Files of Jtbd case studies
wondelai/
Show the full text155 lines
JTBD Case Studies
1. McDonald's Milkshake
Situation
McDonald's wanted to increase milkshake sales. Traditional research (focus groups, surveys) gave conflicting results: "less sweet," "more chocolate," "more fruit chunks."
Job Discovery
Observation revealed that 40% of milkshakes were bought in the morning, by solo drivers, to-go.
Morning job: "When I'm driving alone to work and have a boring hour of commute, I want something to keep my hands busy, satisfy my hunger until lunch, and give me a small pleasure."
Afternoon job (different!): "When picking up my child from school, I want to be a good parent and give them a small reward, but without feeling guilty."
Competition Through Job Lens
- Morning job: banana, bagel, coffee, boredom, podcast
- Afternoon job: ice cream, candy, toy, parental attention
Solution
- Morning milkshake: thicker (takes longer to drink), with chunks (more interesting), larger, easier to buy (drive-through kiosk)
- Afternoon milkshake: smaller (sense of moderation), faster to drink (child doesn't get bored)
Lesson
The same product can serve completely different jobs. Improving the "product" without understanding the job leads nowhere.
2. Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU)
Situation
SNHU was a small college with 2,500 students. They launched an online program that exploded to 100,000+ students.
Job Discovery
Typical online student: 30+ years old, working, often with family, interrupted education years ago.
Job: "When I realize I'm stuck in my career and need a degree to advance, but I have a job, family, and little time, I want to get a degree without turning my life upside down."
Job Dimensions
- Functional: Get a degree from an accredited institution
- Emotional: Feel that I'm growing, prove to myself that I can do it
- Social: Show my family I'm setting a good example; not look like a "student" at work
Competition
- Doing nothing (most common!)
- Other online universities
- Industry certifications
- Changing jobs without a degree
Breakthrough Changes
- Onboarding: Calling applicants within minutes (not days) - reduces "can I do this" anxiety
- Personal advisor: One point of contact throughout studies - like GPS, not bureaucracy
- Credit transfer: Liberal policy for recognizing previous courses - faster to the goal
- Communication: Simplicity, no academic jargon - "we work for you, not the other way around"
Lesson
SNHU doesn't compete with Harvard - it competes with "doing nothing." The job isn't "education" but "unfreezing a stuck life."
3. American Girl
Situation
Premium doll company ($100+) at a time when competitors offered dolls for $20.
Job
Mothers/grandmothers: "When I want to have a meaningful moment with my daughter/granddaughter and pass on values, I want an experience that connects us and teaches, not just a toy."
Girls (8-12): "When I'm at an age where I don't want to be a 'little girl' anymore but I'm not yet a teenager, I want something that takes me seriously and says my interests matter."
Dimensions
- Functional: Playing with doll, reading stories
- Emotional: Feeling "grown up," understood
- Social: Ritual with mother/grandmother, belonging to American Girl "club"
Experience Integration
- Doll + book with story (context, values)
- Stores with hair salons for dolls
- Restaurants where girls eat with their dolls
- Magazine, events, community
Competition
- Not other dolls (!)
- Other "moments with daughter": trips, movies, shopping
- Other ways to pass on values: conversations, books
- Non-consumption: "I'll just buy something at the store"
Lesson
American Girl sells an experience-ritual, not a doll. That's why $100+ price makes sense - it's not a "toy" but a "moment with daughter."
4. Intuit QuickBooks
Situation
QuickBooks dominated among small businesses. Attempts to enter the "even smaller" segment (freelancers, single-person) by simplifying the product didn't work.
Job Discovery
Freelancers have a different job than small businesses.
Small business job: "Manage company finances professionally and in compliance with regulations"
Freelancer job: "When I send an invoice to a client, I want to know I'll get paid, and I don't want to feel like an amateur"
Breakthrough: Mint.com → QuickBooks Self-Employed
Instead of "stripped-down QuickBooks" - a completely new product:
- Automatic expense tracking (not manual bookkeeping)
- Bank account integration
- Simple split: business vs personal
- Real-time tax estimation
Lesson
"Simpler version of the same thing" isn't innovation. Different job requires different product, not a simplified old one.
5. Airbnb vs Hotels
Business traveler job
"When I travel for work, I want efficiency, predictability, and ability to work" → Hotel wins (standardization, wifi, desk, room service)
Family traveler job
"When we go somewhere with kids for a week, we want to feel at home, have space, cook, be together" → Airbnb wins (kitchen, rooms, locality, group pricing)
"Experience" job
"When I want to really get to know a place and feel the locality, not be a tourist" → Airbnb wins (local hosts, authentic locations)
Lesson
Airbnb doesn't compete with "hotels" - it competes for specific jobs. For some jobs, a hotel is a better "employee."
