Growth Frameworks
Jobs To Be Done

How to Identify Unmet Jobs to Be Done for Innovation Growth

Qualitative Exploration

How to Identify Unmet Jobs to Be Done for Innovation Growth

Introduction

Every great product or service begins with one thing: a real need. But not just any need – we're talking about the jobs customers are trying to get done in their lives that often go unnoticed or unfulfilled. These are called "unmet Jobs to Be Done," and they offer some of the most powerful opportunities for business growth and innovation. Put simply, a "job" in this context is a goal or task that a person wants to accomplish – it could be cleaning the house faster, managing their money better, or even feeling confident in a new outfit. When current solutions don’t quite hit the mark or no solution exists at all, that gap becomes a chance to innovate. Identifying these unmet jobs is how market leaders find new product ideas, reimagine customer experiences, and stay ahead of the competition.
This post is for business leaders, marketers, product teams, and researchers who are looking to unlock growth through a better understanding of their customers. Whether you’re launching a new product, exploring market gaps, or trying to improve a customer experience, you need to know not just what your audience is doing, but *why* they’re doing it – and where they’re not getting the help they need. You'll learn what Jobs to Be Done really means, why identifying *unmet* or *underserved* jobs leads to innovation, and simple approaches for uncovering those needs. We’ll explain it all in plain language, with practical examples and easy-to-use methods you can apply right away. No advanced degrees in psychology or behavioral economics required. By understanding where customers struggle – and what they’re trying to achieve – you can start to spot growth opportunities before your competitors do. At SIVO Insights, we believe in making insights simple, approachable, and actionable. That’s exactly what this guide aims to offer.
This post is for business leaders, marketers, product teams, and researchers who are looking to unlock growth through a better understanding of their customers. Whether you’re launching a new product, exploring market gaps, or trying to improve a customer experience, you need to know not just what your audience is doing, but *why* they’re doing it – and where they’re not getting the help they need. You'll learn what Jobs to Be Done really means, why identifying *unmet* or *underserved* jobs leads to innovation, and simple approaches for uncovering those needs. We’ll explain it all in plain language, with practical examples and easy-to-use methods you can apply right away. No advanced degrees in psychology or behavioral economics required. By understanding where customers struggle – and what they’re trying to achieve – you can start to spot growth opportunities before your competitors do. At SIVO Insights, we believe in making insights simple, approachable, and actionable. That’s exactly what this guide aims to offer.

Why Finding Unmet Jobs to Be Done Drives Innovation

Innovation doesn’t happen by accident – it's rooted in solving real problems. When businesses seek to grow, they often focus on what’s next: a breakthrough product, a new feature, a revised strategy. But the smartest brands know that these ideas should start with people – more specifically, with the jobs people are trying to get done.

A "Job to Be Done" (JTBD) is a way of understanding customer behavior in context. It goes beyond demographics or surface-level data to look at what a person wants to achieve in a certain situation. The power of this framework lies in its ability to uncover unmet or underserved needs – the pain points, workarounds, or wishes that signal a gap in the current market.

So, why does identifying these unmet jobs fuel growth? Here are a few core reasons:

1. It Reveals True Customer Intentions

Customers don't always express their needs clearly. They may adapt around problems or settle for "good enough" solutions. By identifying the underlying job they’re trying to do, you can better understand their decision-making and what really matters.

2. It Highlights Market Gaps Before Competitors Spot Them

Pinpointing a gap where no product or service truly satisfies a need offers a head start on innovation. Whether customers are improvising or complaining, these signals point toward valuable, unmet consumer needs.

3. It Helps You Build Solutions That Actually Stick

Innovation flops often result from building for a company’s idea of value – not the customer’s. When new products and experiences are directly tied to an existing job customers care about, they’re more likely to gain traction and build loyalty.

