The Jobs to Be Done (or JTBD) framework is a way of understanding customer behavior by focusing on the progress they’re trying to make – rather than just what they’re buying. Simply put, it asks: What is the job the customer is hiring this product or service to do?

Unlike traditional market research that looks at demographics or product features, JTBD dives deeper into the customer’s underlying motivations. It helps us explore the ‘why’ behind decisions. Imagine someone buying a new mattress. They're not just purchasing foam and springs – they’re hiring the mattress to help them sleep better, reduce back pain, or feel energized for the day ahead.

Key Elements of the JTBD Approach:

• A Job = Progress a person wants to make: This could be functional (finish a task), emotional (feel confident), or social (look good in front of others).
• Solution-agnostic: JTBD isn’t tied to any one product or service – it focuses on the problem to be solved, regardless of how it's solved today.
• Focus on context: When and why a person feels the need to make a change is just as important as the final decision.

Understanding the JTBD concept helps companies clarify what customers really need. That clarity makes it easier to innovate, improve user experience, or position products more effectively in a crowded market. It also highlights unmet needs – opportunities where customers are struggling to find satisfactory solutions today.

For example, a rideshare app might not just be about getting from point A to B. The real job could be “get home safely late at night” or “arrive on time to an important meeting.” Recognizing this helps the business prioritize features (like safety notifications or guaranteed pickup times) that solve the actual job at hand.

At its core, JTBD is about putting the person first – not just the transaction. By doing so, businesses can deliver more meaningful value while gaining a deeper understanding of their audience’s real goals.

Market research is all about understanding people – their needs, behaviors, and preferences – to guide smarter business decisions. The Jobs to Be Done framework adds another layer of insight by focusing on why customers make decisions, not just what they do. That distinction is incredibly powerful when it comes to driving innovation, marketing strategy, or product development.

By identifying the true ‘job’ a customer is trying to accomplish, JTBD reveals motivations that may not surface through traditional research methods. It helps fill in the gaps that surveys or surface-level interviews might miss – especially when customers don’t know how to articulate their needs outright.

How JTBD Strengthens Market Research:

• Clarifies customer intent: JTBD moves beyond assumptions or stated preferences and explores what’s really driving choices.
• Uncovers hidden needs: Since the focus is on outcomes instead of features, companies can better spot unmet needs or pain points.
• Improves targeting and messaging: When you know the real job, your marketing can speak directly to what customers care about most.
• Enables innovation with purpose: Teams can prototype and test new solutions based on tangible insights – not just hunches.

Let’s consider a practical example. Suppose you’re researching dietary supplement users. Instead of asking why someone buys a multivitamin, JTBD explores what they’re trying to achieve. Maybe it’s "feel more energetic during work hours" or "maintain strength while aging." Each of those jobs points to different motivations – and potentially different product solutions or messages to support them.

Especially for qualitative research, JTBD complements existing tools. Interviews or user research designed with a 'jobs lens' often uncover richer, more actionable insights. For quantitative teams, JTBD ideas can inform better survey questions or segmentation strategies based on functional and emotional goals.

Ultimately, using Jobs to Be Done in consumer insights helps organizations stay grounded in their customers’ reality. It shifts the focus from internal priorities (like features or pricing) to the external context of customers’ lives. That’s a critical mindset for any team looking to grow or innovate responsibly.

For business leaders and decision-makers, this means you can build solutions people truly want – because you understand not just what they’re doing, but why they’re doing it. That’s a crucial step toward creating value that lasts.

One of the biggest strengths of the Jobs to Be Done (JTBD) framework is its ability to uncover real customer needs – the motivation behind why people buy, use, or switch away from products. Rather than focusing solely on product features or demographics, JTBD digs into the deeper question: What is the customer really trying to accomplish?

Why understanding the “job” matters

Customers don’t just buy products – they hire them to get a job done. For example, someone doesn’t buy a drill because they want a tool, but because they need a hole in the wall to hang a family photo. The JTBD framework shifts our focus to goals and outcomes, not just transactions.

