“I wasn’t at when they moved to ” It’s like interviewing a parent who bought a mattress for their child. Talking to the child to under- stand how the mattress is working out now is useful, but really you want to talk to the parent about why they bought the mattress in the first place. Unearth the main decision maker behind buying software by asking questions like: · What year did move to ? Were you there at that point? · Who decided to make that move? Are they still at the company now? What role are they in? Knowing who the other decision makers are will give you a broader picture of where you need to innovate, and how you can support jobs your product is getting dropped for. There’s more than mattresses Jobs-to-be-Done can be great for understanding why companies hire and fire products, and unearthing areas where you can innovate. But remember what works for physical products does not directly translate to software products. Purchases are multidimensional, have multiple buyers involved, and are spread across multiple timelines. By adjusting interview techniques to your own needs, you’ll have a framework you can apply to any modern software company. 18
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