GTM Zero to One: using 'jobs to be done' to focus on the right problem
And stay in love with the problem vs. the solution
Day 15 of writing daily
I’ve previously shared this: Fall in love with the problem you’re solving, not the solution. (hat tip Caroline Hill and Sujata Bhatt)
During a recent session I ran on product experimentation, a founder shared this with the group (after admitting with sincerity and vulnerability that they might have fallen in love with their solution, which I appreciated):
Founder: "The problem we're trying to fix is the lack of acclimation to adult society after high school.”
Me: "Okay, and your current product is a mobile app with video content designed to help students gain 21st-century skills, financial literacy, etc. to bridge that gap?"
Founder: "Yes, and we're inspired by Duolingo—except we're gamifying life skills instead of language learning."
😫 Problem vs. problem
Problem (with a capital P): this is the bigger problem you’re trying to address — probably better described as mission, vision, theory of change.
problem (with a lower case p): this is the problem as your user experiences it
Just because it is a problem that impacts your user (as you perceive/understand it), doesn’t mean it’s actually a problem for them (as they perceive/experience it).
💼 problem = Jobs To Be Done
This is where the Jobs to Be Done (JTBD) framework comes in. It shifts the focus to the real, often overlooked problems your customers are trying to solve in their daily lives:
When we buy a product, we essentially 'hire' it to help us do a job. If it does the job well, we tend to hire that product again. If it does a crummy job, we 'fire' it and look for an alternative.1
Coming back to the example above, reframing toward a lower case p problem using the JTBD framework:
Might high school students look for jobs to make ends meet (JTBD) or buy things they want (different JTBD)?
How does an app idea link to solving this problem and help them build 21st century skills like financial literacy?
Could you gamify the experience of helping someone go through this process:
A next step might be to build a small gamified MVP and test it to see if it resonates with some high school students.4
🧐 Some Reflection Questions
To ensure you’re solving a problem at the right altitude (not Problem):
Map the JTBD: What specific job is your (potential) product being "hired" to do?
Prioritize Urgent Problems: Are you solving a problem that users/customers perceive as a priority in their lives?
Listen and Adapt: How often do you revisit user feedback to ensure your product development aligns with solving that problem?5
Iterate with Purpose: Are you iterating based on user needs and feedback, or are you just adding features you love?
🔑 Conclusion
Falling in love with your solution can be a dangerous trap, but by focusing on the problems (not Problems) and leveraging the JTBD framework, you can ensure that your product addresses real, meaningful challenges for your users.
A great HBR article on JTBD (jobs to be done) from Clayton Christensen ← at least the second time I’ve referenced his work in this GTM Zero to One series.
Hat tip to Seth Trudeau and Routine Chaos for his great Pokemon Travelogues series about his kids getting really deep into the world of competitive Pokemon. (Seth’s other insights on creative design work, ambiguity, and product are also top-notch.)
I’m missing lots of other steps like bank accounts, ordering online vs. in person, other costs like travel, shipping, etc.
You’ll likely need to go through multiple iterations to get the core UI/UX and mechanics right (and don’t forget the parallel process of defining and figuring out your business model and GTM).
Another gem: the first rule of good listening (aka user interviews) is to look to disprove your assumptions.