The Jobs To Be Done (JTBD) framework is a powerful tool in modern market research and product strategy. At its core, it helps businesses understand the real reasons customers ‘hire’ a product or service – in other words, the job they are trying to get done in a given situation.

Unlike traditional approaches that focus on demographics or product features, JTBD dives into motivations. Why did a customer choose a particular solution? What goal, challenge, or experience were they trying to achieve or improve? These "jobs" go beyond simple transactions – they reflect the outcomes people care about most in their daily lives.

Understanding the Shift from Products to Purpose

Imagine someone buying a cordless drill. Are they buying a drill, or are they buying the ability to hang shelves or build furniture? JTBD encourages you to think about the result customers want, not just what you’re selling. The drill is a means to an end – the real job is creating or fixing something in their home with ease and confidence.

Why It Matters in Today’s Business Climate

Customer expectations are changing fast. With more options than ever, people gravitate toward solutions that directly meet their needs. The JTBD method helps businesses get ahead of these expectations by identifying the deeper context behind customer choices. This results in products with clearer relevance, messaging that hits home, and a stronger fit in the market.

From a business growth standpoint, JTBD supports cross-functional alignment across marketing, product design, and customer experience. Teams can work from a shared understanding of what customers are really trying to do – a foundation for more successful innovation and product positioning.

How It Differs from Other Approaches

Traditional market research often asks what customers like or what features they prefer. JTBD adds another layer by asking, “What progress is the customer trying to make?” In doing so, it blends consumer insights with a broader view of behavior and motivation.

• Example (Fictional): A meal kit company might discover that its job isn’t just ‘providing dinner’ but ‘helping working parents feel good about family time by reducing weekday stress.’ That insight could reshape product design, branding, and communication.

In short, the JTBD framework explained is about stepping into your customer’s shoes – understanding their goals, challenges, and triggers. When you view your offerings through this lens, your business becomes better equipped to deliver meaningful value that fuels innovation strategy and customer connection.

A value proposition is your promise to the customer – a clear explanation of how your product solves their problem or improves their life. To make that promise resonate, it needs to speak directly to what matters most to your audience. That’s where the Jobs To Be Done framework plays a pivotal role.

By identifying and understanding the specific jobs your customers are trying to accomplish, you gain clarity on what they value most. This not only informs product development and innovation strategy but also helps you better articulate your value in ways that truly connect.

From Customer Needs to Clear Communication

When you use JTBD to uncover what people are actually trying to achieve, you shift your focus from “what we offer” to “how we help.” This is a powerful change in perspective that leads to stronger, more effective messaging. It also helps you avoid generic claims and instead talk about real outcomes.

Ask yourself: Are your customers looking for a faster product, or are they trying to save time so they can focus on other priorities? Are they buying a solution for better efficiency or peace of mind?

How JTBD Strengthens Your Value Proposition

Here’s how understanding consumer behavior and ‘customer jobs’ sharpens your value proposition and product positioning:

• Aligns your message with real goals: Speaking directly to your customer’s desired outcome makes your value clearer and more compelling.
• Reveals unmet needs: When you understand what jobs aren’t being fully addressed in the market, you can fill that gap more effectively.
• Builds customer trust: When messaging and design reflect a deep understanding of customer needs, it signals empathy and credibility.
• Improves product-market fit: Products grounded in the JTBD method solve real problems, making them more likely to be adopted and recommended.

Practical Example (Fictional)

Let’s say a budget travel app is struggling to communicate what makes it stand out. By digging into customer jobs through JTBD research, they discover users are not just planning trips – they’re seeking stress-free ways to feel adventurous without overspending. That subtle shift allows the brand to move from messaging around “cheap flights” to “making travel exciting and affordable – minus the hassle.”

Crafting Messages Around Customer Jobs

When teams understand the ‘why’ behind customer choices, they can create messaging that mirrors those motivations. Instead of listing product features, speak to the transformation your offering enables. That’s true customer relevance.

In summary, creating a strong value proposition using JTBD means sidestepping assumptions and anchoring your brand around actual customer behavior. It turns qualitative insights into business strategy – empowering you to design solutions people naturally gravitate toward. Whether you’re refining your branding, developing new features, or repositioning in the market, the JTBD framework gives you a customer-first lens to work from – and with that, a clearer path to business growth.

The Jobs To Be Done (JTBD) framework isn't limited to one industry or business size – it works across the board. Whether you're designing a new app, launching a household product, or refining your healthcare services, JTBD helps uncover the underlying needs that drive customer behavior.

Here are some fictional examples to illustrate how different sectors use JTBD thinking to deliver stronger value propositions:

Technology: A Fitness App That Motivates, Not Just Tracks

A fitness app company noticed that many users dropped off after a few weeks. Traditional features like step tracking and calorie logging weren’t sticking. By using JTBD interviews, they discovered that users were primarily hiring the app not just to “track steps,” but to “feel in control of their health during stressful life phases.”

