Spot the Job to Be Done - Mid-Depth
Practical techniques for uncovering what users actually need.
Interview Actual Users, Not Stakeholders Who Think They Know
Action: Talk to 5-10 people who will actually use the thing, not their managers.
Script: “Walk me through the last time you [did the task]. What happened?”
Measurable: You’ve talked to actual users when you hear stories like “I tried X but it failed because…” not opinions like “users probably want…”
Red flag: If all your insights come from meetings with executives or product managers, you’re building for the wrong person.
Distinguish Between Stated Needs vs Observed Behavior
Action: Ask “Show me how you do this today” instead of “What features do you want?”
What to watch: Do they say “I always update the spreadsheet” but you see it’s 3 months out of date? That’s the real behavior.
Measurable: Record at least one contradiction per user interview (“they said X but actually do Y”).
Maxim: “Watch what they do, not what they say they do.”
Identify the “Switching Moment”
Action: Ask: “What finally made you stop using [current solution] and try something else?”
Look for: Emotional language (“I was so frustrated…”), specific incidents (“After I lost the client…”)
Measurable: You can complete this sentence: “Users switch when [specific trigger event] because [specific pain threshold crossed]”
Example: “Freelancers switch from separate calendars when they double-book a high-value client and lose the account”
Map Competing Alternatives (Including “Do Nothing”)
Action: List every way users currently solve this problem:
- Direct competitors (other apps)
- Workarounds (spreadsheets, paper, memory)
- “Do nothing” or live with the pain
Measurable: You have at least 3 alternatives documented with why each fails for your target users.
Template:
Alternative: Paper calendar
Why it fails: Can't sync across devices, easy to lose
Alternative: Do nothing
Why it fails: Cost of double-booking exceeds hassle of trackingCommon Pitfall: Assuming Your Solution Is the Job
Test: Replace your solution with a completely different approach. Does the job statement still make sense?
- “Help freelancers avoid double-booking” ✅ (could use AI assistant, virtual receptionist, or calendar)
- “Help freelancers with a calendar app” ❌ (calendar is the solution, not the job)
Measurable: Your job statement contains zero technology/implementation details.