Recipe
JTBD Interview Guide
Uncover the real job your customer is hiring your product to do.
The Core Question
“Think about the last time you switched from your old solution to ours. What was happening in your life or work that made you say, I need something different?”
This single question surfaces the push (pain with the old way), the pull (attraction to the new), and the context that triggered the switch.
Interview Flow
- 1Set the stage. “This isn't a feedback call — I want to understand your story. No right or wrong answers.”
- 2Map the before. “Walk me through a typical day before you had our product. What was the friction?”
- 3Find the trigger. “Was there a specific moment you decided to look for something else?”
- 4Explore the hire. “What did you try first? What almost made you say no to us?”
- 5Define success. “How do you know the product is working for you now?”
Probe Deeper
- ▸“You said frustrating — tell me more about that feeling.”
- ▸“Who else was involved in the decision? What did they care about?”
- ▸“If our product disappeared tomorrow, what would you lose?”
Anti-Patterns
- ✕Don't ask “What features do you want?” — that's solution space, not job space.
- ✕Don't pitch or defend the product during the interview.
- ✕Don't accept “it's just easier” — dig for the specific dimension of progress.