This insight shifted product development – the app’s new features added mental wellness tips, gentle reminders, and stress tracking. By aligning the product with the emotional and functional ‘job,’ user engagement surged.

Retail: Reinventing the Grocery Shopping Experience

A regional grocery chain used JTBD research to understand why some shoppers abandoned carts or visited competitors. They found their customers weren’t just buying groceries – they were looking to “avoid dinnertime stress on busy weekdays.”

In response, the store introduced meal kits with pre-portioned ingredients, simplified online ordering, and express curbside pickup options. The improved product positioning directly addressed the ‘job,’ creating a more valuable experience and increasing customer loyalty.

Healthcare: Designing Around Patient Needs

A clinic developing a telehealth platform assumed patients valued speed above all. But through JTBD interviews, they found that people were looking to “feel reassured about their health without the stress of in-person appointments.” This prompted better onboarding processes, dedicated care coordinators, and clearer communication tools.

By addressing the emotional and logistical jobs patients were trying to fulfill, the clinic’s platform adoption rate and satisfaction scores notably improved.

Why JTBD Works Across Industries

The strength of the JTBD framework lies in its adaptability. No matter the industry, every customer is trying to solve a problem or make progress. When your business focuses on that – instead of only pushing product features – your value proposition naturally becomes clearer and more compelling.

These examples highlight how understanding customer needs through JTBD leads to improved product messaging, better user experiences, and ultimately, business growth.

Implementing the Jobs To Be Done framework doesn’t require an overhaul – it simply requires a shift in perspective. Instead of asking, “What does our product do?” start asking, “What job is our customer trying to get done?”

Step 1: Identify Your Target Audience

Begin by clearly defining who you're trying to serve. This can be based on demographics, behaviors, or usage patterns. Remember, the same product might serve different 'jobs' for different segments.

Step 2: Conduct Qualitative Customer Interviews

Talk to your customers, not just about what they like or dislike, but about the context in which they use your product or service. This is where market research and in-depth consumer insights come in. Focus on the moments of struggle, decision-making, or frustration.

Helpful prompts include:

• “What were you trying to accomplish the last time you used this product?”
• “What challenges led you to start looking for a solution?”
• “Why did you choose this product over others?”

Step 3: Map the Jobs

Organize your findings into main jobs (functional and emotional), related jobs (what else they're trying to achieve), and obstacles. This map should show the full picture of what customers are truly hiring your product to do.

Step 4: Refine Your Value Proposition

Use your job map to answer: “How can our offering better help the customer succeed at their job?” This fuels more targeted product positioning and clearer messaging. Your value proposition should describe:

• The progress the customer wants to make
• How your solution helps them achieve it better than alternatives

Step 5: Test, Iterate, and Align Across Teams

With a stronger understanding of customer jobs, run small experiments – test tweaks in messaging, product features, or service design with real users. Share JTBD insights across departments so that marketing, product development, and CX are aligned in delivering on the main customer job.

Applying JTBD doesn’t end with one project. It becomes a continuous part of your innovation strategy and customer-centric mindset.

Knowing when to use the Jobs To Be Done framework can make a real difference in shaping your business strategy. JTBD research is especially valuable at moments of change, challenge, or growth – times when understanding true customer motivation can unlock smarter decisions.

1. At the Start of Innovation or Product Development

Launching something new? JTBD helps you avoid building based on assumptions. By exploring what progress customers are really trying to make, you increase the chances of product-market fit right from the start.

This approach supports an innovation strategy that’s grounded in real-world use cases, not just features or technology trends.

2. When Refining Your Value Proposition

If your messaging isn’t resonating, or your offering feels unclear to prospects, it may be time to reassess the ‘jobs’ your customers are hiring you to complete. JTBD insights can center your communication around outcomes people actually care about.

3. When Experiencing Plateaued Growth

Many businesses hit a point where growth slows despite adding new features or increasing marketing spend. In these cases, it’s often because the core value proposition no longer aligns with evolving customer needs. JTBD helps identify what’s changed and where opportunities now lie.

4. During Customer Segmentation or Journey Mapping

Adding JTBD insights to existing personas or customer journey maps transforms them from demographic-based templates into dynamic models of behavior and motivation. It brings greater precision to product positioning and helps target the right messages to the right users.

5. To Support Cross-Functional Alignment

JTBD research creates a shared language for teams across product, marketing, sales, and UX. When everyone understands what “job” the customer is trying to fulfill, your entire organization is better equipped to deliver consistent, targeted value.

Knowing when to integrate JTBD is just as important as knowing how. Whether you're launching, repositioning, or innovating, JTBD is a flexible and insightful tool to clarify direction and fuel business growth.