Jobs to Be Done (JTBD) in Growth Strategy: Positioning Based on Real User Motivation

Introduction: Why Growth Depends on Understanding Real Motivation

Most companies position their product based on what it does. Features, pricing, integrations, packages. But growth does not begin with the product, it begins with the customer. More specifically, with what the customer is trying to achieve in their own life or business. That is where the Jobs to Be Done (JTBD) framework comes in.

JTBD is not about segmenting people by demographics or personas. It is about uncovering the underlying progress someone is trying to make. I use this framework in almost every strategic growth project, because it forces me to stop thinking like a marketer and start thinking like the user.

What Is a Job to Be Done?

A job is the progress a user wants to make in a specific situation. It often includes functional needs, emotional drivers, and social context. It is not "I want a CRM." It is "I want to stop missing follow ups so I do not feel like I am dropping the ball with important leads."

This distinction matters. Because when you speak to the job, not the category, you cut through noise. You make people feel seen. You position the product as the answer to something they already care about.

The Job Formula

I often frame jobs using this structure:

When I [situation], I want to [motivation], so I can [expected outcome].

For example:

"When I have too many tabs open and lose track of tasks, I want a simple way to capture everything, so I can clear my head and focus."
"When I am shopping for a gift last minute, I want to find something that feels personal, so I do not look like I forgot."

This structure forces specificity. It moves you from category thinking ("project management software") to job thinking ("help me feel in control").

How I Uncover Jobs to Be Done

I start with actual user stories. Not survey answers, but real decision journeys. I look for people who:

Just bought or signed up
Just churned
Just switched from a competitor

I then ask:

What happened the moment they realised they needed something?
What had they tried before that failed?
What nearly stopped them from buying?
What pushed them over the edge?

These stories reveal non obvious triggers. I often find that the reason people convert is not what the product team assumed.

Practical Example: SaaS Remote Access Tool

For a client selling a remote access tool, the original assumption was that IT managers cared about security and permissions. But interviews showed the real job was:

"I need to solve this issue for the CFO while I am on holiday so I do not get blamed for a delay."

Suddenly, the copy shifted to speed, access from anywhere, and peace of mind. Conversion jumped 23% in the first month.

Practical Example: eCommerce Gift Shop

For a gift retailer, the assumed job was "find a nice present." But customer interviews revealed:

"I want to look thoughtful without spending hours browsing."

We redesigned the homepage around curated gift guides by recipient type and occasion. Time to purchase dropped by 40% and AOV increased.

Turning Jobs Into Positioning

Once I understand the job, I rebuild the positioning around:

The specific moment of struggle
The motivation to resolve it
The existing options (and why they fail)
The new outcome they want

This informs the:

Homepage copy: Leading with the struggle, not the feature
Ad headlines and targeting logic: Matching intent at moment of search
Onboarding flow: Guiding users to their first success moment
Feature framing: Explaining features in terms of jobs they serve

Before and After: SaaS Homepage

Before:

"Project management software for teams."

After:

"Stop guessing what your team did today. Get clarity in one view."

This speaks to the job: reducing uncertainty and restoring confidence.

JTBD and Feature Design

Jobs do not just drive messaging. They drive product development. I often work with clients to:

Prioritise features based on job alignment, not internal preference
Reorder onboarding to match job urgency
Remove features that distract from the core job

Practical Example: Productivity App Onboarding

A productivity app had too many feature tutorials at sign up. JTBD interviews showed users were trying to "clear their inbox before the day gets out of hand."

We stripped the flow back to one quick win: inbox zero. Deeper features moved to later stages.

Result: Day 7 engagement rose by over 25%.

Jobs Are Always Contextual

The same person may have different jobs in different contexts. This is why persona based marketing often fails.

For example:

A founder looking for accounting software in April wants to file taxes fast
The same founder in August wants cashflow forecasting

The product is the same. The job is different. This affects which features you highlight, what copy you use, and what urgency you create.

Contextual Targeting Table

Context	Job	Messaging Focus
Tax season	File fast, avoid penalties	Speed, compliance, done for you
Funding round	Look professional to investors	Reports, forecasts, clean books
Slow period	Understand cashflow	Visibility, planning, alerts

Each context gets different landing pages, ads and email sequences.

JTBD in Paid Acquisition

In paid campaigns, JTBD helps me segment by trigger, not just demographic.

Instead of running broad ads for "email marketing platform," I target:

People switching tools due to deliverability issues
First time founders launching a newsletter
eCommerce operators with cart abandonment problems

Each one has a different job. I write a different ad for each. This increases click through rate, lowers CAC, and improves post click conversion.

Practical Example: Email Platform Ad Segmentation

Segment	Job	Ad Angle
Switchers	"My emails are landing in spam"	"Deliverability that actually works"
New founders	"I need to start a list from scratch"	"Launch your first email in 10 minutes"
eCommerce	"I am losing abandoned carts"	"Recover 15% of lost sales automatically"

Each segment gets its own landing page, too.

How I Use JTBD Across Growth Strategy

Jobs to Be Done affects:

Copywriting
Feature roadmap
Lead magnet design
Landing page structure
Ad segmentation
Email sequences

It helps me make every part of the journey feel deliberate. Nothing generic. Nothing vague. Just clear, sharp resonance.

Final Thought: Growth That Feels Like Help

When you use JTBD properly, marketing stops feeling like marketing. It feels like help. Because the user thinks:

"That is exactly what I am trying to do."

That is when they click. That is when they sign up. That is when they stay.

I can help you uncover the real jobs your users are trying to do, and build strategy around that. Because growth is not just about traffic or tactics. It is about understanding what people are already trying to fix, and showing them that you are the one who gets it.