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InsightHunt

Hunt the Insights

B

Bob Moesta

Episode #37

Co-founder and CEO

The Rewired Group

Execution

📝Full Transcript

14,383 words
Bob Moesta (00:00:00): I think one of the biggest misconceptions around Jobs to Be Done is this notion that it's pain and gain as opposed to context and outcome. When you hear somebody's story and it seems irrational, like we'll have people go, "Oh my God, that's an anomaly. That doesn't happen." But what you realize is that the context makes the irrational rational. So the moment you hear a story, you go, "I can't believe that," nine times out of 10, it's because you don't have the rest of the story. And so part of it's being able to understand the rest of that context that would drive somebody to say, "Why would somebody cut their arm off?" Well, if they're in this situation and this and this and this, there's nobody who would say they want to cut their arm off, but in certain situations you'll do it. And so that's what we're trying to do is find, where will people change behavior? Lenny (00:00:38): Welcome to Lenny's Podcast where I interview world-class product leaders and growth experts to learn from their hard-won experiences building and growing today's most successful products. Today my guest is Bob Moesta. Bob is the co-creator of the Jobs to Be Done Framework alongside Clay Christensen. And as you'll hear at the top of our conversation, is maybe the most anticipated guest I've had based on the LinkedIn response. Bob has started eight companies and is currently the co-founder and CEO of the Rewired Group, and currently spends his time helping companies of all sizes unlock hidden insights and create successful products and services. (00:01:12): In our conversation, we get deep into all aspects of the Jobs to Be Done framework. What is it, how to apply it to your product, when it's not a good fit, how to interview customers to get accurate insights into their struggles, plus examples of how Jobs to Be Done works for zero to one products and a ton more. Thank you to everyone who suggested questions and topics for our conversation. Enjoy my chat with Bob Moes...

📚Methodologies (4)

Execution

While often framed as 'Quests' in career development, this methodology is grounded in the 'Four Forces of Progress' discussed in the episode. It frames a career switch not as a random event but as a system of four opposing forces: the Push of the current situation and the Pull of the new solution (promoting change) versus the Habit of the present and the Anxiety of the new (inhibiting change).

Core Principles

  • 1.Push (F1): The struggling moment in the current situation that prompts a search.
  • 2.Pull (F2): The attraction to a new outcome or improved state.
  • 3.Anxiety (F3): The fear of the unknown or 'anxiety of the new' regarding the switch.
  • +1 more...

"If F1 and F2 are not greater than F3 and F4, they're not going to move."

#career#quests#execution
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Execution

This framework breaks down the 'energy' required to make progress into three distinct dimensions. When prototyping a role or product, one must solve not just for functional needs but for the complete energy profile of the user.

Core Principles

  • 1.Functional Energy: The logistical time, space, effort, and knowledge required.
  • 2.Emotional Energy: The internal feelings (e.g., frustration, desire for balance, fear).
  • 3.Social Energy: How the choice affects how others perceive the user (status, respect, acceptance).

"There's functional energy... emotional energy... and social aspects, how I want others to perceive me."

#energy-based#prototyping#execution
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Execution

A method for interviewing to uncover the true 'story' behind a career or purchase decision. It acknowledges that people speak in layers and requires an 'interrogation' approach to peel back superficial answers to reach the causal context.

Core Principles

  • 1.Layer 1 (Pablum): Polite, safe, automated answers ('It was good').
  • 2.Layer 2 (Fantasy/Nightmare): Exaggerated best/worst case scenarios used to justify decisions.
  • 3.Layer 3 (The Story): The actual context, struggle, and irrational trade-offs that drove behavior.

"In the first five minutes... they're going to tell you the Pablum layer... then the fantasy/nightmare layer."

#pixar#career#narrative
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Execution

This methodology treats hiring (and being hired) as a purchasing process involving a distinct timeline of behavioral change. It moves beyond 'pain and gain' to map the six phases a candidate goes through before, during, and after accepting a role.

Core Principles

  • 1.Hiring is a timeline, not an event.
  • 2.Candidates (and buyers) move from 'First Thought' to 'Ongoing Use'.
  • 3.You must meet the candidate where they are in the timeline (e.g., Passive vs. Active Looking).

"The buying process literally has different phases... First thought, passive looking, active looking, deciding, first use, and ongoing use."

#jobs-to-be-done#hiring#execution
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