Jobs to Be Done (JTBD) is a framework in business strategy and market research that focuses on the underlying goals or 'jobs' customers are trying to accomplish when they use a product or service. Rather than concentrating only on who your customers are, the JTBD model encourages you to look at what they’re trying to achieve – in other words, the progress they’re seeking through a purchase or choice.

Think of it like this: a customer doesn't buy a drill because they want a drill – they buy it because they need a hole in the wall. That need – the job that needs doing – is the key to understanding behavior, and that’s what JTBD helps to uncover. For businesses, this shift in thinking unlocks more targeted product innovation and clearer insights into what truly drives demand.

Why businesses find JTBD useful

Many traditional market research approaches focus on customer attributes like age, income, or preferences. While these are helpful, they don’t always reveal why someone makes a decision to buy or switch. The JTBD framework adds depth by revealing the full customer journey and the context behind decisions.

Businesses apply JTBD thinking to:

• Guide product development by focusing on real user needs
• Identify market opportunities not yet served by existing solutions
• Improve messaging by aligning it with customer priorities
• Create clearer, more useful segmentation based on needs instead of demographics

Is JTBD just for product teams?

No – while product development teams often use the JTBD model, it’s equally valuable across marketing, customer experience, and even executive leadership. By placing customer needs at the heart of decision-making, the approach helps align internal teams around a shared understanding of who they’re serving and why.

For example, a fictional online fitness company might discover through JTBD research that users aren’t just hiring their app to exercise – they’re hiring it to feel accomplished in a short amount of time because they have busy schedules. This insight leads to product updates that emphasize quick win workouts and generates a new marketing angle focused on productivity. These are the kinds of business shifts JTBD can enable.

In short, Jobs to Be Done offers a structured yet flexible way to get closer to the hidden motivations behind customer behavior. That knowledge is what drives more precise decisions and ultimately powers business growth.

Understanding what motivates your customers is one of the most valuable advantages in today’s competitive market. The JTBD framework helps businesses dig deeper than general preferences or satisfaction scores – revealing what customers are trying to achieve in their own lives and why they turn to specific solutions to help them get there.

Customer motivation isn’t always obvious. On the surface, someone might say they switched brands for a lower price. But through Jobs to Be Done research, you might find out they were actually frustrated with complexity, or they needed something faster, more flexible, or emotionally reassuring. These unspoken factors often lead consumers to make a 'hire' – choosing one solution over another to accomplish a personal goal.

Breaking down motivation with JTBD

The JTBD approach asks us to think in terms of goals and outcomes. Customers make decisions based on their desire to make progress, not because they're loyal to a category or brand. This model splits motivation into two key forces:

• Push and pull: The situation that pushes a customer away from their current solution and the appeal (pull) of a better alternative
• Habits and anxieties: The hesitation to switch due to existing routines or concerns about the new option

By mapping these forces, businesses get a clearer picture of what drives a customer toward or away from a particular product, enabling them to create better-targeted offerings.

Real-world example: a fictional case

Let’s say a fictional company provides prepared meal kits. On the surface, customers want convenience. But through JTBD research, they discover the real job customers are hiring them to do is to reduce family stress and reclaim dinner time without feeling guilty about nutrition. That deeper motivation reshapes not only how the product is packaged and priced but also how it’s positioned in marketing campaigns.

This level of understanding allows teams – especially those in product development, marketing, and customer success – to make informed choices that align with what truly matters to their audience. In essence, JTBD helps you become a better listener by showing where customer behavior starts and why it happens.

A tool for clearer customer focus

When teams understand the “why” behind behavior, it becomes easier to:

• Design more relevant products that solve real problems
• Create messaging that speaks to emotional and functional needs
• Uncover growth opportunities where current solutions fall short

That’s why the JTBD framework is becoming a go-to strategy for business leaders who want practical, dependable tools for understanding their customers. It doesn’t replace traditional market research – it enhances it. Teams that pair JTBD thinking with consumer insights uncover not just what customers do, but why they do it – and how businesses can meet those needs more effectively.

The Jobs to Be Done (JTBD) framework offers a powerful way for companies to reframe how they view their products and services. Rather than focusing solely on demographics or product features, JTBD looks at the why behind customer decisions — what job they’re “hiring” a product or service to do. This mindset shift can unlock deep strategic value across multiple areas of a business.

Sharper Customer Focus

JTBD can uncover hidden patterns in customer behavior by digging into real needs, struggles, and goals. By understanding what motivates purchase decisions, businesses are better equipped to serve customers more effectively. This makes it easier to align marketing messages, product design, and customer experience with what people truly care about.

Smarter Product Innovation

Product development teams often fall into the trap of building features without knowing which ones matter most. With JTBD, teams stop guessing. Instead, they gain clarity on the core problem the customer wants to solve. That insight helps organizations prioritize development efforts around high-impact solutions, boosting product-market fit and increasing chances of success.

