Productside Webinar

Mastering ‘Jobs-to-Be-Done’

A Hands-On Practical Exercise for Product Management

Date:

05/30/2024

Time EST:

1:00 pm
Watch Now:

To build on the JTBD (Jobs-to-Be-Done) framework from our recent webinar, we are offering a follow-up workshop where participants will be split into small groups. In these groups, we will run through practical exercises designed to deepen your understanding and application of the Jobs-to-Be-Done framework.

Join us and transform the way you understand and serve your customers through the power of the Jobs-to-Be-Done framework. Don’t miss this opportunity to enhance your product development skills and drive true innovation in your organization. Register now to secure your spot! 

In this hands-on session, you will: 

  • Collaborate in Small Groups: Work closely with other product managers to share insights and strategies, fostering a collaborative learning environment. 
  • Engage in Practical JTBD Exercises: Participate in exercises that simulate real-world scenarios, helping you apply the JTBD framework to identify and address actual customer needs. 
  • Receive Personalized Feedback: Get direct feedback from JTBD experts, ensuring you can refine your approach and effectively implement what you’ve learned in your own projects. 

Welcome and Introductions

Rina Alexin | 00:00–04:00
Hi everyone, and welcome to our webinar, “Mastering Jobs-to-Be-Done.” I’m Rina Alexin, CEO of Productside, calling in from Miami, Florida. It’s great to see so many international participants joining us—from Canada, Dubai, the UK, and beyond! This session is a bit different from our usual format; we’ll be running a hands-on workshop to practice Jobs-to-Be-Done theory in breakout groups.

Tom Evans | 04:01–06:30
Thanks, Rina! I’m Tom Evans, Trainer and Consultant with Productside, and I’ve been here for over fourteen years. One of my favorite topics is Jobs-to-Be-Done, and I’m thrilled to guide you through today’s mini workshop. This isn’t a new concept, but applying it effectively can be tricky. We’ll start with an overview, then move into small breakout groups to practice applying JTBD in real-world scenarios.

About Productside

Rina Alexin | 06:31–08:30
For those of you new to Productside, we were formerly known as 280 Group. We’re an outcome-driven product partner, helping teams build products people want to buy and use. We do this through consulting, training, and implementation programs tailored to your organization’s context. Our community on LinkedIn is over 60,000 strong, and it’s a great way to stay connected, share ideas, and grow your product practice.

Workshop Overview

Tom Evans | 08:31–11:00
Today’s workshop is all about practice. We’ll spend the first ten minutes introducing key concepts, then move into breakout rooms for group exercises. You’ll collaborate with 5–7 participants to identify customer jobs, pains, and gains for a given scenario. Afterward, we’ll regroup to share insights and lessons learned.

Understanding Jobs-to-Be-Done (JTBD)

Tom Evans | 11:01–17:00
So, what is Jobs-to-Be-Done? Simply put: people don’t buy your product because of your product—they buy it because it helps them achieve an outcome. It helps them accomplish a task, solve a problem, or feel a certain way.

Here’s an example. For years, I struggled with ironing shirts in hotel rooms. I thought my “job” was ironing, but when I reframed it, I realized the real job was *removing wrinkles from clothes*. That’s what mattered. Once I saw it that way, new solutions emerged—like Downy Wrinkle Releaser, a spray that achieves the same outcome without an iron.

The key takeaway? Focus on the *job*, not the product. This opens the door to innovation and new ways of solving problems.

Functional, Social, and Emotional Jobs

Tom Evans | 17:01–20:00
Jobs can be functional (“remove wrinkles”), social (“look professional”), or emotional (“feel confident”). When you identify all three, you uncover the complete customer motivation. Your product might solve one type of job well—but if it ignores the emotional context, it’s incomplete.

Example – Did Apple Create the iPod’s Need?

Tom Evans | 20:01–24:30
Here’s a question: did Apple create the need for the iPod? Most people say no—and they’re right. The job already existed: *listen to your preferred music on the go.* Apple didn’t invent the need—they just delivered a better way to achieve the job. That’s what JTBD thinking enables: innovation through understanding outcomes, not just features.

Framework: Jobs, Pains, and Gains

Tom Evans | 24:31–29:00
Let’s review the JTBD framework:
1️⃣ **Jobs:** What the customer is trying to accomplish.
2️⃣ **Pains:** Barriers or frustrations in achieving it.
3️⃣ **Gains:** Desired outcomes or benefits from improvement.

We’ll use this model in our exercise today. Each group will receive a template with these sections and a scenario—like planning a celebratory event or managing travel—and you’ll map out jobs, pains, and gains.

