The ultimate guide to JTBD | Bob Moesta (co-creator of the framework)

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Bob Moesta is the co-creator of the Jobs To Be Done (JTBD) framework, a close collaborator of Clay Christensen, and CEO and founder of The Re-Wired Group. He has helped launch more than 3,500 new products, services, and businesses and built and sold several startups himself. He is also a fellow at the Clayton Christensen Institute and a guest lecturer at the Harvard Business School, MIT Sloan School of Entrepreneurship, and Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. In this episode, we discuss:

• What Snickers and Milky Way can teach us about JTBD

• The various flavors of the JTBD framework

• Best practices for implementing the framework

• Advice on conducting interviews for B2B vs. B2C customers

• Common mistakes people make when implementing JTBD

• When not to use it

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Find the full transcript at: www.lennysnewsletter.com

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Where to find Bob Moesta:

• Twitter/X: twitter.com

• LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com

• Website: www.therewiredgroup.com

• Podcast: pca.st

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Where to find Lenny:

• Newsletter: www.lennysnewsletter.com

• Twitter/X: twitter.com

• LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com

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In this episode, we cover:

(00:00) Bob’s background

(04:04) A simple explanation of the Jobs To Be Done framework

(07:29) Struggling moments and demand

(09:51) Understanding the context behind pain points

(11:14) Reducing friction in the sales process

(14:46) How Autobooks improved their buying process and 4x’ed conversion

(16:52) The six phases of the buying process

(18:30) The JTBD interview process

(21:55) How Bob’s TBI affected his reading/writing and how he is able to write books

(22:02) Why people switch companies

(27:18) Tips for JTBD interviewing

(30:07) Why you should not have a discussion guide

(32:48) The danger of looking at the customer through the product

(33:53) First steps in applying the JTBD framework

(36:25) Signs people are ready for a change

(37:43) Bob’s “layers of language”

(40:15) Examples of companies with a broad adoption of JTBD

(43:59) The different flavors of JTBD and common mistakes to avoid when implementing it

(48:19) Bob’s work with Clay Christensen on JTBD theory

(51:05) When not to use JTBD

(53:40) Common misconceptions about the framework

(55:55) What compelled Bob to spend so much of his life on JTBD

(58:07) Three big takeaways

(59:07) Lightning round

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Referenced:

• Jason Fried on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com

• Des Traynor on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com

• Southern New Hampshire University: degrees.snhu.edu

• Paul LeBlanc on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com

• Demand-Side Sales 101: Stop Selling and Help Your Customers Make Progress: www.amazon.com

• Autobooks: www.autobooks.co

• Intercom: www.intercom.com

• Zendesk: www.zendesk.com

• HubSpot: www.hubspot.com

• The Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University: www.kellogg.northwestern.edu

• Y Combinator: www.ycombinator.com

• Michael Horn on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com

• Ethan Bernstein on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com

• Never Split the Difference: Negotiating as If Your Life Depended on It: www.amazon.com

• William Edwards Deming on Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org

• Basecamp: basecamp.com

• Sriram and Aarthi on Lenny’s Podcast: www.lennyspodcast.com

• Genichi Taguchi: www.qualitygurus.com

• Tony Ulwick on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com

• The Clayton Christensen Institute on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com

• Shape Up: basecamp.com

• The End of Average: Unlocking Our Potential by Embracing What Makes Us Different: www.amazon.com

• The Big Bang Theory on TBS: www.tbs.com

• Oppenheimer: www.oppenheimermovie.com

• Kyota massage chairs at Costco: www.costco.com

• Paul Adams on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com

• Matt Hodges on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com

• Andrew Glaser on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com

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Production and marketing by penname.co. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email podcast@lennyrachitsky.com.

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Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed.