The Jobs to Be Done (JTBD) framework is a way of understanding customers not just by who they are, but by what they’re trying to achieve. Instead of focusing on surface-level traits like age or location, JTBD digs into the task a customer wants to accomplish – or the 'job' they are 'hiring' a product or service to help with.

Imagine someone buys a drill. They don’t truly want a drill – they want a hole in the wall. In fact, they may not even be buying the hole, but the ability to hang up a family photo and make their space feel more like home. That goal – the emotional and functional outcome – is the 'job' the drill is being hired to do. JTBD helps us uncover that kind of insight.

JTBD focuses on outcomes, not demographics

Traditional market research often groups customers based on age, income, or location. While these details can be helpful, they don’t always predict behavior. Two very different people might 'hire' the same product for the exact same purpose – and that shared job links them more meaningfully than their demographics ever could.

A job might be:

• Functional – like getting from point A to B (hiring a ride-sharing app)
• Emotional – like feeling more confident (hiring a new outfit for an interview)
• Social – like gaining approval or fitting in (hiring a certain brand of sneaker)

By identifying these jobs, businesses can stop guessing what people want and start designing around what they truly need.

An easy framework in action

For example, a coffee shop might assume it’s competing with other coffee shops. But JTBD might reveal that some customers are ‘hiring’ the shop as a quiet space to work, while others are seeking a quick caffeine fix on the go. These are two different jobs – and they open the door to two different product strategies, marketing messages, or service models. Recognizing these differences allows the business to innovate smarter, not just louder.

At its core, JTBD is a way to see your offerings through a customer’s eyes and understand what they’re really trying to accomplish. When used as part of a research strategy, it becomes a powerful tool for aligning product development, marketing strategy, and customer experience around authentic needs.

Next, let’s explore why this framework is fueling better growth strategies across industries – and how understanding customer needs through JTBD can directly impact your bottom line.

Understanding why people choose one product or service over another isn’t just helpful – it’s essential for growth. The beauty of the Jobs to Be Done framework is that it reveals the 'why' behind customer decisions in a clear and practical way. By highlighting the outcomes people are looking for, JTBD equips companies to directly address unmet customer needs, improve value propositions, and unlock smarter innovation strategies.

Solving real problems customers care about

Too often, businesses launch new features, campaigns, or even entire products based on assumptions. JTBD helps you get closer to the truth. When you understand the job your product is being hired to do, you can fine-tune it to actually solve the customer’s problem more effectively than alternatives.

Consider this fictional example: A fitness app sees flat user growth, despite offering competitive features. Through JTBD research, they discover that users aren't just looking to track workouts – they're hiring the app to stay accountable during a busy day. This insight sparks a shift from pure tracking towards reminders, quick check-ins, and social challenges – aligning the app more closely to the real job it's being hired for.

Why JTBD supports smarter growth

• Enhances product development by focusing on meaningful needs, not novelty for its own sake
• Informs brand strategy by connecting with customers’ emotional and functional goals
• Improves messaging by speaking directly to the job people want done
• Reveals innovation opportunities by highlighting gaps in current offerings

All of this means more purposeful decision-making, better alignment across teams, and ultimately, solutions that customers value – because they’re designed from the start to help people get something done.

Growth beyond traditional segmentation

By shifting your lens from 'Who is our customer?' to 'What job is our customer trying to do?', businesses open themselves up to broader markets, deeper insights, and more relevant growth strategies. It’s not just about fitting products into a segment – it’s about understanding human behavior and the progress people are trying to make.

At SIVO Insights, we often see that the strongest innovation strategies come when companies stop guessing and start listening. JTBD is one of the tools we use to connect what people want with what businesses offer – bridging the gap between ideas and real-world impact.

Whether you're exploring new product ideas, rethinking your brand positioning, or trying to uncover market whitespace, the Jobs to Be Done approach can guide your next move. And when paired with expert market research tools, JTBD helps root those moves in real, actionable consumer insights.

Understanding the Jobs to Be Done (JTBD) framework becomes much clearer when you see how it works in real business contexts. While every company and product is unique, the core idea – identifying what your customers are truly trying to accomplish – stays the same. Let’s look at some simple and relatable examples of how JTBD helps brands align better with customer needs and promote smarter growth.

Example 1: Helping People “Get a Healthy Start to the Day”

A fictional smoothie brand might initially define its target customers as health-conscious millennials. But through a JTBD lens, they learn that these customers aren’t just buying smoothies – they’re hiring the product to help them feel energized and make a quick, healthy choice in the morning.

That shift in thinking highlights the real job: “Get a healthy start to my day even when I’m in a rush.” With that insight, the brand could enhance packaging for on-the-go use, emphasize energy and convenience in marketing messages, and even develop subscription delivery options for busy mornings.