4. It Reduces Risk by Grounding Ideas in Real Insight

Launching a new product concept always comes with risk. But understanding how to identify unmet customer needs – and validating that need through insight – increases the chance of success. It ensures you're not solving a problem no one has.

Real-World Example

Think about ride-sharing apps. People weren’t saying, “we need a better taxi company.” But they were trying to get from one place to another conveniently and cost-effectively. Traditional taxis didn't fully meet those needs. Companies that listened to the job – not just the category – were able to create something far more valuable. Unmet jobs to be done are often hiding in plain sight. The key is paying attention to how people use current products, where they struggle, and what they wish they could do better. As innovation research partners, SIVO helps companies uncover and explore these types of opportunities with precision – combining qualitative and quantitative approaches tuned to the real lives of consumers.

3 Simple Ways to Discover Underserved Customer Needs

Understanding the concept of unmet jobs is the first step. Now the real question becomes, how do you find them? Fortunately, spotting market gaps and discovering actionable insights doesn’t have to be overly complex. There are approachable, effective ways to tap into the voice of the customer and identify real opportunities for product innovation and growth.
Here are three beginner-friendly methods you can use to uncover underserved Jobs to Be Done:

1. Talk to Customers About Their Struggles – Not Just the Product



Traditional customer interviews often focus on feedback about products or features. Instead, shift your focus to the goals they are trying to accomplish. Ask questions like:
  • “What were you trying to do before you used this product?”
  • “What made you look for a solution?”
  • “What frustrations do you run into when doing this task?”


These open-ended questions help surface unmet customer needs, even when people don’t articulate them directly. Look for where they describe workarounds, wishful thinking, or moments they couldn’t get the job done.

2. Observe Real Behavior, Not Just Opinions

Sometimes what people say doesn’t match what they do. Observation research – watching how consumers behave in real-world or digital contexts – provides deep insights that surveys can’t always reach.

For example, if you're researching how people manage mealtime at home, you might notice they use multiple tools to plan, cook, and clean up. That could hint at an unmet need for more integrated or less time-consuming solutions.

Spotting unmet consumer needs often means identifying where people "hack" or improvise their way through a process. Those workarounds are goldmines for discovering new product ideas.

3. Map the Full Customer Journey to Find Gaps

A job to be done doesn’t happen in isolation. By mapping the broader experience – from the initial trigger through to desired outcome – you can identify pain points, drop-offs, or needs that aren’t being addressed well at all.

For example, the full journey of “booking travel for a family vacation” includes searching, comparing, planning, booking, confirming, packing, and post-travel memories. Most solutions only cover one or two parts. Where do frustrations linger? That's where opportunity lives.

Using this simple Jobs to Be Done framework helps identify touchpoints where customers feel unsupported. From there, you can begin validating those needs and testing potential solutions.

Putting It into Action



By combining these approaches – listening to struggles, observing behavior, and examining journeys – you can paint a clear picture of what jobs customers need help with and where the current market falls short.

Businesses that invest in understanding customer behavior in this way don’t just gather data – they gain clarity. Clarity that leads to new product ideas, more relevant experiences, and long-term growth opportunities.

At SIVO Insights, our consumer insights team helps brands discover these underserved jobs through tailored research that’s actionable and human-centered. Whether you’re just starting your journey or seeking deeper expertise, these foundational methods are a great starting point.

How to Validate If a Job Is Truly Unmet or Underserved

How to Validate If a Job Is Truly Unmet or Underserved

Identifying a potential customer need, or “job to be done,” is only the first step. Before you invest time and resources into product development or messaging changes, it’s crucial to validate whether the job is truly unmet or underserved. This ensures you're focusing on real market gaps and not just perceived wants.