Patterns from Case Studies
1. Same product, different jobs
Morning vs afternoon milkshake - require different solutions even though it's "the same product."
2. Competition from unexpected places
- SNHU: competitor is "doing nothing"
- American Girl: competitor is "other activities with daughter"
- Milkshake: competitor is banana and boredom
3. Integration for poorly understood jobs
American Girl and SNHU heavily integrated the experience because the job was poorly served by existing solutions.
4. Emotions and social aspects often more important than functionality
- SNHU: "prove to myself I can do it"
- American Girl: "moment with daughter"
- Milkshake: "small pleasure to start the day"
5. Anti-change forces are powerful
SNHU won mainly by reducing anxiety (quick callback, personal advisor) - not by "better education."
| 1 | # JTBD Case Studies |
| 2 | |
| 3 | ## 1. McDonald's Milkshake |
| 4 | |
| 5 | ### Situation |
| 6 | McDonald's wanted to increase milkshake sales. Traditional research (focus groups, surveys) gave conflicting results: "less sweet," "more chocolate," "more fruit chunks." |
| 7 | |
| 8 | ### Job Discovery |
| 9 | Observation revealed that 40% of milkshakes were bought in the morning, by solo drivers, to-go. |
| 10 | |
| 11 | **Morning job:** "When I'm driving alone to work and have a boring hour of commute, I want something to keep my hands busy, satisfy my hunger until lunch, and give me a small pleasure." |
| 12 | |
| 13 | **Afternoon job (different!):** "When picking up my child from school, I want to be a good parent and give them a small reward, but without feeling guilty." |
| 14 | |
| 15 | ### Competition Through Job Lens |
| 16 | Morning job: banana, bagel, coffee, boredom, podcast |
| 17 | Afternoon job: ice cream, candy, toy, parental attention |
| 18 | |
| 19 | ### Solution |
| 20 | **Morning milkshake:** thicker (takes longer to drink), with chunks (more interesting), larger, easier to buy (drive-through kiosk) |
| 21 | **Afternoon milkshake:** smaller (sense of moderation), faster to drink (child doesn't get bored) |
| 22 | |
| 23 | ### Lesson |
| 24 | The same product can serve completely different jobs. Improving the "product" without understanding the job leads nowhere. |
| 25 | |
| 26 | |
| 27 | |
| 28 | ## 2. Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) |
| 29 | |
| 30 | ### Situation |
| 31 | SNHU was a small college with 2,500 students. They launched an online program that exploded to 100,000+ students. |
| 32 | |
| 33 | ### Job Discovery |
| 34 | Typical online student: 30+ years old, working, often with family, interrupted education years ago. |
| 35 | |
| 36 | **Job:** "When I realize I'm stuck in my career and need a degree to advance, but I have a job, family, and little time, I want to get a degree without turning my life upside down." |
| 37 | |
| 38 | ### Job Dimensions |
| 39 | **Functional:** Get a degree from an accredited institution |
| 40 | **Emotional:** Feel that I'm growing, prove to myself that I can do it |
| 41 | **Social:** Show my family I'm setting a good example; not look like a "student" at work |
| 42 | |
| 43 | ### Competition |
| 44 | Doing nothing (most common!) |
| 45 | Other online universities |
| 46 | Industry certifications |
| 47 | Changing jobs without a degree |
| 48 | |
| 49 | ### Breakthrough Changes |
| 50 | **Onboarding:** Calling applicants within minutes (not days) - reduces "can I do this" anxiety |
| 51 | **Personal advisor:** One point of contact throughout studies - like GPS, not bureaucracy |
| 52 | **Credit transfer:** Liberal policy for recognizing previous courses - faster to the goal |
| 53 | **Communication:** Simplicity, no academic jargon - "we work for you, not the other way around" |
| 54 | |
| 55 | ### Lesson |
| 56 | SNHU doesn't compete with Harvard - it competes with "doing nothing." The job isn't "education" but "unfreezing a stuck life." |
| 57 | |
| 58 | |
| 59 | |
| 60 | ## 3. American Girl |
| 61 | |
| 62 | ### Situation |
| 63 | Premium doll company ($100+) at a time when competitors offered dolls for $20. |
| 64 | |
| 65 | ### Job |
| 66 | **Mothers/grandmothers:** "When I want to have a meaningful moment with my daughter/granddaughter and pass on values, I want an experience that connects us and teaches, not just a toy." |
