Gym Force and our Jobs to Be Done

When talking to early customers, much of the feedback is used to refine the product and improve the value proposition. Gym Force uses the "Jobs to Be Done" (JTBD) framework to build an ad campaign and change the narrative around gym membership.

When talking to early customers in the life of a startup, much of the feedback is used to refine the product, add/subtract features, or make other adjustments as a way to improve the value proposition.

When talking to our early customers at Gym Force, I found that they were looking for more than a simple ad campaign. In fact, they wanted much more. Luckily, there's a name for that. It's called 'Jobs to Be Done' (JTBD) or Jobs theory.

Recently, after hearing a podcast with Bob Moesta, JTBD expert and Re-Wired Group founder, I was immediately excited to be able to apply this methodology with the help of our early customers. It's just a happy coincidence that he is from metro Detroit.

The "Jobs to Be Done" (JTBD) theory is a framework for understanding consumer behavior, emphasizing that people hire products or services to accomplish specific goals or tasks in their lives. This concept was popularized by Clayton Christensen, author of Competing Against Luck, and Bob Moesta, author of Demand Side Sales 101, who have deeply explored how understanding the underlying motivations and circumstances of customers can drive innovation. The Re-Wired Group specializes in applying the JTBD framework to help companies develop products and strategies that truly meet customer needs.

Gym Force is using the JTBD framework as we build our initial network. In our early stages, Gym Force is building an ad campaign centered around the independent gym owner. It goes without saying that our customers want this advertising to drive traffic to their gyms. That JTBD is an important one for sure and something our customers deserve. We will give them billboards, TV commercials, event sponsorships, whatever it takes. But in talking to them, they are also hiring Gym Force for many other jobs that go far beyond the standard product/service purchase scenario.

At Gym Force, one of our JTBD is to change the narrative. As we expand, our messaging and ad campaign will serve another purpose that will finally begin to educate a much broader population on the real benefits of joining a Gym Force facility. We believe it's our job to clear up misconceptions about injury prevalence and scalability in appealing to all ages and ability levels. We also believe it is our JTBD to grow mainstream acceptance of monthly membership pricing based on the actual services provided by the facility rather than gimmicks or tricky promotions. Our customers are also hiring Gym Force to free up their time so they can spend it doing more of what they love—helping others.

In the end, at Gym Force, we believe we have a JTBD to grow our network of gyms and to create a culture where membership of these facilities is looked at as a part of life rather than some 'fringe' activity for a small group of 'adrenaline junkies.' We envision a scenario where community-based, coaching-focused gyms will be akin to your dentist. Nobody needs to be told to go to the dentist. And if you don't like your dentist, we simply find a new one. Good dentists typically don’t have to advertise. They don't have to update their social media nor do they have to tell anyone how good they are. Gym owners should be no different. In fact, we believe independent gym owners actually have a greater impact on overall health and longevity than a dentist and deserve similar respect and credibility. It's not our job to convince people that our gyms are the best in the world at what they do. They just are. Our job is to simply tell everyone something we believe to be true and to show them where they are.

At Gym Force, there are many Jobs to Be Done. All of which will be accomplished with excitement in support of our customers. Our Jobs to Be Done therefore are much more than a theory.

They're our purpose.