Who Should Hire My Articles? #JTBD

In product land, one of the fundamental questions to ask is: "Why should somebody use our product?" - frameworks like "Jobs-To-Be-Done" (#JTBD) try helping to answer the question.

In this article, I apply the #JTBD framework to my writing. Helping myself and others understand why people should read my articles and provide an example of using the JTBD framework.

What is a "Job"?

A person's job is created by the person's desire to change their life status and become a better version of themselves. It's a process that can't be accomplished without help. So the person needs to "hire" a product to become the better version.

Imagine you want to become an influencer on Instagram. You see yourself posting stunning pictures daily and get all the attention you crave for. To become an influencer, you need to create unique content. To get this job done, you need to hire a camera, some photo editing software and probably some other tools or gadgets. All those products will help you become an influencer, your desired "better" version of yourself. And if you think about it, the products you hire for this job can vary a lot. From a smartphone camera to a DSLR, from free editing software to a subscription-based professional editing suite. It's not the camera or editing software that you buy. You buy the possibility of becoming an influencer by using all those products.

So the job is not to shoot a picture or to edit software. The job is to become an influencer.

To better understand the framework, I highly recommend reading this article by Alan Clement or getting his free book if you want to dive deeper.

Why should people hire my articles?

First off, we need to admit that people read for different reasons. Reading itself is an activity - you start, and you finish. You absorb information in written words. Reading as an activity is not a job. If someone tells you that they just like reading, that's fine. But this answer will not tell you why people choose your content.

My current and future writing is an expression of my personality. I write to sort my thoughts on a particular topic. Writing forces me to think on a deeper level. Making my thoughts and ideas accessible to others helps extract the essence. When I declare writing as an instrument to think about topics that I am personally interested in, my writing is best suited for people with similar jobs.

What are my current jobs? Those will most likely change over time but knowing the following list can be considered my goals. All of them are interconnected.

Become exceptional at product

I want to be known for having build meaningful products. I can't articulate what meaningful means to me yet. Still, I already know that I can't work on products that will not positively impact society. I need to become a one of a kind product manager. Someone with a vision who can attract the most talented people to join the journey of building and the product.

Become a successful investor

Building meaningful products will require two things: capital and time. Becoming a successful investor has two advantages. First - as a good investor, I will hopefully reach a level of wealth (capital) that allows me to a) choose what to work on and b) finance the projects to build the product I think is essential to be built. Second - by investing in companies, I can fund other products that I want to be built, but I can't work on myself.

Become a great writer

Being a clear thinker and good at communications is essential for product management and investing. By practising writing, I want to improve both—my ability to think clearly and communicate my thoughts. Also, I believe that the future of work will be asynchronous, and writing is one of the more critical skills to be a good operator in an asynchronous environment.

Become the best version of yourself

To achieve all of the above, I am constantly seeking ways to improve. Reflecting is part of the optimisation process that we are often aiming for. A written reflection allows sharing insights that might help others with similar goals.

To sum it up. My future self has built meaningful products that had a positive impact on humanity. My future self invested in companies that also make products with a positive impact on society. My future self can communicate precise and clear. My future self figured out what works well to become the best version of myself.

If you are interested in becoming great at product, investing or writing. You should consider subscribing to my newsletter. My articles will help you get the job done.