The Key Criteria for Validation

A job is considered unmet when customers struggle to complete it with current options. It’s underserved when existing solutions fail to deliver satisfaction, ease, or efficiency. Here are a few ways to assess that:

  • Frequency: How often is the job encountered in the customer’s daily life? More frequent jobs usually signal stronger impact.
  • Frustration or Inefficiency: Are customers regularly expressing dissatisfaction with existing solutions?
  • Workarounds: Are people creating makeshift solutions or combining products because nothing fully meets their need?
  • Importance: Is the job critical to the customer’s success or well-being, even if it's not often talked about?

Simple Methods to Validate an Unmet Job

Even without large-scale studies, you can gather directional insight by combining a few basic research techniques:

1. Customer Interviews: Ask open-ended questions about pain points, frustrations, or compromises customers make. Listen for emotionally charged responses.

2. Observational Research: Watch real customers using current solutions. Are they visibly frustrated? Are they adapting tools in unexpected ways?

3. Survey Data: Ask users to rate their satisfaction with current products or rank how well their needs are met. Look for low scores on key dimensions.

4. Competitive Audit: Review what’s already in the market. If all solutions have similar flaws or none address a core problem, that’s a strong indicator of an underserved job.

Spotting the Right Signals

Ultimately, good validation involves hearing the same unmet need from multiple users – ideally from various segments. If customers describe the same pain points in different ways, chances are there’s a real growth opportunity hiding in plain sight.

The goal of validation isn’t to prove you’re right – it’s to ensure you’re solving a real problem for real people. By grounding your innovation research in these methods, you can confidently pursue ideas that align with authentic consumer behavior and unlock new product ideas with strong market potential.

Examples of Unmet Jobs That Led to Product Breakthroughs

Some of the most successful products in the market today were born out of identifying unmet or underserved jobs to be done. These stories show how uncovering simple, everyday customer pain points can lead to major innovation and business growth.

Case 1: Ride-Sharing Services

Unmet Job: Easily and reliably get transportation, especially when taxis are unavailable or unpredictable.

Before Uber and Lyft, consumers often struggled with inconsistent taxi services – long waits, unclear pricing, and location limitations. By identifying the gap in real-time, on-demand transport, ride-sharing platforms transformed this underserved job into an entirely new market category.

Case 2: Streaming Platforms

Unmet Job: Watch entertainment on your own schedule without ads or paying for unused cable channels.

Services like Netflix started by recognizing a shift in consumer behavior – viewers wanted more control, not just more content. Traditional TV was underdelivering on flexibility. By addressing this unmet job, streaming platforms disrupted an entire industry and sparked a new standard in media consumption.

Case 3: Meal Kit Subscriptions

Unmet Job: Cook healthy meals at home without planning, shopping, or food waste.

Many working adults wanted to prepare meals at home, but lacked the time or confidence to plan recipes and shop for ingredients. Meal kits like HelloFresh and Blue Apron filled this market gap by making it easy to cook without the prep work, unlocking new growth opportunities for the food industry.

Case 4: Noise-Canceling Headphones

Unmet Job: Create focus and quiet in noisy environments like planes, offices, or public spaces.

Travelers and remote workers often struggled to concentrate in distracting settings. Noise-canceling headphones tapped into this need, offering a premium solution that wasn’t widely available before.

What Do These Cases Teach Us?

Each example started with deeply understanding a core customer struggle – not just improving features, but solving around the job itself. The key was listening closely to user behavior, spotting friction points, and then innovating around those gaps.

Whether you’re looking for consumer behavior insights, discovering market gaps for innovation, or generating new product ideas, these examples show the powerful upside of doing rigorous jobs to be done research.

How SIVO Helps You Uncover Hidden Jobs to Be Done

At SIVO Insights, we specialize in helping companies go beyond surface-level behaviors to uncover the 'why' behind the 'what.' Our approach to identifying jobs to be done is grounded in understanding people – their needs, motivations, and pain points – so you can spot real growth opportunities before your competition.

Simplifying Complex Human Behavior

We know consumer behavior isn’t always logical or easy to decode. That’s why we apply a range of qualitative and quantitative research methods to reveal jobs that customers may not articulate themselves – but that still guide their decisions every day.

