Founder Playbook · Sub Club by RevenueCat
10 tactics from Daphne Tideman
How to Test App Messaging with Jobs to Be Done
Watch the full episode“I always first with the jobs to be done try to narrow it down a bit... I also look at like what is the problem that we're trying to solve how good are we at actually solving that problem how good a solution are we for that and how much chance is there that we can differentiate.”
Narrow Your JTBD Candidates to 2-3 Before Writing Any Messaging
Most apps have 5-10 plausible jobs-to-be-done but only 2-3 are worth leading with. Daphne's filter: prioritize jobs where the app actually solves the problem well AND where there is room to differentiate from competitors. Starting with a shorter, sharper list prevents the common mistake of diluting every touchpoint by trying to cover everything at once.
“I'll narrow that down and then what I'll do before I integrate it into all the messaging of the app itself is I'll test it first... understanding which angles the competitors are going on because back to the weather app like if everyone's just saying you know check it within a moment or talk about the weather like then you're not going to stand out.”
Use Competitor Analysis to Find Messaging White Space, Not Validate Your Own
Competitor analysis in a JTBD context isn't about copying what works — it's about identifying which angles are already saturated so you can own a different one. If every weather app says 'check the weather quickly,' that job is commoditized. Daphne maps competitor messaging first to find the angles that are still unclaimed, then tests those in ads.
“What I've done in the past is I've literally tested very similar like visuals with different messaging overlay on them and different messaging in the text and then tested those against each other first on like the job to be done level with a more general like image that isn't skewing people too much in one direction or another.”
Test JTBD Messaging in Meta Ads Before Embedding It Into the App
Before wiring a JTBD angle into onboarding, paywalls, or push notifications, run it cheaply in Meta first. Use the same neutral visual with only the copy varying — that isolates messaging signal from creative signal. Daphne treats ads as a fast, low-risk messaging lab rather than a pure acquisition channel, then graduates winning messages into the product.
“Do we want to talk about pains do we want to talk about the gains of what people are trying to get in terms of benefits do we want to talk very literally about the jobs to be done do we want to talk about the situations when you're experiencing this this could help you there's different ways of bringing across.”
Test Four JTBD Message Frames: Pain, Gain, Literal Job, and Situational Trigger
Within the JTBD framework, there are at least four distinct ways to frame the same underlying job: the pain being avoided, the gain being sought, the literal task description, or the situational trigger that activates the need. Each resonates differently with different user segments. Running all four as ad variants tells you which emotional register your highest-converting users are operating in.
“I really believe strongly in also just spending a few hours just completely immersing yourself in the language you'll have this extra benefit on top of that with the messaging for the copy side of it where suddenly your language becomes more human it starts to resonate more.”
Immerse Yourself in User Reviews to Write Copy That Sounds Human, Not AI
AI can summarize reviews fast, but the human fluency that makes copy actually land comes from extended immersion. Daphne recommends spending several hours reading reviews directly — not just logging themes — until you start to absorb the specific words, phrases, and emotional textures users actually use. The output is copy that sounds like the user wrote it, not a marketing team.
“I'm literally looking at like okay if they have enough data and the cost per trial for example is low enough then we can do it based on that that's the ideal if it's not or if they're a very new app and they don't have big budgets then I'll look on clickthrough rates.”
Use Cost-Per-Trial as the Proper Messaging Signal — CTR Only as a Budget-Constrained Proxy
CTR measures curiosity; cost-per-trial measures intent. When budget allows, Daphne optimizes messaging tests for cost-per-trial because a message that attracts clicks but not subscribers is a false signal. For early-stage apps with small budgets, CTR is the practical proxy — but results should be corroborated across at least two channels before treating them as directionally reliable.
“I've also right away like used uh for example a usability hub to run 5-second tests with two messaging and ask people like what their preference is and why and like what stood out that's also really really good in refining it because sometimes you use a word that just triggers people the wrong way or people don't understand what you mean.”
5-Second Tests Catch Words That Confuse or Repel Before They Live in the Product
Even copy that performs in ads can contain words that create friction — a term that means something different to the user, or that triggers an unexpected negative reaction. Daphne uses UsabilityHub 5-second tests to get qualitative feedback on competing message options: what stood out, what was confusing, what made someone trust or distrust the product. It's cheap insurance before the message lives in the onboarding.
“Once you've tested that in a few different ways you can also use emails for this if you've got a good size email base you can test with push notifications you can test this in different ways once I start to get confident of like hey we're consistently seeing this win that's when I start to test integrating it step by step.”
Confirm Messaging Signal Across Multiple Channels Before Hardcoding It Into the App
A messaging winner in one channel might be an artifact of that channel's audience or format. Daphne's rule: confirm the signal in at least two channels (e.g. Meta ads + email or push) before integrating the message into onboarding, paywalls, or app store copy. Consistent wins across independent channels give the confidence needed to invest in full product integration.
“I would start really first with like the acquisition side not to like improve acquisition but to use it as a way to test different messaging.”
Start With Acquisition to Test Messaging, Not to Acquire — It Is a Research Tool
Reframing paid acquisition as a messaging research tool changes how you evaluate its ROI. Daphne explicitly runs early ad spend not to hit ROAS targets but to generate fast, statistically useful messaging signal. The budget 'cost' is a research investment, not an acquisition cost. This mental shift also prevents premature optimization of creative before the core job-to-be-done angle is validated.
“When we're talking about messaging and integrating it we need to be looking at every single visual we do every single message we do like how can we bring this across to the user in a way that it then resonates with them.”
Visual Execution Must Reinforce the JTBD — Copy Alone Is Not Enough
Once the winning JTBD angle is confirmed in copy, every visual asset must carry the same message. Daphne's integration step isn't just swapping out headline text — it's auditing every screenshot, every illustration, every push notification icon against the validated job. Misalignment between copy and visuals is a common reason a message that tested well in ads underperforms when integrated into the product.