JTBD and value proposition

JTBD describes the progress a person is trying to make in a particular situation, and the value proposition is why a product helps make it better than the available alternatives. Don’t reduce job to function and don’t articulate value in company language: rely on real triggers, tradeoffs, and selection criteria.

What is JTBD and Value Assumption?

Definitions: simple and clear

JTBD (Jobs To Be Done) is an approach that helps you understand what you really want to do. Not what buttons he presses or which features he chooses, but what task he solves with the help of the product. The task may be rational (e.g. getting to work on time) or emotional (feeling confident).

Value proposition is the reason why the user chooses a product. Simply put, how your product helps a person solve his problem and why he should choose your product, and not any other.

Why it is important for strategy

If you don’t know what task the user wants to solve and why he needs your product, any strategic plan will be a set of guesses. JTBD and value proposition are needed at a strategic level to avoid wasting resources on unnecessary features and make products with real value.

Example of practice

Marketplace furniture finds out: the user does not care about the very opportunity to buy a table, but it is important to quickly and without trouble to equip the workplace for a specific size of the apartment. The product team switches strategy: integration of the service with the selection of ready-made sets for room sizes, fast delivery and assembly on a turnkey basis. This became their strong value proposition and gave rise to revenue.

How JTBD and Value Assumption are Related

Two approaches, one challenge

JTBD shows what is really important to the user. Value proposition tells you how your product closes it better than others.

If you miss JTBD, the value proposition will be bypassing the real needs. If you come up with an abstract value proposition without JTBD, the team will go into marketing babble.

Linkage at the strategic level

At the strategic level, JTBD helps:

• Focus the product team on the real problems of the customer, not the wants of stakeholders
• Avoiding excessive functionality that no one will use

The Value proposition allows:

• Describe the benefits of the product for the customer segment in the words of the customer
• Formulate strategic priorities that are aligned with real market demands, not internal misconceptions

Example: Prioritizing features in food delivery service

JTBD’s research yielded an unexpected result: The main job a customer “hires” a service to do is to ensure freshness and delivery is just in time. It doesn’t matter how big the selection or design of the app is. The team focuses roadmap’s priorities on logistics and product verification. Slow down the release of new features, accelerate the improvement of trust – get better retention compared to competitors.

How to find JTBD and formulate a value proposition

Steps for the team

Identification of JTBD

• Interviews with users about real-world use cases
• Negative Reviews: What Is Not Solving?
• Go through not only the main (core jobs), but also related and emotional tasks.

Formulation of the value proposition

• For the user segment that wants [JTBD], our product offers [key difference] because [why believe the product].
• Check the wording on real customers – they must recognize themselves in the problem and accept the benefits.

For more information on the methods, see Strategyzer: Value Proposition Canvas and JTBD.org guide.

Example of correct application

The SaaS team for small businesses starts with a promise to “simplify accounting.” Interviews show more concrete progress: the owner wants to submit the reports on time and not be afraid of a fine. This changes not only the wording, but also the priority of the decision – autochecks, reminders of the timing and clear confirmation of successful delivery become higher. The effect is checked by activation of these scenarios, errors and retention of the target segment.

Mistakes and anti-patterns

• Describe JTBD as a simple function (“write a post”) instead of a real user’s work (“get your thoughts out quickly”)
• Duplicate the value proposition of competitors without understanding what your audience is trying to do.
• Formulate value propositions in the language of the company, not the customer
• Do not validate JTBD and value proposition with live users: paper is scarce

JTBD and Value Proposition for Strategic Prioritization

How to use direction and development planning

1. Focus on the most important JTBD segments where your product is really strong or can become a leader
2. The value proposition of each future release is how much it actually improves the execution of these JTBDs.
3. Form strategic goals through improving key JTBDs for target segments, not through the number of new features

Example of prioritization

For a business messenger, interviews reveal an important job: don’t lose context when switching between channels and teams. This formulation helps to compare integration and search with stickers or decorative features. The solution still requires verification: the job can be critical for the corporate segment and have little impact on small teams.

Metrics and indicators

The only thing missing is the vanity metric. For strategic prioritization on JTBD and value proposition, look at:

• Retention of customers, reuse
• Number of users who have completed the work (job success rate)
• LTV segments after value proposition change

The exact numbers and metrics depend on the market and the specific JTBDs, so rely on niche benchmarks or industry open-data.

Proven recommendations for a systems approach

• Review JTBDs when there is a noticeable change in segment, market or behavior, not on a formal calendar.
• Transfer the detected JTBD to strategy, roadmaps, sprint goals
• Configure feedback collection – only on the modified JTBD you will see changes in key metrics
• Evaluate each hypothesis not by complexity, but by its impact on JTBD execution and value proposition enhancement.
• Analyze your competitors from a position: how well they close key JTBDs, not just a set of features

FAQ

What is the difference between pain point and JTBD?

Pain point is the pain of the user, but not always the whole task. JTBD involves not only the problem, but also the result that the person wants.

How to know if the value proposition is weak?

If customers can’t explain why they chose your product, or often give reasons that don’t have to do with your value statement, look for errors in the value proposition.

Do I need to describe all JTBDs or just one?

Focus on the main JTBD for the segment. Secondary can be useful, but only if the first is closed perfectly.

When to review JTBD?

Every 6-12 months or when there is a significant change in the audience, market or product.

How do you connect JTBD and customer journey map?

The customer journey map reveals the user’s path, and the JTBD tells why the person is going through the journey. The card helps not to miss the micro-moments of the client.

Can I apply JTBD and value proposition to B2B products?

Yes, the methods work for B2B and B2C, but in B2B, the task cycle is usually longer and more complex.