This approach is especially valuable in qualitative research and user research. It helps uncover not only what people do, but why they do it. That “why” often reveals underserved needs, friction points, or opportunities for product innovation.

Benefits of using JTBD to understand your audience

• Clarity about customer motivation: JTBD frameworks help businesses move beyond surface-level behaviors to unlock emotional and functional drivers of behavior.
• Better product fit: When companies understand the job a product is hired for, they can design more intuitive and relevant solutions.
• Discovery of competitor alternatives: Jobs aren’t always solved by similar products – for example, a podcast can compete with a meditation app if the job is to “relax during a commute.”

In market research, JTBD techniques help teams identify whether their products are actually solving the right problem for the right people. It's less about brand loyalty and more about utility – does your product help someone make progress in their life?

By re-centering on the customer’s goal – not just the solution – research delivers better consumer insights and drives meaningful business growth.

To see the impact of the JTBD framework, it’s helpful to look at examples across industries. These real-world cases show how companies have leveraged JTBD to better understand customer needs and drive product innovation.

Example 1: Fast-food milkshakes

One of the most cited JTBD examples in market research comes from a fast-food chain trying to improve its milkshake sales. Traditional questions – like "Which flavor do you prefer?" – weren’t delivering results.

Using JTBD interviews, researchers discovered that many customers bought milkshakes early in the morning. The job? To keep them full and occupied during long, dull commutes. Milkshakes were being "hired" not just as a treat, but as a commuting companion.

This insight led the brand to improve consistency and thickness, helping milkshakes last longer – and increased sales significantly.

Example 2: Streaming services

In the entertainment industry, JTBD reveals diverse motivations behind usage. One person might "hire" a streaming platform to unwind at the end of a stressful day, while another watches documentaries to feel more informed and inspired.

Understanding these jobs helps companies tailor recommendations, create better UX design, and even develop original content aligned with specific emotional outcomes.

Example 3: Fitness apps

Rather than assuming users are all trying to “get fit,” a JTBD lens uncovers a range of motivations – training for a marathon, regaining strength post-injury, or establishing a daily routine. Each motivation is a separate job to be done, and meeting those specific goals increases engagement, retention, and satisfaction.

These cases illustrate how JTBD digs beneath the surface to align offering with intention, positioning products and services as true solutions to what customers are already trying to accomplish.

Applying the Jobs to Be Done framework doesn’t require a complete business overhaul. Even small shifts in approach can set your team up to get stronger consumer insights and drive more meaningful product development. Here's how to start simply and effectively.

Step 1: Talk to your customers – differently

Start by conducting interviews or research designed to understand the context around the purchase or use of your product. Ask open-ended questions like:

• What were you hoping to accomplish when you used this product?
• What did you do before finding this solution?
• What challenges did you face along the way?

This approach is foundational in qualitative research and helps uncover functional, social, and emotional jobs users are trying to fulfill.

Step 2: Map out the jobs

Once you collect themes, group them into job types – both big-picture needs and smaller subtasks along the customer journey. Look for overlapping goals that your product or service solves, or could be optimized to solve better.

Step 3: Identify key moments of friction

Find the gaps where users struggle to complete their jobs. These are opportunities for improvement, innovation, or even entirely new offerings. Incorporating JTBD with other user research methods can validate your findings at scale.

Step 4: Align your strategy

Use the JTBD learnings to inform product design, messaging, and positioning. Think from the customer’s job-first perspective. This may influence everything from how you structure your sales page to how you prioritize new features or pivot existing ones.

Why this approach works

When companies focus on what customers are fundamentally trying to achieve, they create better solutions. This not only helps in applying JTBD to product development, but also builds stronger emotional connections with users. It’s one of the reasons JTBD is so effective in driving business growth and innovation.

For many organizations, partnering with a seasoned market research firm like SIVO Insights ensures that JTBD is translated into actionable strategies with clarity and confidence. Whether you're launching something new or optimizing what already exists, JTBD helps ensure you’re building around real people and real progress.