Combining OKRs with Jobs To Be Done lets teams translate deep customer motivations into measurable objectives, ensuring product strategies target the right behavior and can be tracked as key results.
Combining OKRs with the Jobs To Be Done (JTBD) framework gives product teams a concrete way to turn customer motivations into measurable goals. By focusing on the underlying job a user is hiring a product for, leaders can set objectives that directly address why behavior happens, and key results that capture the desired outcome.
The classic milkshake example illustrates this: customers bought milkshakes on long commutes to stave off boredom and avoid early hunger. JTBD revealed the true job, while OKRs let the company set specific targets-shifting purchase timing and increasing healthy options-to test new solutions. The article shows how that insight turns into concrete objectives and measurable key results.
For technical leaders, the blend of JTBD and OKRs provides a repeatable process: discover the customer's true job, formulate an objective that aligns with business goals, and define key results that reflect observable behavior. This approach cuts through vague metrics, aligns cross-functional teams, and creates a clear experiment framework for product innovation.
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