Product Discovery 4 uses

Jobs-to-be-Done (JTBD)

Helps discover unmet needs and the context behind purchasing decisions. The Jobs to be Done framework (created by Clayton Christensen and Bob Moesta) explains why customers hire and fire products.

Name: jobs-to-be-done

Use when asked to "jobs to be done", "JTBD", "why customers churn", "prep for customer interviews", "hire and fire products", or "find real competitors". Helps discover unmet needs and the context behind purchasing decisions. The Jobs to be Done framework (created by Clayton Christensen and Bob Moesta) explains why customers hire and fire products.

What It Is

Jobs-to-be-Done is a framework for understanding customer motivation. The core insight: people don't buy products, they hire them to make progress in their lives.

When someone buys a product, they're not buying features or benefits—they're hiring that product to do a job. Understanding that job unlocks everything: positioning, messaging, feature prioritization, and competitive strategy.

The key shift: Move from asking "What do customers want?" to asking "What progress are customers trying to make?"

When to Use It

Use JTBD when you need to:

  • Understand why customers buy (not just what they buy)
  • Discover your true competitive set (often not who you think)
  • Find product-market fit for a new product or feature
  • Improve positioning and messaging that resonates
  • Reduce churn by understanding why customers leave
  • Prioritize your roadmap based on real customer progress
  • Identify new market opportunities through struggling moments

When Not to Use It

  • There's no real customer choice (e.g., employer-mandated software)
  • The purchase is pure habit with no conscious decision
  • You want to validate a hypothesis you've already decided on

Resources

Books:

  • Demand-Side Sales by Bob Moesta
  • Competing Against Luck by Clayton Christensen
  • When Coffee and Kale Compete by Alan Klement

Install via CLI

Run one command in your terminal. Works with Claude Code and other AI assistants that support the Skills CLI.

Install just this skill

Terminal 
npx skills add pmprompt/claude-plugin-product-management --skill jobs-to-be-done-jtbd

Or install all 28 skills

Terminal 
npx skills add pmprompt/claude-plugin-product-management

Manual Install (Advanced)

Create the skill file manually. Recommended for advanced users who want full control.

1

Create the skill file

Run this command to create the directory and SKILL.md file:

mkdir -p .claude/skills/jobs-to-be-done-jtbd && touch .claude/skills/jobs-to-be-done-jtbd/SKILL.md

This creates the directory and an empty SKILL.md file.

2

Open the skill file

Open the SKILL.md file in your favorite editor:

nano .claude/skills/jobs-to-be-done-jtbd/SKILL.md

Or use code .claude/skills/jobs-to-be-done-jtbd/SKILL.md for VS Code

3

Add the content

Copy the skill content and paste it into the SKILL.md file:

Then save the file. Now you can use the skill by typing /jobs-to-be-done-jtbd in your AI assistant, or it will automatically use it when relevant.

Using a different AI assistant?

Claude Code: .claude/skills/
OpenCode: .opencode/skills/

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Go Beyond Copy-Paste

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