AskCraftThe same person can have different jobs to be done
On a weekday, a reader needs dinner from whatever is already in the fridge. On a weekend, the same reader will happily spend an hour learning how sourdough works. Age, income and location have not changed. The situation and the desired outcome have.
Jobs to Be Done examines the progress someone wants to make in particular circumstances. That progress can be practical, emotional or social. A blog is one possible way to make it happen.
A useful sentence is still a hypothesis
When I get home late and hungry, I want to decide what to eat quickly, so I can eat without another decision or shopping trip.
This is an illustrative hypothesis, not a finding about an audience. Compare it with actual episodes: when someone searched, what they considered and what they finally did. “I want useful content” does not provide that foundation: it leaves the intended outcome undefined.
Your alternative may not be another blog
Dinner alternatives include delivery, a familiar meal or asking someone at home. Comparing only other creators hides why a person abandoned recipes altogether. Ask: “What else could you have done that evening? What did you choose?”
Turn the idea into an editorial task
- Name the decision, such as reorganising navigation or choosing a new series.
- List possible situations in which content is used.
- Find people who have actually experienced those situations.
- Reconstruct their actions and retain differences between accounts.
- Prototype content for one job and check whether it helps people complete it.
Demographics can still matter to context or eligibility. They simply do not replace an explanation of choice. Finding a job also does not tell you how common it is.
Your working document: situation → desired progress → alternatives → interview question. This is more useful than a list of abstract interests.
Definition: Christensen Institute. Examples here are illustrative.