In this episode of The Product Handbook, we dive into the Jobs to Be Done (JTBD) framework — a powerful lens for product innovation that focuses on what your customers are actually trying to achieve, not just what they say they want.

You’ll learn:

• The core idea: customers “hire” products to do specific jobs — functional, emotional, or social

• The difference between JTBD-A (Activities) and JTBD-P (Progress) — and why it matters for designing the right solution

• How legendary examples like McDonald’s milkshakes and Netflix applied JTBD thinking to out-innovate competitors

• Interview techniques and research tips to uncover unmet needs and hidden motivations

• A mental model to help you remember the JTBD flow — so you can confidently bring it into discovery sessions or interviews

Whether you’re building a new feature or exploring a pivot, JTBD gives you the mindset to stop building for personas — and start building for progress.