Growth Frameworks
Jobs To Be Done

How Startups Can Use Jobs To Be Done (JTBD) to Build Products Customers Want

Qualitative Exploration

How Startups Can Use Jobs To Be Done (JTBD) to Build Products Customers Want

Introduction

Every startup sets out with a spark – an idea, a product vision, or a problem to solve. But what separates those that succeed from those that disappear? More often than not, it's a deep understanding of what customers actually want and why they want it. In the fast-moving world of early-stage businesses, building the 'right' thing matters just as much as building it fast. This is where the Jobs To Be Done (JTBD) framework becomes an invaluable tool. JTBD helps startup teams look beyond demographics or surface-level preferences and instead focus on the underlying motivations that drive customer behavior. It’s a practical, research-based method to understand what ‘job’ your product is really being hired to do – and it can be a game-changer for finding product market fit.
This post is for founders, startup teams, product leads, and anyone looking to build something truly useful and relevant to customers. If you're at the stage where you're shaping your product offering, trying to achieve product market fit, or exploring ways to validate your assumptions, the JTBD method can offer powerful guidance. We’ll walk through the basics of JTBD in a clear, jargon-free way, and show how startups – especially in their early stages – can apply this thinking to build smarter. You'll learn how JTBD reveals real customer needs, drives better product decisions, and ultimately contributes to startup growth. For leadership teams with little research experience, don’t worry – this isn't about complex data models or long surveys. JTBD is approachable, flexible, and designed with business strategy in mind. With the right research lens (and just a bit of curiosity), you’ll be able to see your customers – and your opportunities – in a whole new light.
This post is for founders, startup teams, product leads, and anyone looking to build something truly useful and relevant to customers. If you're at the stage where you're shaping your product offering, trying to achieve product market fit, or exploring ways to validate your assumptions, the JTBD method can offer powerful guidance. We’ll walk through the basics of JTBD in a clear, jargon-free way, and show how startups – especially in their early stages – can apply this thinking to build smarter. You'll learn how JTBD reveals real customer needs, drives better product decisions, and ultimately contributes to startup growth. For leadership teams with little research experience, don’t worry – this isn't about complex data models or long surveys. JTBD is approachable, flexible, and designed with business strategy in mind. With the right research lens (and just a bit of curiosity), you’ll be able to see your customers – and your opportunities – in a whole new light.

What Is Jobs To Be Done (JTBD) and Why It Matters for Startups?

The Jobs To Be Done (JTBD) framework is a simple but powerful way to understand customer behavior. Instead of focusing on who your customer is (age, gender, income), JTBD focuses on what your customer is trying to accomplish – the job they are hiring a product or service to help them do.

Think of it this way: when someone buys a drill, they’re not just buying a tool. What they really want is a hole in the wall to hang a picture. The JTBD approach helps startups focus on that 'why' – the outcome the customer cares about – instead of just the product features.

Why early-stage companies should care

For startups, where precision matters and resources are limited, the JTBD framework acts like a compass. It helps you focus your energy on solving real, unmet needs that customers are motivated to pay for or adopt. This is critical for finding product market fit, especially before investing heavily in development or scaling.

Here’s why JTBD is a valuable startup product strategy tool:

  • Clarifies product direction: Identify what customers are trying to get done in their lives or work, and build your features around that.
  • Reduces guesswork: Rather than building based on assumptions, JTBD gives you a research-based lens to understand actual demand.
  • Creates market differentiation: Competing products might serve the same industry, but only the one solving the core customer job will win loyalty.
  • Supports startup growth: By solving meaningful jobs, your product becomes “sticky,” encouraging retention and word-of-mouth.

What makes the JTBD framework different?

Unlike traditional market research models that segment customers into static groups, JTBD recognizes that behavior is context-based. The same customer might hire different products at different times, depending on the job they need done.

For example, a busy parent might use a food delivery app for convenience after work, but choose in-person grocery shopping on weekends for better quality. JTBD helps you uncover the underlying motivations and conditions for each of those decisions – and design your offering accordingly.

This perspective doesn’t replace other market research for startups, but rather enhances it. JTBD bridges the gap between customer insight and business action in a way that’s highly applicable to agile startup planning.

So, when we talk about using JTBD for startups, we’re really talking about using a sharper lens to see what your customers are trying to achieve – and how your solution fits into that bigger picture.

How JTBD Helps Startups Understand Real Customer Needs

Many startups begin with a promising product idea – but that idea doesn't always line up with what real people want. This is where the JTBD framework becomes extremely valuable: it flips your process from inside-out to outside-in. Instead of focusing on what your product can do, you start by understanding what the customer is trying to do in their life.

The problem with surface-level understanding

It’s common for early-stage companies to gather traditional customer feedback – surveys, ratings, or demographic data. While helpful, these often miss the deeper 'why' behind a user’s choices. JTBD digs into the motivations, contexts, and struggles that lead to a purchase or behavior, which are essential for designing meaningful solutions.