Our team uses tools like in-depth interviews, ethnographic observation, digital diaries, segmentation insights, and custom surveys to identify opportunities hiding in plain sight. Every project is tailored to your goals, whether you're launching new product ideas, refining your value proposition, or innovating for future growth.

Flexible Options, Actionable Outcomes

We offer two paths to unlock insight:

  • Consumer Insight Projects: Full-service research customized to your category, markets, and audience types. Our CI experts deliver actionable findings designed to drive product innovation and strategic clarity.
  • On Demand Talent (ODT): Need flexible support or interim expertise? Our experienced researchers can plug into your team to guide insight work or supplement capabilities right when you need it.

Unlike rigid templated methods, we don’t force fit your challenge into one framework. We believe the best results come from pairing the right tools with experienced professionals – and adapting based on what the data actually says.

Human-Centered. Industry-Smart.

SIVO’s bench spans major industries and consumer segments. Whether you’re in CPG, healthcare, retail, tech, or beyond, we apply proven methods with nuance – no jargon, no cookie-cutter reports, just clarity to move your business forward.

Ready to find the unmet jobs your customers wish someone would solve? We’re here to help you turn those invisible needs into real innovation growth.

Summary

Uncovering hidden or underserved jobs to be done is one of the most direct paths to spotting innovation potential. When companies understand what customers are trying to accomplish – and the pain points in getting it done – they can identify clear market gaps, fuel new product ideas, and build real competitive advantage.

In this guide, we covered:

  • Why jobs to be done matter: Because they reveal real human needs that often cut across product categories.
  • How to find them: Through observation, conversations, and simple behavioral cues that point to friction.
  • How to test them: Using feedback, market research, and signal tracking to determine if a job is truly unmet or underserved.
  • What success looks like: From ride-sharing to meal kits, many breakthrough products started by solving overlooked jobs.
  • How SIVO helps: With tailored research solutions that turn hidden customer insights into clear growth strategies.

By investing in innovation research rooted in real consumer behavior, you're not just guessing at what's next – you're building with purpose.

Summary

Uncovering hidden or underserved jobs to be done is one of the most direct paths to spotting innovation potential. When companies understand what customers are trying to accomplish – and the pain points in getting it done – they can identify clear market gaps, fuel new product ideas, and build real competitive advantage.

In this guide, we covered:

  • Why jobs to be done matter: Because they reveal real human needs that often cut across product categories.
  • How to find them: Through observation, conversations, and simple behavioral cues that point to friction.
  • How to test them: Using feedback, market research, and signal tracking to determine if a job is truly unmet or underserved.
  • What success looks like: From ride-sharing to meal kits, many breakthrough products started by solving overlooked jobs.
  • How SIVO helps: With tailored research solutions that turn hidden customer insights into clear growth strategies.

By investing in innovation research rooted in real consumer behavior, you're not just guessing at what's next – you're building with purpose.

In this article

Why Finding Unmet Jobs to Be Done Drives Innovation
3 Simple Ways to Discover Underserved Customer Needs
How to Validate If a Job Is Truly Unmet or Underserved
Examples of Unmet Jobs That Led to Product Breakthroughs
How SIVO Helps You Uncover Hidden Jobs to Be Done

In this article

Why Finding Unmet Jobs to Be Done Drives Innovation
3 Simple Ways to Discover Underserved Customer Needs
How to Validate If a Job Is Truly Unmet or Underserved
Examples of Unmet Jobs That Led to Product Breakthroughs
How SIVO Helps You Uncover Hidden Jobs to Be Done

Last updated: May 24, 2025

Curious how SIVO can help you uncover the unmet needs that fuel your next big idea?

Curious how SIVO can help you uncover the unmet needs that fuel your next big idea?

Curious how SIVO can help you uncover the unmet needs that fuel your next big idea?

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