# Demand Side Jtbd Analysis

> A framework for uncovering why customers switch products by analyzing the context, outcomes, and emotional forces driving behavior. Use this when launching a zero-to-one product, diagnosing high churn, or identifying how to displace a specific competitor.

- Skill: `samarv/demand-side-jtbd-analysis` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add samarv/demand-side-jtbd-analysis`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/samarv/demand-side-jtbd-analysis/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Coding & Dev Tools
- Author: samarv (https://skillmd.com/u/samarv)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/samarv/demand-side-jtbd-analysis

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The Demand-Side Jobs to Be Done (JTBD) framework moves beyond "pain and gain" to focus on the **context** and **outcomes** that drive progress. It treats a purchase as a "hiring" decision made to solve a specific struggling moment.

## The Four Forces of Progress
To understand why someone switches from an old way (Product A) to a new way (Product B), you must map the four competing forces.

*   **F1: The Push (Context/Struggling Moment):** The specific situation making the current solution untenable. Without a push, there is no demand.
*   **F2: The Pull (Outcome/Solution):** The vision of how the new product will make life better.
*   **F3: Anxiety (The New):** Uncertainty about whether the new product will work or if it’s too difficult to learn.
*   **F4: Habit (The Present):** Allegiance to the old way and the effort required to leave it behind.

**The Equation of Change:** (F1 + F2) must be greater than (F3 + F4) for a customer to switch.

## The Discovery Process

### 1. Identify the Interviewees
Do not talk to people who "might" buy. Talk only to people who have recently made a choice.
*   **Recent Hires:** People who bought your product in the last 30–90 days.
*   **Recent Churns:** People who recently stopped using your product.
*   **Competitor Switches:** People who recently moved from a competitor's product to another solution.

### 2. Conduct the "Interrogation" Interview
Treat the interview like a criminal investigation to reconstruct the timeline of the purchase.
*   **Discard the Discussion Guide:** Don't ask a fixed list of questions. Follow the story.
*   **Find the "First Thought":** When did they first realize things weren't working?
*   **Bracket the Story:** Ask questions to narrow down the timeline (e.g., "Was it before or after the holidays?").
*   **Reach the "Edge of Language":** When a user uses a vague word like "fast" or "easy," push them. Ask, "What did 'fast' look like in that moment?"
*   **Identify the "Fire" Criteria:** Determine exactly what the user had to stop doing (fire) to start using your product (hire).

### 3. Map the Context vs. Outcome
Identify the "Irrational Rationality." If a user's behavior seems weird, you are missing the context. 
*   **Context:** "The stomach is growling, I missed lunch, and I have 3 hours of work left."
*   **Outcome:** "Absorb stomach acid and get back to work immediately."
*   **Result:** They hire a Snickers bar (meal replacement), not a Milky Way (emotional reward).

## Examples

**Example 1: Real Estate Downsizing**
*   **Context:** Retirees moving from 3,000 sq ft homes to 1,500 sq ft condos.
*   **The Struggle:** They claimed they didn't want a dining room, but they wouldn't sign the contract.
*   **The Insight:** The "Habit" force was the dining room table—it represented their family history. They wouldn't move because they didn't know where the table would go.
*   **Application:** The builder added a specific space for the dining table (even if it crowded the room) and provided 2 years of storage.
*   **Output:** Sales increased 22% by solving for the emotional friction rather than the floor plan.

**Example 2: Software Marketplace (Zero-to-One)**
*   **Context:** A social media company noticed users transacting manually on their platform.
*   **The Research:** They interviewed people who recently set up stores on eBay or Craigslist.
*   **The Forces:** They identified the "Push" (Craigslist felt unsafe) and the "Anxiety" (eBay fees and shipping complexity).
*   **Application:** They built a marketplace that leveraged existing social profiles to reduce safety anxiety and simplified local pickup to avoid shipping habits.

## Common Pitfalls
*   **"Bitchin' ain't Switchin'":** Do not build features just because users complain. People often complain about things they have no intention of changing. Only act on "struggling moments" that actually cause people to seek alternatives.
*   **The Conference Room Trap:** Never hypothesize the "Job" in a meeting room. You will always be wrong. You must extract the "Job" from real-world stories of switchers.
*   **Overshooting the Job:** Adding too many features can increase **Force 3 (Anxiety)**. If a product becomes too complex, the customer may decide the "Habit" of their old, simple way is better.
*   **Focusing Only on Supply:** Don't look at your product's technology. Look at the customer's life. A Snickers bar competes with a protein shake or a sandwich, not just other candy bars.