People hire products to make progress. Write the job, not the persona bio.
Jobs to be done (Christensen / Ulwick / job stories) asks what progress the buyer is trying to make when they “hire” you. A persona describes who they are. A job describes the situation, motivation, and expected outcome. B2B teams need both: ICP for who to sell to, JTBD for the trigger that starts the search.
When [situation], I want to [motivation], so I can [outcome]. The situation is the trigger. The outcome is measurable. “Be more efficient” is not a job.
Same SignalAI motion — the job is why the VP took the meeting.
SignalAI
| Field | Filled |
|---|---|
| When | two quarters behind quota and the forecast is gut feel |
| I want to | see which accounts will actually convert this month |
| So I can | point AEs at meetings instead of activity theater |
Ask what they tried last and what changed the week they started looking.
A second trigger is a second story. Do not mash them.
The job becomes the need slot. Pains and alternatives come from the same interviews.
Personas for who. Jobs for why now. You need both. See the glossary entries.