The Jobs to Be Done (JTBD) framework is a customer-centered approach that helps businesses understand the true motivations behind why people choose, use, and switch between products or services. Instead of focusing solely on traditional market segments, JTBD invites you to ask a more powerful question: What “job” is the customer trying to get done?

In this context, a “job” isn’t about employment. It’s about a desired outcome – what someone is trying to accomplish in their life or business. For example, someone may “hire” a smoothie to replace a skipped breakfast during their morning commute, not just because they like how it tastes. That small shift in perspective is what makes JTBD so transformational in new market research and strategy.

Why JTBD Gives You an Edge in Market Entry

When you enter a new market, you’re often dealing with unfamiliar consumer behavior, untested assumptions, and limited data. Relying solely on standard demographics or competitive benchmarking can leave you with blind spots. JTBD fills those gaps by helping you:

• Identify the real motivations behind customer choices
• Spot unmet needs and underserved jobs in the market
• Design offerings that fit into a customer’s life, not just the shelf
• Develop a go-to-market strategy rooted in actual demand

This is especially useful when launching in a category where you have less historical data or customer familiarity. JTBD frames your market strategy around outcomes instead of personas, which can be more adaptable across cultures, business types, or industries.

A Real-Life Inspired Example

Imagine a fictional company entering the home fitness market. Traditional research may focus on age, income, or gym usage patterns. But using the Jobs to Be Done framework, they discover that a major job people are trying to accomplish is staying consistent with workouts despite a busy schedule. That insight drives them to build a product focused on small, time-efficient routines with smart reminders – addressing the real job, not just the fitness category.

JTBD vs. Traditional Segmentation

Where other methods might sort customers by age or region, JTBD groups them by shared motivations. This helps companies understand why their product will matter, not just who might buy it. It’s a subtle but critical shift – especially when entering a new market where assumptions about customer needs could be misleading.

In short, JTBD gives companies a clearer, more grounded way to develop products, services, and strategies that align with how consumers actually behave. This focus on outcomes – paired with smart new market research – helps businesses fine-tune product-market fit from day one.

One of the most powerful advantages of the Jobs to Be Done framework is its ability to uncover unmet customer needs – the gaps between what consumers want to achieve and what current solutions offer. When entering a new market, these insights reveal opportunities for differentiation and innovation.

Why Unmet Needs Are Hard to Spot

Traditional market research often captures what customers say, but not always what they need. People may not articulate their frustrations clearly or may accept workarounds as “good enough.” JTBD digs deeper by focusing on what people are actually trying to accomplish, regardless of what solutions they’re currently using.

By studying the context, motivations, and constraints around a customer’s job, JTBD enables teams to see beyond surface preferences. Instead of asking, “What features do you want?” the question becomes, “What problems are you trying to solve, and how are current options falling short?”

How JTBD Reveals Gaps in a New Market

Let’s say your company wants to expand into the food delivery space. There are plenty of services available, but JTBD might reveal a job like: “Get healthy meals without the stress of choosing what to order every night.” That insight points to an unmet need around decision fatigue – something not addressed by platforms offering endless choice.

When you apply JTBD during early stages of market entry research, you’re more likely to spot:

• Pain points in a user’s current routine
• Gaps between expectations and reality
• Workarounds that signal underlying needs
• Emotional, social, and functional drivers of behavior

Each of these signals can inform product innovation or messaging strategies tailored to actual needs in that target audience – instead of guessing or mimicking competitors.

Applying Insights to Shape Strategy

Once you identify unmet needs, you gain a clearer path for positioning your product or service in that specific market. Your go-to-market plan can then directly address the jobs customers are trying to accomplish, improving your odds of relevance and traction.

For example, a fictional startup entering the pet care industry might find an underserved job: “Make my dog feel less anxious when I’m not home.” That insight could inspire solutions such as smart comfort devices – rather than just food or toy options. JTBD helps companies uncover these hidden lanes of opportunity.

Supporting Business Growth from Day One

JTBD is more than a research tool – it’s a clarity engine. When used effectively, it sharpens your understanding of consumer insights, increases confidence in entering a new market, and supports long-term business growth by keeping customer needs at the center of strategy.

To recap, understanding how to uncover unmet customer needs through this framework helps companies:

• Validate product-market fit before launching
• Reduce risk by avoiding misjudged assumptions
• Design products or services that solve meaningful problems
• Create messaging that resonates from day one

As you explore new market opportunities, JTBD gives you a way to focus on what really matters: building solutions people are already looking to hire.

