references/canon/jtbd.md

# Jtbd

## Principle

Understand demand through the progress a person is trying to make in a specific situation, including triggers, desired outcomes, anxieties, habits, and alternatives.

## Use when

- Demographic segments do not explain why people buy.
- A product is used in different situations for different reasons.
- The team needs better interview questions, onboarding logic, or category alternatives.

## Do not over-apply

- Do not turn every interview into an abstract job statement.
- Jobs language is useful only if it changes product, message, channel, or offer decisions.

## Decision questions

- What changed that made the status quo insufficient?
- What progress was the buyer seeking?
- What anxieties delayed action?
- What alternatives were considered?
- What would make the buyer switch back or abandon the solution?

## Counterweight

Pair qualitative job patterns with behavioral, market-size, economics, and reach evidence before extrapolating.

## Sources

- `source:christensen-jtbd`