Jobs to Be Done, actually done

If you’ve ever tried to put “customer-centric” into practice and found yourself lost in a maze of data, features, and silos, this week’s episode is your reality check — and your way out.

We sit down with Georgiana Laudi (Gia), growth advisor, author of Forget the Funnel, and co-creator of the customer-led growth framework, to dig deep into the practical reality of customer experience and journey management.

Gia doesn’t just talk about Jobs to Be Done (JTBD). She shows us how to make them actionable, how to align your teams around them, and how to avoid the common pitfalls that lead to what she calls “CX debt” — that creeping misalignment between what you promise and what you actually deliver.

Cliff notes for the time-strapped

• CX is more than touchpoints: Journey maps often miss the messy, emotional, pre-awareness and post-purchase parts of the experience. Gia prefers “CX mapping” to emphasize full-spectrum thinking.

• Nobody asks for a journey map: What teams really want is a more systematic approach to growth. Journey maps are just a tool to get there.

• Jobs to Be Done are the anchor: Start with deep, qualitative research to understand what customers are trying to accomplish — then build everything (messaging, experience, measurement) around that.

• Leaps of faith matter: From hitting “start trial” to realizing product value, identify the emotional and logical hurdles customers face and design for them.

• Product vs customer centricity is a false choice: Being customer-led doesn’t mean ignoring product-led growth — it means anchoring your GTM model in what best supports the customer experience.

• AI won’t replace human insight (yet): AI can assist with analysis, but foundational customer research — 1:1, human-led conversations — is still irreplaceable.

Key Insights

1. Journey Mapping ≠ CX Mapping

Journey maps are often too narrow, starting at the first measurable touchpoint. CX mapping includes everything from the “old way” the customer struggled with, to expansion and long-term value delivery.

“Most journey maps don’t include the problem space. Or the post-sale experience — the parts that actually matter in a recurring revenue business.” – Gia

2. Operationalize with a System

Gia introduces the Customer-Led Growth framework:

• Get inside your best customers’ heads

• Map & measure their experience

• Identify and prioritize opportunities for growth

This isn’t a one-and-done project — it’s a system for continuous alignment across teams.

3. Jobs to Be Done = Strategic Focus

When everyone knows what job you’re helping the customer get done, it gets easier to segment, personalize, and improve CX. Gia recommends creating one experience map per JTBD to keep things focused and clear.

4. CX Debt is Real

If your onboarding emails are still on “Day 1, Day 3, Day 7” — you’re probably in CX debt. Most teams rely on outdated assumptions, disconnected tools, and programs that don’t reflect where the customer actually is in their journey.

“We are capable of so much more, but we’re still operating like it’s 2012.” – Gia

5. Product Marketing Should Own CX

In SaaS, Gia argues that product marketing — sitting between product, sales, success, and marketing — is the most natural steward of CX. It’s controversial, but it makes a lot of sense.

If you’re leading growth, CX, or product marketing — especially in a SaaS or recurring revenue business — this episode will shift how you think about strategy, alignment, and execution.

Catch the full episode:
Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts

Want more? Grab Gia’s book Forget the Funnel and explore how you can bring her framework into your team.