Example 2: Booking Travel to “Feel in Control During a Trip”

A fictional hotel chain aiming to attract solo business travelers might assume these guests care only about location and cost. But a JTBD approach reveals a deeper customer job: “Feel in control and prepared during business trips.”

This insight inspires the hotel to offer features like self-check-in, mobile room keys, automated scheduling reminders, and curated local recommendations – offerings that speak directly to the emotional and practical needs of the traveler.

Example 3: Buying Tools to “Be Capable and Confident in DIY Projects”

Imagine a home improvement retailer learning that customers shop for drills not simply to make holes, but to “feel capable and confident when fixing something on my own.” That job reveals an emotional layer of customer behavior.

By addressing that job, the company could adjust its product displays, offer workshops or content with tips, and create empowering campaign messages that say, “Yes, you can handle this project.”

Why These Examples Matter

Each of these fictional cases illustrates an important point: JTBD helps brands tap into why customers choose a certain solution – not just who they are or what they buy. It moves beyond demographic or product data and into the realm of motivation and behavior, uncovering the real forces that drive purchasing decisions.

For companies looking to refine their product strategy, messaging, or innovation approach, understanding these hidden customer jobs is a powerful place to start.

Understanding the Jobs to Be Done framework is one thing – applying it effectively is where the real value lies. By incorporating JTBD into your product development and brand strategy, you gain a sharper focus on what customers truly need, and how your offerings can serve those needs more meaningfully. Here's how to get started.

Use JTBD as a Lens for Product Innovation

Many companies are tempted to add new features based on what competitors are doing or what seems technically exciting. But a JTBD approach shifts the focus: What is the customer trying to accomplish? What obstacles stand in their way?

Start by gathering data through interviews, surveys, or observational research to identify the core jobs your product is being hired to do. Then, prioritize solutions that remove friction or better fulfill that job. Sometimes, the best innovation isn't a new feature – it's simply doing the core job better, faster, or more intuitively.

Align Marketing to Real Customer Motivations

JTBD gives clarity to your brand message by revealing what your product means to your customer. When you market based on tasks and emotional goals – rather than just features or specs – you speak the customer’s language.

For example, instead of promoting a wearable fitness tracker as “the most advanced heart-rate monitor,” reframe the story as “the easiest way to stay motivated and track healthy progress.” This connects directly to the job customers are hiring it for: staying on top of their health journey.

Take a Cross-Functional Approach

JTBD works best when it informs multiple areas of the business:

• Product teams can prioritize development based on top customer jobs.
• Marketing teams can craft campaigns that reflect customers’ real aspirations.
• Sales teams can better position products based on the outcomes they enable.
• Customer support can proactively address job-related pain points.

This alignment amplifies the benefits of using JTBD in both product strategy and market research – creating more relevant offerings and more resonant messaging.

Start Small, Scale Smart

You don’t need to overhaul everything to begin using JTBD. Start with one key product or customer segment and apply the framework. Gather data, identify top jobs, and test small changes in how you position or deliver your offering.

As you see results, you can expand your use of JTBD and incorporate it into a broader innovation strategy to fuel customer-driven business growth.

While the Jobs to Be Done framework provides a powerful lens for understanding customer behavior, itself it isn’t a standalone tool – it delivers the most impact when paired with smart, evidence-based market research. That’s where SIVO comes in.

Turning Customer Goals into Actionable Insights

At SIVO Insights, we specialize in identifying and understanding real customer needs through tailored market research methodologies. Whether it’s a product strategy pivot or a brand message refresh, JTBD research can strengthen every decision by zeroing in on the outcomes customers are seeking.

Through our custom research solutions – including qualitative and quantitative approaches – we help uncover the why behind customer choices, going beyond surface-level answers to uncover the deeper beliefs, motivations, and jobs they're hiring your product or service to do.

A Strategic Research Partner for JTBD

Applying JTBD successfully often requires more than interviews or surveys – it takes a thoughtful blend of research tools tailored to your audience and challenge. SIVO offers:

• Full-service custom research to help you deeply explore customer jobs and test innovations that fulfill them
• Growth frameworks that integrate JTBD insights into your broader innovation or product roadmap
• Organizational intelligence to bring JTBD thinking across teams for unified focus on customer centricity
• Flexible talent models – through On Demand Talent – when you need embedded support to carry the work forward

We meet you where you are, whether you’re kicking off a new product development cycle or refining a mature offering with fresh perspective.

One of the biggest benefits of using Jobs to Be Done research with a partner like SIVO is that we make the complex simple. By clarifying what your customers are trying to achieve – and showing you the barriers and motivators they face – we guide your team toward ideas and strategies that resonate and stick.

This kind of insight not only elevates your product and brand strategy – it creates a strong foundation for long-term business growth based on empathy, evidence, and impact.