Breakout Exercise Instructions

Tom Evans | 29:01–33:30
In your group mural board, double-click to add sticky notes for your ideas. Use color codes if you’d like: one for functional jobs, one for emotional, one for social. Don’t focus on solutions yet—stay in the problem space. After you’re done, we’ll reconvene and discuss what came up in each group.

Group Discussion and Insights

Rina Alexin | 33:31–36:00
Welcome back, everyone! Let’s share what you discovered. I know some groups focused on weddings, others on event planning. What were your biggest insights?

Participant Discussion | 36:01–42:00
Participants shared key takeaways:
– It’s easy to slip into solution-thinking.
– Defining the *right* job is harder than it looks.
– Understanding the Persona changes everything.

Tom and Rina discussed how separating Personas clarifies different needs—organizer vs. attendee, for example. Each Persona should have its own JTBD map.

Applying JTBD to Empathy Interviews

Tom Evans | 42:01–47:00
JTBD is a great foundation for empathy interviews. You can use it to form hypotheses about customer needs before talking to them. Ask open-ended questions like, “Tell me about the last time this happened,” to uncover real motivations. And remember—if you’ve already thought about social and emotional needs, you’re halfway to empathy already.

Prioritizing Pains and Gains

Tom Evans | 47:01–50:00
When you’ve identified multiple pains or gains, ask participants to rank them: “Which of these would be most meaningful to fix?” This helps you prioritize real customer value. For a quantitative approach, use surveys to measure importance versus satisfaction—this reveals unmet needs clearly.

Q&A – JTBD in UX vs. Product Management

Participant Question | 50:01–53:00
How does JTBD differ for UX designers versus product managers?

Tom Evans | 53:01–55:30
Great question. Product managers focus on *what customers are trying to accomplish overall*, while UX designers often focus on *how customers experience the solution.* PMs stay in the problem space; UX tends to explore the solution space. But the best results come from collaboration—both roles contribute unique perspectives.

Poll #1 – How Comfortable Are You Applying JTBD?

Rina Alexin | 55:31–56:30
Before we wrap up—how comfortable do you feel applying Jobs-to-Be-Done in your work now? Many of you are feeling “somewhat confident,” which is perfect. Practice is key.

Closing Remarks

Rina Alexin | 56:31–End
Thank you for joining this experimental, hands-on JTBD session! We know the Zoom switch was unexpected, but it was worth it to see so much engagement. If you’d like a copy of our Jobs-to-Be-Done Playbook, scan the QR code on screen to enter the giveaway.

We’ll see you next week for our next webinar, “Thriving in Your First 90 Days as a Product Leader.” Until then, stay outcome-focused, keep practicing empathy, and apply what you’ve learned today to your next customer conversation.

Webinar Panelists

Tom Evans

Tom Evans, Senior Principal Consultant at Productside, helps global teams build winning products through proven strategy and practical expertise.

Rina Alexin

Rina Alexin, the CEO of Productside holds a BA with honors from Amherst College and an MBA from Harvard Business School. She is also a member of the AIPMM.
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Webinar Q&A

The Jobs-to-Be-Done framework helps product managers understand the real reasons customers buy or use a product. Instead of focusing on product features, JTBD focuses on the outcome customers are trying to achieve—what “job” they’re hiring your product to do. By applying JTBD, product managers uncover unmet needs, design more valuable solutions, and align teams around customer outcomes rather than outputs. It’s a critical skill for creating customer-centric, high-impact product strategies.
You can apply JTBD during customer interviews, market research, and prioritization workshops. Start by asking open-ended questions like “What were you trying to accomplish when you used this product?” to uncover motivations. Then, map jobs, pains, and gains to identify opportunities. Use this insight to shape roadmaps, feature sets, and messaging that resonate with customer intent—helping your product stand out and deliver measurable outcomes.
In Jobs-to-Be-Done, every purchase or decision has three layers: Functional jobs – What customers want to do (e.g., “Remove wrinkles from clothing”). Social jobs – How they want to be perceived (e.g., “Look professional at work”). Emotional jobs – How they want to feel (e.g., “Feel confident before a presentation”). Successful product teams address all three—creating products that deliver both practical utility and emotional satisfaction, improving adoption and loyalty.
Traditional personas describe who the customer is; JTBD explains why they act. Personas and user stories focus on demographics and context, while JTBD focuses on desired outcomes and progress. When combined, they create a powerful dual view—personas tell you who you’re serving, and JTBD clarifies what problem they’re hiring your product to solve. This improves both UX design and product-market fit.
In this interactive Productside webinar, you’ll learn how to: Identify customer jobs, pains, and gains. Use JTBD to uncover innovation opportunities. Conduct effective empathy interviews. Prioritize outcomes that drive business results. By the end, you’ll have actionable frameworks to apply JTBD immediately in your product planning and discovery process—helping you build products that customers love and businesses value.