The Jobs To Be Done (JTBD) framework is a way of understanding customers based on the progress they’re trying to make in a given situation. Rather than focusing only on demographics or product features, JTBD looks at the goal behind the purchase – the "job" the customer needs to get done. It’s about discovering what customers are really trying to achieve in their lives and how your product or service helps (or doesn’t help) them do it.

For example, when someone buys a drill, they aren’t just buying a tool – they’re trying to hang a shelf or build a piece of furniture. The job they need to do is not "own a drill," but "make a hole in the wall." That small shift in thinking leads to better product innovation and customer experiences. By focusing on the outcome instead of the product itself, businesses can create more targeted, useful, and appealing solutions.

Why JTBD Matters in Modern Market Research

Many traditional customer insight methods focus on who the customer is – their age, income, or geographic location. While that information can still be helpful, it often misses the underlying motivation: why they choose one solution over another. Jobs To Be Done bridges that gap by uncovering the emotional and practical drivers of decision-making.

This matters because:

• Customer needs are complex and context-driven – JTBD helps clarify them.
• Understanding the “job” helps inform product improvement and service innovation.
• It links directly to customer experience by focusing on real outcomes, not assumptions.

A Foundation for Business Growth

JTBD is more than a research tool – it’s a mindset shift. By identifying the true job your product or service is being hired to do, you gain insight into not just what functional role it plays, but how it fits into your customer’s life. This opens new paths for business growth, especially when paired with custom research methods like qualitative interviews or in-context observations.

Ultimately, understanding the job your customer needs to get done helps you build better experiences, increase customer loyalty, and stand out in a crowded market. And in a world where customer expectations are higher than ever, that kind of clarity is a game changer.

Customers don’t wake up dreaming of products – they want solutions. Jobs To Be Done helps businesses uncover those underlying needs by zooming in on the progress customers are trying to make in specific moments. It’s not just about asking what people want, but understanding what pushes them to act, what pulls them toward certain choices, and what obstacles they face along the way.

From Surface-Level Wants to Deep Motivations

Most customers can explain what they do, but not always why they do it. The JTBD framework helps decode those decisions by exploring context. For example, someone might switch to a new meal delivery app not just because it’s cheaper, but because it reduces mental load during a stressful workweek. The actual job? “Help me feed my family without decision fatigue.”

By uncovering these emotional and functional drivers, market researchers can move beyond generic assumptions and identify what truly matters in the customer experience. This leads to more impactful product improvement, marketing strategies, and service design decisions.

Using JTBD for Customer Insights

When used alongside qualitative market research techniques, JTBD becomes a powerful lens. Interviews that explore the customer journey – from the “first thought” to purchase to product use – uncover the full story behind behavior. These insights give businesses clarity on:

• Situational triggers that lead to action
• Desired outcomes (functional and emotional)
• Barriers or inconveniences in current solutions
• Competing alternatives being considered

These details allow you to empathize with your customer’s world, revealing hidden opportunities to improve CX. A fictional example: A tech company learns that customers switch to their software not just for better features, but because onboarding is less intimidating. That insight might lead them to keep their interface clean and tutorials simple – improving satisfaction and loyalty.

How JTBD Differs from Traditional Customer Research

Unlike some methods that start with the product and work backwards, JTBD starts with the customer’s life and goals, then works forward. This outside-in perspective puts your customer’s reality at the center of decision-making. Rather than just segmenting by age or gender, JTBD segments by circumstance – like "first-time homebuyers looking for affordable comfort" or "busy professionals with no time for meal planning."

Understanding customer needs with JTBD gives your business a competitive edge. It’s a way to uncover what customers truly value – even when they can’t articulate it themselves. And once you see the whole picture, crafting better experiences becomes far more intuitive and effective.

Using JTBD to Improve the Customer Experience

The Jobs To Be Done (JTBD) framework offers more than just insight into consumer behavior – it helps businesses design experiences that truly meet unmet needs. By focusing on what customers are trying to accomplish in their lives, companies can align their offerings with real motivations. This leads to better customer satisfaction and stronger loyalty.

Go Beyond Demographics and Focus on Purpose

Traditional market research often categorizes people by who they are – age, gender, income – but JTBD focuses on why people take action. A customer’s “job” might be to “feel confident in a job interview” rather than “buy a blazer.” By understanding this larger purpose, businesses can craft solutions that directly support the outcome customers want.