Start with defining the customer’s primary job

The foundation of the Jobs to Be Done framework begins by identifying the main “job” customers are trying to accomplish. This means focusing on what the customer is really hiring a product or service to do – not simply the product itself. For example, a new meal delivery service isn't just selling food; it's helping busy consumers save time, eat healthier, or simplify weekly planning.

Observe and interview your target audience

To capture real customer needs, talk directly with potential users in your new market. Use open-ended interviews to explore how they currently solve their problem, what limitations they face, and what outcomes they truly value. Listen for phrases like, “I wish there was a way to…” or “It’s frustrating when…” These are strong signals of unmet needs and innovation opportunities.

Some useful prompts might include:

• “Tell me about the last time you tried to solve [X problem]...”
• “What made you decide on that solution?”
• “What would an ideal solution look like to you?”

Map out the job using a JTBD job map

Once you’ve collected qualitative insights, organize them into a job map framework. This breaks down the larger job into smaller steps – from recognizing the need to evaluating success afterward. Mapping helps uncover friction points and identify stages where customers feel underserved or unsupported. You can then design your market approach accordingly to specifically address these moments.

Prioritize unmet needs

Not all needs are created equal. Assess which parts of the job are both important to customers and poorly satisfied by current options. This is where product innovation and differentiation matter most. You can then use these unmet needs to guide product design, messaging, or even pricing and delivery strategies in your go-to-market plan.

Design your solution and positioning around the job

With crystal clear understanding of the job to be done, shape your offering to align with those customer goals. Whether it's a product, service, or platform, aim to position it as the best way to get the job done – better, faster, or more conveniently than alternatives.

This JTBD-driven approach helps business leaders reduce guesswork, validate product-market fit, and build a more focused market strategy when entering new industries or launching new solutions.

A consumer tech company enters the wellness space

Imagine a fictional tech startup known for wearables that wants to branch into the sleep improvement space. Rather than relying solely on technical features like “advanced tracking,” they take a JTBD approach. Through interviews, they discover that their target audience isn’t just looking to track sleep – they want to wake up feeling rested and productive. The job to be done isn’t passive measurement – it’s achieving better mornings.

With this insight, the company designs its launch around clear messaging (“Energy to start your day right”) and adds features that guide behavior change, like evening routines and personalized sleep coaching. The result? Product-market fit and stronger emotional resonance with the audience.

A packaged foods brand addresses busy young professionals

Consider a fictional food brand expanding into a new market segment: health-conscious, time-strapped city dwellers. Using the JTBD framework, they identify the true job isn't “eating healthier” but “feeling in control of my choices during hectic workdays.” That insight shapes both meal formats (ready-to-go, no fuss) and branding focused on empowerment and daily wins.

Instead of generic health claims, the messaging emphasizes how it helps users stay on track without sacrificing time – positioning the brand as a partner in the customer’s larger goal of balance.

Insights like these fuel differentiation

These examples – while fictional – illustrate how using JTBD for market entry shifts the focus from what your product is to what it actually does for people in real life. This mindset helps tailor innovations to precise customer needs and align launch strategies to the emotions and motivations driving real-world decisions.

Whether you're launching in a new country, pivoting industries, or rolling out a brand extension, JTBD ensures you anchor your market strategy in unmet needs – not assumptions.

JTBD identifies the “why” – market research uncovers the “how”

While the Jobs to Be Done framework gives businesses a powerful lens to view consumer behavior through the job they are trying to accomplish, it becomes even more effective when paired with thoughtful market research. Together, they deliver a fuller picture of both motivation and context in new markets.

Market research – particularly qualitative and quantitative methods – can validate and expand on JTBD insights, helping to craft a go-to-market strategy with confidence. This partnership is especially useful when entering unfamiliar industries or geographies where assumptions can be costly.

Where the synergy lives

• Qualitative research uncovers the emotional triggers, beliefs, and real-world workarounds customers use today – aligning perfectly with JTBD exploration.
• Quantitative surveys help prioritize which jobs, outcomes, or unmet needs are most widespread or urgent across customer segments.
• Segmentation studies can uncover which groups are most likely to “hire” your new offering – refining your target audience and market entry strategy.

For example, if your product addresses multiple potential jobs across different user types, market research can help you focus on the most viable entry point – saving time and investment later on.

A stronger foundation for launch decisions

Using JTBD and market research in tandem supports smarter business growth by reducing risk and bringing clarity to complex markets. Rather than guessing which features will resonate, or which audiences to prioritize, you build go-to-market strategies grounded in real consumer insights.

At SIVO Insights, our custom research methodologies are designed to complement modern strategy tools like JTBD, helping brands confidently uncover what drives customer behavior and how to design offerings people truly want.