Get the Job Done Right: The Prompt Recipe For Product Innovation

Read time: 4 mins

Why Am I Here?

Welcome to Cyborg Marketer, your weekly guide to brand growth mastery. Ready to crack complex concepts with AI and unique ChatGPT prompts? Let’s dive in.

Growth Spotlight

Remember when reusable bottles were just... bottles? Enter Chilly's, who transformed them into lifestyle accessories that shouted, "I care about the planet!" They went from a humble start to a whopping £31.5m in sales by 2019.

Similarly, upon seeing a corded vacuum, Sir James Dyson envisioned a world of cordless cleaning freedom. The result? Dyson's sales jumped from £3.5 billion to a staggering £4.4 billion in a year.

Think they’ve got some secret sauce?

Nah, they just used the Jobs-To-Be-Done framework to tap into the heart of customer desires and develop products customers wanted1.

And if they can do it, so can you.

The JTBD Lowdown

Now, let's demystify JTBD. At its core, it's about understanding the deeper 'jobs' your customers hire your product to do. It's not just about what it does (functional), but how it makes them feel (emotional):

Dyson

• Functional Job - "Hey, vacuum, clean my floor!"

• Emotional Job - "Make me feel like the ruler of a spotless kingdom!"

Chillys

• Functional Job - “Hey, bottle, keep my latte lava-hot!”

• Emotional Job - “Turn me into an eco-warrior, but make me feel stylish!”

Think of JTBD as the magnetic pull that keeps your customers orbiting around your brand, boosting retention and LTV. Plus, it's like having insider info on what they really want, guiding product development.

Unlocking the JTBD Magic for Product Innovation

Alright, marketing cyborgs, ready to turn this JTBD wisdom into actionable steps? Let's roll:

1. Job Interviews (Not the Hiring Kind!): What are customers really trying to achieve with your product? Dive deep with interviews, get a broader understanding with surveys, and glean quick feedback from reviews2

2. Craft Products that Resonate: Use the insights you've gathered to design products that not only meet functional needs but also evoke the right emotions3.

3. Stay in the Loop: The JTBD framework isn't a one-time thing. As the world spins, customer needs evolve. Keep your ear to the ground, adapt, and ensure your products always hit the mark.

ChatGPT Brainstorms

To effectively apply JTBD, it's crucial to analyze customer insights. While I'm using customer reviews for this prompt, remember:

1. Reviews may not tell the whole story. Deep insights often come from customer interviews and surveys.

2. 2-3 star reviews are gold. They balance positive aspects with areas of improvement.

But here’s the prompt:

(You can add/remove Products from the Offerings section.)

ASSISTANT = Act as a product development expert with a deep understanding of the ecom landscape and the JTBD framework. Your mission is to uncover hidden opportunities, delve deeper into the motivations behind customer needs, and propose product ideas that cater to unmet customer needs.BRAND = BRAND NAMEPRODUCT_INFO = Industry: [INDUSTRY NAME] Target Audience: [TARGET AUDIENCE DESCRIPTION], USPs: [UNIQUE SELLING POINTS], Offerings: Product Name 1: [PRODUCT 1 DESCRIPTION] Product Name 2: [PRODUCT 2 DESCRIPTION] Product Name 3: [PRODUCT 3 DESCRIPTION] CUSTOMER_FEEDBACK = [REVIEWS, SURVEY/INTERVIEW DATA]TASK: For BRAND, please:1. Customer Feedback Analysis: Analyze the feedback from customers about BRAND products, diving deeper into the motivations, context, and emotional aspects behind each feedback.2. Drafting Job Statements: Based on the insights from the customer feedback, draft job statements that encapsulate the core functional needs and desires of BRAND customers. For each job statement, also provide: a. Contextual Understanding: Describe the circumstances or situations in which the job arises. b. Emotional Jobs: Highlight the emotional aspects customers want to feel or avoid feeling as a result of executing the core functional job.FORMAT = Ensure the analysis is structured and detailed, providing BRAND with clear insights.

Imagine we're stepping into a world where there's a fresh athletic shoe brand on the block, NaturaFit.

Let's lace up and see how this prompt plays out with some make-believe data:

GPT-4 just dropped a knowledge bomb on us: It's not just about the shoes. It's about strutting with confidence and feeling like a million bucks!

They’re solid insights, but we can always dig deeper with more data. This output's specificity was handcuffed by the limited customer reviews (I only used 5).

For the next step, we’ll have to access the internet to get current market data. You need to get the BrowserPilot plugin:

Assistant: You are a seasoned Market Insight Analyst with expertise in the [INDUSTRY NAME] industry. Combining your deep industry knowledge with Blue Ocean Strategy principles, you excel in identifying untapped market opportunities and consumer needs. Renowned for your innovative thinking and analytical prowess, you dissect competitors' offerings, pinpoint gaps, and craft groundbreaking product ideas that resonate with genuine consumer desires. Every insight and recommendation you provide is backed by credible data, ensuring [BRAND NAME] stands out in a crowded market.OBJECTIVE = Access the internet using BrowserPilot to gather insights on the features and benefits of popular competitors in the [INDUSTRY NAME] industry. Identify potential jobs customers might be hiring these products for in comparison to [BRAND NAME] products.TASK = - Competitive Analysis: Present a structured breakdown of each competitor's features, benefits, and potential gaps. Use bullet points or tables for clarity.- Product Ideas: Propose product ideas in two categories: - Iterative Innovation (Based on Customer Feedback): 5 Ideas that enhance existing products or address specific feedback from customers. - Disruptive Innovation (Based on Market Gaps): 5 Novel ideas that address broader market opportunities or gaps identified from the competitive analysis. Prioritize these ideas based on potential impact and alignment with business goals.For each product idea, provide:- A brief description.- Specific reasoning that ties back to the brand's customer needs or market gaps.- Expected outcomes from the product idea.CONSTRAINTS = - Ensure product ideas are rooted in the identified customer needs and pain points from the analysis.- Avoid suggesting products that are generic, lack a unique selling proposition, or are impractical.- Ideas should be innovative and not just minor variations of existing products.- Ensure the competitive analysis features competitors that are relevant to [BRAND NAME]'s products.- Incorporate direct quotes or specific data points from sources to add credibility to the analysis.

And voila:

Some product ideas, like the EcoRunners AquaShield, are spot-on. However, the analysis could delve deeper into consumer psychology.

The Disruptive Innovations, especially the EcoKids Series, need clearer unique selling propositions. What truly sets them apart? Materials? Design? A unique customer experience?

While the output provides a good foundation, a more detailed analysis would elevate it further.

The Bottom Line

JTBD is about more than just the product; it's the dream, the emotion, the job. But remember, the depth of your insights dictates your innovation's quality. Don't just rely on reviews; engage deeply with your customers. The richer the insights, the more transformative your innovations.

And when done right, you won’t just fill a gap in the market.

You'll create a market around the gap.

Your Mission, Should You Choose to Accept It

Dive into the JTBD world. Discover those jobs, both functional and emotional. Then, sprinkle some innovation magic. And hey, if you ever create the next big thing, remember your pal Gold here!

— Gold