For example, instead of asking, “Do you like this feature?”, JTBD exploration might ask: “What were you trying to accomplish when you chose this tool?” or “What made you look for a new solution in the first place?”

How to apply JTBD thinking

Here’s how startups can use JTBD to uncover valuable insights:

  • Conduct small, qualitative interviews: Talk directly to users who recently made a purchase or switch. Ask what pushed them to act and what success looked like after using the product.
  • Map out customer 'job stories': A job story follows the format: "When I [situation], I want to [motivation], so I can [desired outcome]." This gives you a fuller picture of why decisions are made.
  • Look for forces of progress: Identify what pulls users toward a solution, what pushes them away from their current one, and what anxieties or habits create friction. This helps prioritize what to solve first.

These insights, while sometimes qualitative, reveal patterns over time. That’s when they start fueling your startup product development strategy with direction and clarity.

Fictional example: Meet TaskTrack

Imagine TaskTrack, a fictional startup building a productivity app. Initially, they focused on offering advanced integrations and customizable dashboards. But usage remained low. After applying the JTBD method for new businesses, they uncovered that early users weren’t looking for complex tools. Their core job was “to quickly organize what I need to do today without feeling overwhelmed.”

Armed with this insight, TaskTrack simplified their user interface, added a morning planning assistant, and saw a sharp increase in retention. By aligning with the actual customer job, they were able to serve a deeper unmet need – not just product functionality.

JTBD helps early-stage companies move closer to product market fit by making them more in tune with what customers actually hire products to do. Instead of building based on guesswork, you build with purpose rooted in understanding.

At SIVO, we often help businesses harness frameworks like JTBD to uncover the truths that drive adoption, loyalty, and growth. For startups, this kind of market research doesn't have to be overwhelming – with the right approach, even small shifts in perspective can lead to big leaps in impact.

Using JTBD to Build Products That Solve Specific Customer Problems

Many startup ideas begin with inspiration – a spark of creativity or a personal pain point. But building a product based only on instinct can miss the mark. The Jobs To Be Done (JTBD) framework helps founders move beyond assumptions and focus on the specific outcomes customers are actively seeking. Instead of asking, "What product should we make?", JTBD reframes the question to: "What job is our customer trying to get done, and how can we help them do it better?"

In JTBD terms, a "job" isn't a task or demographic, but a progress someone is trying to make in a given situation. This could be something functional (like paying bills quickly), emotional (feeling confident in managing finances), or social (appearing responsible).

Mapping Customer Jobs to Product Features

When early-stage companies use JTBD research, they often uncover hidden motivations that reshape their startup product strategy. For example, consider a team developing a financial planning app for young adults. By interviewing potential users and understanding their goals (the “jobs”), they may find that the primary job isn't “budgeting” – it’s “feeling in control of my future.” With that insight, product features might shift toward helpful nudges, visual timelines, or goal tracking that delivers on that emotional job, not just spreadsheets or calculators.

By aligning your product around solving a core customer job, you create a more compelling value proposition – one based on what customers genuinely care about.

The Benefits of JTBD for Startup Product Development

Applying JTBD to your startup product development strategy can lead to:

  • Faster product-market fit – clearer understanding of what your customers are hiring your product to do
  • Customer loyalty – when people feel understood, they’re more likely to stick with your solution
  • Smarter MVP choices – focusing on must-have features that directly support the core job

Rather than trying to win on features alone, JTBD helps startups win on relevance. When your product solves a real, specific customer problem – not just functionally, but emotionally and socially – it stands out in crowded markets and leads to growth that’s sustainable.

JTBD in Action: Examples of Startups That Found Product-Market Fit

The power of JTBD becomes even clearer when applied to real startup scenarios. Whether you're launching in fintech, consumer goods, or digital services, identifying the right customer job can be the difference between a product that flops and one that fuels startup growth.

Example 1: A Meal Planning App for Busy Parents

Let’s say a fictional startup launched a meal planning app. At first, its features included recipe suggestions and nutritional breakdowns. Initial uptake was low. Using the Jobs To Be Done method for new businesses, the team conducted interviews and discovered that their target users – busy working parents – weren't hiring the app just to “cook healthy meals,” but to “reduce weekday stress around dinner.”

With this insight, the product team shifted focus to features like quick grocery list generation, prep-ahead plans, and family-approved recipe filters. Adoption increased, and users reported lower stress and higher satisfaction. The app found product-market fit by solving the right job – not just delivering recipes, but helping families feel more in control of their evenings.