Reduced Risk in Strategic Decisions

By focusing on jobs rather than just preferences or opinions, businesses can avoid costly missteps. Whether you’re entering a new market, repositioning a product, or investing in a new concept, the JTBD model helps validate whether customers will find real value in your solution – before you invest heavily in launching it.

Stronger Cross-Functional Alignment

Because JTBD is centered around a common language of customer goals, it brings different teams onto the same page. Marketing, design, engineering, and sales can anchor their work around shared insights. This reduces siloed thinking and creates unity around what the customer really needs, not just what the business offers.

Benefits at a Glance:

• Improved product innovation and design direction
• Deeper understanding of customer needs and motivation
• Better market research outcomes through clearer targeting
• More effective marketing and messaging strategies
• Alignment across teams on customer-centric goals

When used well, the JTBD approach becomes more than just a tool – it becomes a lens for thinking. One that reveals opportunities for business growth by focusing on the customer's true intent.

While the theory behind the JTBD model is compelling, it becomes much easier to grasp when applied to real-world business challenges. Below are a few fictional (but realistic) scenarios to show how businesses might use JTBD to unlock growth opportunities.

Example 1: A Breakfast Brand Shifts Its Focus

A company selling breakfast bars initially focused on promoting health benefits. However, interviews with regular buyers revealed that most were grabbing the bars on rushed mornings – not to be healthier, but because they needed a quick, portable energy boost during their commute. With this newfound insight, the brand repositioned as a convenient “on-the-go fuel” option. The result? Sales increased, and messaging became far more relevant.

Example 2: Banking App Simplifies Customer Onboarding

A fintech company offering a mobile banking service wanted to improve app downloads. Using JTBD research, they learned that users weren’t just looking to “easily open a bank account” – they wanted to feel in control of their finances after a major life event, like starting a new job or moving cities. The team redesigned onboarding flows around this job, including smarter budgeting features and contextual support. Engagement metrics improved significantly.

Example 3: Retailer Rethinks Loyalty Program

A retail chain noticed a drop in its loyalty program usage. Standard surveys pointed to “lack of interest,” but JTBD research painted a richer picture. Loyal customers weren’t looking for more coupons – they wanted perks that made shopping easier during busy weeks. The retailer updated the program to include faster checkout options, store recommendations based on routines, and auto-refill services on favorite products.

Each example shows how focusing on the job a product or service is hired to do can highlight unexpected ways to innovate and delight customers.

Why These JTBD Examples Matter for Business Growth

These scenarios demonstrate that even small changes – when tied directly to customer purpose – can lead to measurable improvements in satisfaction and performance. The JTBD framework helps uncover these ideas before they surface in sales declines or customer churn, which makes it a proactive tool for sustainable growth.

Whether you're in CPG, tech, retail, or services, chances are your customers are navigating decisions through the lens of jobs they need to get done. JTBD helps you tap into that mindset and create solutions that matter.

The Jobs to Be Done framework is a valuable addition to your market research toolkit, but as with any tool, it works best in specific contexts. Understanding when to use JTBD – and when other research approaches might be better suited – can make a big difference in the quality and relevance of your insights.

Use JTBD When You Need to Understand Motivation

JTBD shines when you're trying to uncover why people make the choices they do. If you want to dig deep into the emotional, functional, or social drivers behind behavior, JTBD is likely your best bet. It's ideal for:

• Identifying unmet customer needs and pain points
• Guiding product innovation or improvement
• Repositioning existing offerings to better match real-world use

This framework doesn’t just reveal what users say they want – it helps surface what they actually need to get something done in their lives.

Where Traditional Market Research Still Excels

JTBD is powerful, but it complements – rather than replaces – methods like:

• Surveys: Best for quantifying customer opinions at scale or validating known patterns
• Segmentation studies: Useful to group customers by behaviors, demographics, or psychographics
• Usability testing: Ideal for assessing usability of features, interfaces, or workflows

In these cases, your goal may be primarily to measure, while JTBD helps you understand.

JTBD Works Best Early in the Development Process

If you're at the ideation or early design stage of a new offering, JTBD can set a strong foundation. It helps ensure your team is solving the right problem before investing in solutions. That clarity reduces rework and aligns business strategy with what customers truly value.

Pair JTBD With Other Insights Approaches

At SIVO, we frequently integrate JTBD research into broader Consumer Insights programs. For example, we might use qualitative interviews to uncover jobs, then validate them through larger-scale survey work. This combined approach gives teams both the depth and confidence they need to move forward.

Ultimately, asking “is JTBD right for this?” can help you focus your research in the direction of customer-centered innovation. Paired with other market research tools, the JTBD model becomes an engine not just for understanding consumer behavior – but for turning that understanding into growth.