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Glossary
Customer feedback

What is Jobs to Be Done?

Jobs to Be Done (JTBD) is a framework based on the principle that customers don't buy products, but rather 'hire' them to accomplish a specific task or achieve a desired goal. It shifts the focus from user demographics to the functional, social, and emotional circumstances that drive a person to seek a solution.

When to use it

Teams use JTBD when they need to move beyond surface-level feature requests to understand the root motivations behind customer behavior. It is particularly effective during product discovery and roadmap prioritization to ensure that new features solve actual problems rather than just adding technical complexity. Use it when demographic data fails to explain why different types of users are using your product in the same way.

Example

A project management SaaS team noticed a high volume of requests for a 'mobile app' for their desktop-heavy tool. Instead of just building a mirror of the desktop app, they applied JTBD and discovered the actual job was 'quickly checking today's tasks while commuting.' By understanding this specific job, the team prioritized a lightweight 'daily agenda' mobile view with offline support and push notifications, which solved the user's primary need much more effectively than a full feature-parity app would have.

How Planet Roadmap helps with Jobs to Be Done

Planet Roadmap has a public feedback portal that lets you capture the qualitative context behind user requests to identify core 'jobs.' You can then link these customer insights directly to initiatives on your Kanban or Gantt roadmap to ensure every feature you build serves a clear purpose.

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FAQ

How is Jobs to Be Done different from User Personas?
While personas focus on who the user is (age, job title, industry), JTBD focuses on what the user is trying to achieve (the goal or 'job'). Different personas often hire the same product for the same job, making the job a more reliable predictor of behavior and success than demographic data.
Should I use JTBD for every single feature request?
JTBD is most valuable for high-impact or ambiguous requests where the underlying need isn't immediately clear. For simple bug fixes or standard UI patterns, it may be overkill; however, for any feature that significantly changes the user workflow, asking 'what job is this doing?' prevents building features that lack a clear utility.

Related terms

User PersonaUser JourneyFeature RequestVoice of CustomerProduct StrategyFeedback Portal

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