Example 2: A Freelance Invoicing Tool

Another fictional startup focused on freelancers discovered through JTBD interviews that users weren’t just looking to “send invoices” – they wanted to “feel professional and confident when working with clients.” This emotional and social job led to design elements such as polished templates, automated follow-ups, and a dashboard that highlighted earnings growth. These updates delivered on the deeper job, and retention improved.

In both examples, Jobs To Be Done helped founders understand customer needs at a deeper level – unlocking product-market fit not through bells and whistles, but by deeply aligning with the progress users were trying to make.

Why JTBD Leads to Lasting Differentiation

Features can be copied, but a deep understanding of your user’s job is harder to replicate. This is why JTBD for startups is more than a research method – it’s a strategic advantage. When startups build from the customer's job upward, they create solutions designed to stick. In doing so, they not only find product-market fit – they often spark word-of-mouth momentum and repeat usage, key ingredients in any successful startup growth strategy.

Getting Started with JTBD: Tips for Founders and Startup Teams

For early-stage companies exploring the JTBD framework, the process can feel overwhelming at first – especially without a background in market research. But the truth is, you don’t need a formal research department to start understanding customer jobs. Below are some practical entry points to bring the JTBD approach into your startup product development strategy.

Start Small: Conduct Simple Job Interviews

Begin with informal interviews. Reach out to five customers or potential users and ask open-ended questions like:

  • “Tell me about the last time you tried to solve this problem. What did you do?”
  • “What felt frustrating? What worked?”
  • “If you could wave a magic wand and change something, what would it be?”

The goal of these conversations is to uncover the situation, motivation, and desired outcome – the building blocks of a customer job.

Document What You Learn

Use a simple JTBD format to organize your findings:

When I... [situation], I want to... [motivation], so I can... [desired outcome]

For example: “When I get home from work at 6pm, I want to cook something fast that my kids will eat, so I can avoid ordering takeout and stay on budget.”

Patterns will emerge – these are the high-priority jobs your product should focus on solving.

Collaborate Across Teams

Share your JTBD insights with product, design, and marketing. When everyone understands the core job being solved, your messaging and features will naturally align. This cross-functional clarity is crucial for building effective startup product strategies.

Use JTBD to Prioritize Features

Instead of building out all your ideas, ask: “Which feature best helps our user complete their primary job?” This keeps your MVP focused and your roadmap grounded in actual customer needs.

Consider Partnering on Research

As your product grows, deeper insights can offer new opportunities to stretch your offering or refine your positioning. Partnering with a consumer insights firm like SIVO can help you scale your JTBD approach with more rigorous, data-driven studies – especially when trying to reach new segments or validate feature decisions.

JTBD doesn’t require perfection. It just requires curiosity about why people choose (or don’t choose) your product. The truth is already out there – your customers are telling you the job they need done. Your role is to listen and build accordingly.

Summary

Startups are often built around bold ideas – but the most successful ones ground their innovation in real customer insight. The Jobs To Be Done (JTBD) framework offers founders a practical, human-centered way to uncover true customer needs, develop products that solve meaningful problems, and drive smarter decisions that lead to product-market fit.

We explored what JTBD is and why it matters, how it helps startups go beyond surface-level feedback, ways to build better solutions through job-based design, and examples of how JTBD has enabled early-stage companies to scale with purpose. We also shared actionable tips for integrating this approach into your own team, even if you're just starting out.

Whether you're still validating an idea or iterating a beta, JTBD is a proven path for startup innovation – helping you create something people not only use, but truly value.

Summary

Startups are often built around bold ideas – but the most successful ones ground their innovation in real customer insight. The Jobs To Be Done (JTBD) framework offers founders a practical, human-centered way to uncover true customer needs, develop products that solve meaningful problems, and drive smarter decisions that lead to product-market fit.

We explored what JTBD is and why it matters, how it helps startups go beyond surface-level feedback, ways to build better solutions through job-based design, and examples of how JTBD has enabled early-stage companies to scale with purpose. We also shared actionable tips for integrating this approach into your own team, even if you're just starting out.

Whether you're still validating an idea or iterating a beta, JTBD is a proven path for startup innovation – helping you create something people not only use, but truly value.

In this article

What Is Jobs To Be Done (JTBD) and Why It Matters for Startups?
How JTBD Helps Startups Understand Real Customer Needs
Using JTBD to Build Products That Solve Specific Customer Problems
JTBD in Action: Examples of Startups That Found Product-Market Fit
Getting Started with JTBD: Tips for Founders and Startup Teams

In this article

What Is Jobs To Be Done (JTBD) and Why It Matters for Startups?
How JTBD Helps Startups Understand Real Customer Needs
Using JTBD to Build Products That Solve Specific Customer Problems
JTBD in Action: Examples of Startups That Found Product-Market Fit
Getting Started with JTBD: Tips for Founders and Startup Teams

Last updated: May 29, 2025

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Curious how market research for startups can support your growth journey?

Curious how market research for startups can support your growth journey?

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