One of the core strengths of the Jobs To Be Done framework is its ability to uncover market gaps that may be invisible through traditional market research methods. Instead of focusing on customer demographics or simple preferences, JTBD zooms in on the underlying goals and struggles that drive consumer behavior. These are the real "jobs" that people are trying to get done in their daily lives – and they're often not visible until you know how to look for them.

Finding opportunity by shifting the focus

Most businesses rely on surveys, sales data, or usage stats to determine what customers want. While that can offer useful information, it often only tells part of the story. Customers may be buying a product for reasons that have little to do with the product itself – and more to do with the challenge they’re facing in a broader context.

For example, someone might not be buying a power drill because they want a drill – they’re buying it because they need a hole in the wall to hang shelves. That’s the job. If a business focuses only on selling drills, they may miss other opportunities such as adhesive shelving solutions, layout tools, or even digital room design apps that solve the same core problem.

JTBD reveals these hidden market insights by:

• Shifting from a product-first mindset to a problem-first mindset
• Highlighting pain points and unmet needs that customers may not articulate
• Exploring customer motivations, context, and desired outcomes

This approach helps businesses move beyond the obvious, tapping into the types of unmet customer needs that spark true product innovation. From new startup concepts to enhancements of existing offerings, JTBD provides a grounded way to spot gaps where others aren’t looking.

Market research that goes deeper

SIVO Insights combines human-led discovery with tools like user research, qualitative interviews, and growth frameworks to dig into what people actually struggle with – not just what they say. This layered approach ensures we’re capturing the stories, context, and emotional drivers that traditional analytics might miss.

By using the JTBD methodology, we help clients identify questions like:

• What do our customers truly want to achieve?
• What’s getting in their way?
• Where are current solutions falling short?

The result? Clearer opportunity areas backed by real customer insight. Whether it’s refining an existing service or launching something entirely new, JTBD lets organizations rethink their innovation strategy through the lens of what people actually need – not just what’s trending.

At its heart, the Jobs To Be Done framework centers around a simple but powerful question: What is the customer really trying to accomplish? Understanding this unlocks a deeper level of insight than product features or surface-level preferences can provide. It sheds light on the true purpose behind a customer’s decision to hire – or not hire – a product or service.

The JTBD definition of a "job"

In JTBD terms, a "job" is not what a customer buys, but the progress they seek in a given situation. It reflects their goal, context, and desired outcome. Put another way, people don’t just buy products – they hire them to do a job in their lives.

Let’s use an example. Imagine a busy parent looking to prepare dinner quickly after work. They’re not just hiring a meal kit – they’re hiring a solution for stress-free, time-saving, nutritious dinners that the whole family will eat. That’s the real job to be done.

Why this matters for innovation

When companies understand the job behind the purchase, they can design far better solutions. Instead of adding features customers may not care about, they can focus on solving the exact problem customers are trying to overcome. It also helps avoid costly guesswork or “me-too” product launches that don’t add distinctive value.

This kind of customer insight method is especially valuable in early-stage product development and customer discovery. By identifying the job to be done, teams can align product design, messaging, and delivery to what matters most.

Key elements of a customer’s job include:

• The situation or circumstance prompting the job
• The functional task or challenge they’re trying to solve
• The emotional or social goals tied to success (such as feeling competent, smart, or connected)

Recognizing these layers helps businesses build meaningful offerings that resonate.

How SIVO uses this approach

At SIVO, we help businesses identify these “jobs” and understanding what customers really aim to solve. We dive into the real stories behind how customers use – or abandon – products. By decoding what people are really trying to do, our teams uncover behavioral patterns and decision drivers that spark new ideas for business growth.

Whether you're early in product planning or looking to refresh your marketing strategy, understanding the job your customers hire your product to do ensures you stay tightly aligned with their needs. And as consumer expectations evolve, returning to that core job keeps your approach focused and adaptable.

Uncovering Unmet Needs Through JTBD Interviews

At the core of the Jobs To Be Done (JTBD) methodology is the powerful technique of customer interviews. These aren’t traditional satisfaction surveys or simple feedback sessions – they’re deep conversations that uncover the real motivations behind why people 'hire' products or services to get a job done. By exploring how customers make decisions in real-life contexts, these interviews help businesses discover gaps in the market that are often hidden from plain sight.

Most customers can’t always articulate what they need. Instead, they share stories: what they were trying to accomplish, the frustrations they faced, and how they ultimately came to a decision. JTBD interviews focus on these moments of progress – helping companies decode what matters most to customers and why.

What Makes JTBD Interviews So Effective?