| 67 | |
| 68 | **Girls (8-12):** "When I'm at an age where I don't want to be a 'little girl' anymore but I'm not yet a teenager, I want something that takes me seriously and says my interests matter." |
| 69 | |
| 70 | ### Dimensions |
| 71 | **Functional:** Playing with doll, reading stories |
| 72 | **Emotional:** Feeling "grown up," understood |
| 73 | **Social:** Ritual with mother/grandmother, belonging to American Girl "club" |
| 74 | |
| 75 | ### Experience Integration |
| 76 | Doll + book with story (context, values) |
| 77 | Stores with hair salons for dolls |
| 78 | Restaurants where girls eat with their dolls |
| 79 | Magazine, events, community |
| 80 | |
| 81 | ### Competition |
| 82 | Not other dolls (!) |
| 83 | Other "moments with daughter": trips, movies, shopping |
| 84 | Other ways to pass on values: conversations, books |
| 85 | Non-consumption: "I'll just buy something at the store" |
| 86 | |
| 87 | ### Lesson |
| 88 | American Girl sells an experience-ritual, not a doll. That's why $100+ price makes sense - it's not a "toy" but a "moment with daughter." |
| 89 | |
| 90 | |
| 91 | |
| 92 | ## 4. Intuit QuickBooks |
| 93 | |
| 94 | ### Situation |
| 95 | QuickBooks dominated among small businesses. Attempts to enter the "even smaller" segment (freelancers, single-person) by simplifying the product didn't work. |
| 96 | |
| 97 | ### Job Discovery |
| 98 | Freelancers have a different job than small businesses. |
| 99 | |
| 100 | **Small business job:** "Manage company finances professionally and in compliance with regulations" |
| 101 | |
| 102 | **Freelancer job:** "When I send an invoice to a client, I want to know I'll get paid, and I don't want to feel like an amateur" |
| 103 | |
| 104 | ### Breakthrough: Mint.com → QuickBooks Self-Employed |
| 105 | Instead of "stripped-down QuickBooks" - a completely new product: |
| 106 | Automatic expense tracking (not manual bookkeeping) |
| 107 | Bank account integration |
| 108 | Simple split: business vs personal |
| 109 | Real-time tax estimation |
| 110 | |
| 111 | ### Lesson |
| 112 | "Simpler version of the same thing" isn't innovation. Different job requires different product, not a simplified old one. |
| 113 | |
| 114 | |
| 115 | |
| 116 | ## 5. Airbnb vs Hotels |
| 117 | |
| 118 | ### Business traveler job |
| 119 | "When I travel for work, I want efficiency, predictability, and ability to work" |
| 120 | → Hotel wins (standardization, wifi, desk, room service) |
| 121 | |
| 122 | ### Family traveler job |
| 123 | "When we go somewhere with kids for a week, we want to feel at home, have space, cook, be together" |
| 124 | → Airbnb wins (kitchen, rooms, locality, group pricing) |
| 125 | |
| 126 | ### "Experience" job |
| 127 | "When I want to really get to know a place and feel the locality, not be a tourist" |
| 128 | → Airbnb wins (local hosts, authentic locations) |
| 129 | |
| 130 | ### Lesson |
| 131 | Airbnb doesn't compete with "hotels" - it competes for specific jobs. For some jobs, a hotel is a better "employee." |
| 132 | |
| 133 | |
| 134 | |
| 135 | ## Patterns from Case Studies |
| 136 | |
| 137 | ### 1. Same product, different jobs |
| 138 | Morning vs afternoon milkshake - require different solutions even though it's "the same product." |
| 139 | |
| 140 | ### 2. Competition from unexpected places |
| 141 | SNHU: competitor is "doing nothing" |
| 142 | American Girl: competitor is "other activities with daughter" |
| 143 | Milkshake: competitor is banana and boredom |
| 144 | |
| 145 | ### 3. Integration for poorly understood jobs |
| 146 | American Girl and SNHU heavily integrated the experience because the job was poorly served by existing solutions. |
| 147 | |
| 148 | ### 4. Emotions and social aspects often more important than functionality |
| 149 | SNHU: "prove to myself I can do it" |
| 150 | American Girl: "moment with daughter" |
| 151 | Milkshake: "small pleasure to start the day" |
| 152 | |
| 153 | ### 5. Anti-change forces are powerful |
| 154 | SNHU won mainly by reducing anxiety (quick callback, personal advisor) - not by "better education." |
| 155 |
Discussion
Browse more free Claude skills.