Jobs to Be Done: Context,
Not Just Pain

Bob Moesta

Co-creator, Jobs to Be Done Framework (Rewired Group)

LENNY'S PODCAST

Core Framework

The Four Forces of
Behavior Change

"The moment you hear a story and go 'I can't believe that,' it's because you don't have the rest of the story. Context makes the irrational rational."

F1: Context pushing them away from old state
F2: Pull toward new outcome or possibility
F3: Anxiety created by the new solution
F4: Habit and comfort of the present state

Understanding the Job

Context + Outcome = The Vector

Not pain and gain: But context and outcome. The situation they're in creates urgency.
Snickers vs. Milky Way: Same product category, completely different jobs, one is meal replacement (competes with protein shakes), one is emotional reward (competes with wine, brownies, runs).
Struggling moment: The moment someone decides today is the day they need to do something different.
Supply vs. demand: A struggling moment can exist for years without a solution; demand is driven by context, not by products.

The vector of progressValue = where you start + where you want to go. People don't want features; they want to make progress relative to their starting point.

SNHU Case Study

200,000+ students found through online education. Discovered not by building the product, but by studying anomalies of people already learning online, the struggling moment was "I want to advance my career but can't attend in-person classes."

The Buying Timeline

Six Phases of Behavior Change

First Thought: Initial awareness the problem exists
Passive Looking: Problem-aware, solution-unaware. Wants to learn.
Active Looking: Problem and solution-aware. Trying to frame the right approach.
Deciding: Making trade-offs between options
First Use: Initial adoption and setup
Ongoing Use: Building new habit with the solution

Autobooks Demo Strategy

Broke demos into three: one tells the problem story, one shows all alternatives, one compares specific pathways. Cut sales cycle in half with 4x conversion by meeting customers where they were, not where the team wanted them.

What People Say vs. Do

93% said they wanted Energy Star homes (cost $30k more). Zero bought it. Everyone bought finished basements instead. Never trust what they say they want, study what they actually did.

Playbook

Three Levels of Energy

Functional: Time, space, effort, knowledge needed to change
Emotional: How they feel, frustration, hope, feeling overlooked
Social: How others perceive them, "My boss will fire me if this isn't fast enough"

The condo sale secretPeople were canceling 6 weeks after buying because they couldn't figure out how to get rid of their old stuff. Raised price, included moving and 2 years storage. Sales jumped 30%. Reducing friction beats building features.

Contrarian

Jobs to Be Done Myths

✗Pain and gain define the jobINSTEAD →✓ Context and outcome do. The situation they're in makes them see value differently than you would.

✗Build it and they will comeINSTEAD →✓ A struggling moment has to exist first. Demand comes from context, not products.

✗Bitchin' means they'll switchINSTEAD →✓ "Bitchin' ain't switchin'." People complain forever but won't change unless friction drops below anxiety.

✗Ask people what they wantINSTEAD →✓ Study what they actually did. Use criminal interrogation technique, tell me the story of why, not what.

The Four Forces ofBehavior Change

Context + Outcome = The Vector

Six Phases of Behavior Change

Three Levels of Energy

Jobs to Be Done Myths

The Four Forces of
Behavior Change