
software] … was not in the
industry. It was the pencil. The
pencil is a tough and resilient
substitute. Yet the entire industry
had overlooked it.
Quoted in: The Myths of Innovation, SCOTT BERKUN, 2007
SCOTT COOK
Founder of
Intuit

66. WHAT MARKET ARE YOU REALLY IN?

67. WHAT MARKET ARE YOU REALLY IN?

68. WHAT MARKET ARE YOU REALLY IN?

69. WHAT MARKET ARE YOU REALLY IN?

70. JTBDs give designers a way of
capturing insight that leverages our
skills to help businesses succeed.

71. RESOURCES

74. Danke schön!
@JimKalbach
Jim.Kalbach@Gmail.com
www.experiencinginformation.com