JTBD (Jobs-to-Be-Done)

JTBD's underlying methodology was developed by Strategyn's Tony Ulwick in the 1990s, and Clayton Christensen popularised the 'jobs to be done' phrasing in his 2003 book *The Innovator's Solution*. The reframing is small but powerful: customers don't buy products, they hire them to get a job done. With that lens your competitive set shifts and your messaging axis sharpens.

The classic example is McDonald's milkshakes. Asking 'what job is the milkshake hired for' (not 'why do people buy them') revealed that morning commuters were hiring it for a one-hand, screen-friendly companion to a boring drive — making bagels and bananas the real competitors, not other shakes.

JTBD is powerful for copy because it shifts the centre of gravity from features to motivation. 'Automate reports in 5 seconds' is feature copy. 'End the Monday morning reporting dread' is JTBD copy — and almost always the higher-converting line.