Enhance Product and Service Design

When you know what job a customer hires your product or service to do, you can ensure that offering is designed to succeed. Whether it’s refining features, simplifying usability, or rethinking the customer journey, JTBD reveals what matters most – and what steps in the experience might be getting in the way.

Create More Relevant Messaging

Marketing copy that speaks to a customer’s core job resonates more deeply than generic product-first messaging. JTBD helps shape narratives that reflect the customer’s needs and emotions. For example, instead of saying “Fast Wi-Fi,” a company might say “So your video calls never drop during big presentations” – a message aligned to the customer’s real-life goals.

Tailor Support Touchpoints Based on Jobs

Customer support and post-purchase experiences become more effective when rooted in JTBD. Knowing what job a customer has in mind helps businesses anticipate questions, minimize friction, and provide solutions when and where they’re needed most.

• Design onboarding experiences around a customer’s desired outcome
• Use JTBD insights to handle customer concerns more empathetically
• Reduce churn by solving the job more effectively over time

Ultimately, JTBD enables businesses to see themselves from the customer’s perspective – not as a product or service provider, but as a partner in helping them succeed. That shift can be the difference between a good experience and one that builds lasting loyalty.

Knowing the Right Time to Use JTBD

The Jobs To Be Done framework is most powerful when a business needs to uncover deeper motivations behind customer actions – moments where demographic data and surface-level research aren’t giving enough clarity. JTBD is not a replacement for traditional market research, but a complementary approach when the goal is to innovate based on real consumer needs.

Key Moments to Consider JTBD

Here are some common business scenarios where JTBD can offer valuable clarity and breakthroughs:

• Product Development or Redesign: Before creating something new or updating an existing offer, use JTBD to understand the true jobs people are trying to get done – so you’re solving actual problems, not just adding features.
• Stalling Innovation or Growth: If your brand feels stuck while competitors leap ahead, JTBD helps reveal hidden opportunities by mapping evolving consumer needs you may be missing.
• Declining Customer Satisfaction Scores: When satisfaction drops or loyalty plateaus, JTBD can uncover what parts of the experience are no longer aligned with expectations.
• Entering a New Market or Segment: JTBD offers a fresh lens when learning about unfamiliar audiences. Instead of guessing what that group wants, you uncover what they’re truly trying to accomplish.

Complementing Traditional Customer Insight Tools

JTBD works well alongside quantitative surveys, focus groups, and analytics. For example, you might observe a behavior pattern in your data (like users dropping off after onboarding) and then use JTBD interviews to understand the underlying reason. It's one of many tools that can be used to create a more holistic customer understanding.

Because JTBD is people-first, it brings a fresh narrative to decision-making: not just how consumers are behaving, but why they’re behaving that way. Businesses can use that deeper understanding to shape strategies that feel intuitive – because they’re built on purpose, not just assumption.

How JTBD Translates into Real Business Impact

One of the best ways to understand how the Jobs To Be Done framework improves customer experience is to see it in practice. Here are a few fictional examples that demonstrate how JTBD can lead to customer insights, stronger offerings, and better business outcomes.

Example 1: Improving a Food Delivery App

A food delivery startup notices users abandoning carts frequently just before checkout. Traditional research pointed to “price sensitivity,” but a JTBD study dug deeper. The job wasn’t “order food” – it was “avoid stress when feeding my family on a busy night.” Once the team understood this, they streamlined the ordering process, highlighted quick family bundle deals, and introduced auto-reorder suggestions. Cart abandonment dropped, and satisfaction improved.

Example 2: Redesigning In-Store Experiences

A home improvement retailer wanted to refresh its store layout but didn’t know where to begin. JTBD interviews uncovered that customers didn’t come to “buy lamps” – they came to “create a cozy, inviting space at home.” By reorganizing the store based on room inspiration (rather than product categories), and offering quick “get the look” solutions, the customer experience became more purposeful and engaging. Sales per visit increased as shoppers felt more supported in their goals.

Example 3: Enhancing a B2B Software Platform

A B2B software company serving HR professionals assumed users wanted analytics dashboards. JTBD interviews revealed their real job was to “prove HR’s value to company leadership.” This insight led the team to build auto-generated executive reports, branded templates, and benchmark comparisons. What started as a feature rethink turned into a full product repositioning – supported by actual customer jobs.

In each of these examples, JTBD revealed hidden motivations that traditional research may have missed. By focusing on the progress the customer is trying to make, businesses were empowered to deliver more relevant, satisfying, and effective experiences – driving both short-term value and long-term business growth.