• They focus on context. By asking about specific moments in a purchasing journey, JTBD interviews capture the emotional and functional drivers behind decisions.
• They reveal trade-offs. Customers often choose an imperfect solution. JTBD helps you understand what alternatives they considered and what pushed them toward a final choice.
• They surface unmet needs. These interviews often highlight friction points – moments of frustration or compromise – that point to untapped opportunities for innovation.

For example, someone might say they bought a fitness tracker to count steps, but a closer look reveals that what they really hired it for was to stay motivated and feel accomplished. This subtle insight could spark new features focused more on positive reinforcement and mental well-being – not just tracking.

Through this type of user research, companies unlock new layers of consumer insights that are often missed in traditional approaches. And because JTBD interviews focus on the job—not the product—they’re especially useful for identifying new market opportunities, regardless of your current offerings. In other words, you stop asking, “How do we improve what we have?” and start asking, “What job is our customer trying to get done, and how else could we help?”

By deeply understanding unmet customer needs through JTBD interviews, businesses gain a clearer path to product innovation, market growth, and competitive advantage – all rooted in real human behavior, not assumptions.

Turning Insight Into Innovation: Real-World Examples

It’s one thing to understand customer needs – it’s another to translate those insights into breakthrough innovation. That’s where Jobs To Be Done shines. By identifying hidden drivers of behavior, JTBD helps companies develop products and services that solve real problems in new and meaningful ways. Here’s how businesses across industries have used JTBD to reveal overlooked market opportunities and unlock growth.

A Fast-Food Chain Rethinks the Morning Routine

One of the most well-known JTBD success stories comes from a fast-food brand trying to increase sales of its breakfast milkshake. Traditional market research had hit a wall. But through Jobs To Be Done interviews, they discovered something unexpected: customers weren’t buying the milkshake for taste alone – they were hiring it to make long, boring commutes more enjoyable and filling.

This insight led to product and marketing changes that positioned the milkshake as a better morning “snack on the go,” tapping into a job that competitors had overlooked. Sales rose significantly – not because the product changed dramatically, but because the company deeply understood the job it was hired to do.

A Healthcare Startup Discovers Emotional Jobs

In the health-tech space, a digital mental wellness platform used JTBD research to go beyond demographic segmentation. They found that users weren’t just seeking convenience or affordability – they were hiring the service to feel less alone, regain control, and build trust in their health journey. These emotional jobs led to product changes such as journaling features, live coach support, and personalized progress milestones that addressed the core needs more directly.

Strengthening Innovation Strategy With Consumer Insights

The JTBD framework for innovation helps teams avoid the trap of incremental thinking. Instead, it opens up possibilities by anchoring strategy in what people truly value. Whether you're a product manager looking for your next big idea or a marketing leader seeking stronger positioning, JTBD aligns innovation with the lived experience of your customers.

In essence, Jobs To Be Done doesn’t just highlight what’s not working – it points to what’s missing entirely. That’s where true opportunity lies.

When to Use Jobs To Be Done Research in Your Business Strategy

Knowing when to use Jobs To Be Done in your business strategy can be the difference between chasing assumptions and uncovering real paths for growth. Unlike traditional user research that often centers on existing products or features, JTBD focuses on the customer's goal – the outcome they're trying to achieve. This customer discovery approach is most powerful when your company is at pivotal stages of decision-making.

Situations Where JTBD Adds Strategic Value

• Before launching a new product or service: Use JTBD to identify unmet or underserved needs, so you design something people actually want to use – not just something that seems innovative.
• When current offerings plateau: If growth is stalling despite your efforts, JTBD can help reveal market gaps or new audiences with different jobs to be done.
• Repositioning your value proposition: If your message isn’t resonating, JTBD can help clarify what customers truly hire your product or brand for.
• Exploring adjacent markets: The methodology is excellent for identifying similar jobs in different contexts or customer segments – helping you scale smarter.

Because Jobs To Be Done zooms in on the “why” behind behavior, it’s especially useful in innovation strategy and market research for unmet needs. Instead of asking, “How can we improve our product?” the better question becomes, “What job is our customer trying to get done, and how well are we helping them?”

Companies across industries have used JTBD not just for product innovation, but also to guide pricing strategy, customer segmentation, and messaging – all informed by real consumer insights. Best of all, this research doesn’t require huge budgets or long timelines. When implemented properly, even a small set of well-executed JTBD interviews can shape entire business models and uncover actionable market opportunities.

In short, if you're looking to drive business growth by better understanding what motivates your customers, JTBD belongs in your strategic toolkit.