Growth Frameworks
Jobs To Be Done

Jobs to Be Done Framework: A Beginner’s Guide for Business Leaders

Qualitative Exploration

Jobs to Be Done Framework: A Beginner’s Guide for Business Leaders

Introduction

Every product or service solves a problem – but what exactly is that problem in the eyes of your customer? Many businesses assume it's about features or price. In reality, it's deeper than that. Customers 'hire' products to help them make progress in their lives – whether it’s getting a task done, achieving a goal, or overcoming a challenge. That’s the foundation of the Jobs to Be Done (JTBD) framework. JTBD is a human-centered way to understand customer needs by focusing on the *job* a product is meant to accomplish. Instead of asking what people want, it asks: what are they trying to do, and how can we help them do it better? It’s an approach marketing and product teams use to gain real consumer insights that lead to smarter innovation and meaningful business growth.
This beginner’s guide to the Jobs to Be Done framework is designed for business leaders, product innovators, and decision-makers looking to better understand their customers’ behavior and unlock growth opportunities. Whether you manage a fast-growing startup or a well-established brand, knowing the underlying motivations behind why people buy can help sharpen your business strategy, optimize product development, and enhance customer experience. As market research continues to evolve, JTBD stands out as a practical solution for those navigating complex customer needs. It digs deeper than traditional market analysis by uncovering emotional and functional drivers behind consumer decisions. This post covers the basics in clear, simple terms. You'll learn what the Jobs to Be Done theory is, how it applies to real-world product innovation, and how to start using the JTBD framework to better serve your customers – and fuel your company's growth.
This beginner’s guide to the Jobs to Be Done framework is designed for business leaders, product innovators, and decision-makers looking to better understand their customers’ behavior and unlock growth opportunities. Whether you manage a fast-growing startup or a well-established brand, knowing the underlying motivations behind why people buy can help sharpen your business strategy, optimize product development, and enhance customer experience. As market research continues to evolve, JTBD stands out as a practical solution for those navigating complex customer needs. It digs deeper than traditional market analysis by uncovering emotional and functional drivers behind consumer decisions. This post covers the basics in clear, simple terms. You'll learn what the Jobs to Be Done theory is, how it applies to real-world product innovation, and how to start using the JTBD framework to better serve your customers – and fuel your company's growth.

What Is Jobs to Be Done (JTBD) in Market Research?

The Jobs to Be Done (JTBD) framework is a powerful approach within market research that helps businesses understand why consumers choose certain products or services. Rather than focusing solely on demographics, preferences, or usage patterns, JTBD asks a deeper question: what is the customer trying to get done in their life or business?

In simple terms, customers don't just buy products – they “hire” them to perform specific jobs. For example, a person may hire a smoothie not just for taste, but because they're trying to feel healthier during a busy morning routine. That underlying motivation – the “job” – is often invisible unless you know how to identify it.

Understanding the Jobs to Be Done framework

JTBD is a structured way to uncover the unmet needs, motivations, and decision drivers behind customer behavior. These jobs can be:

  • Functional – like getting from point A to point B quickly
  • Emotional – like feeling confident in a social situation
  • Social – like impressing peers or maintaining professional respect

By identifying these jobs, companies can develop offerings that better align with what customers actually need, instead of relying on surface-level assumptions or legacy product features.

A fresh lens for market research

Traditional market research often revolves around segmenting customers into groups or measuring current satisfaction. While those tools are still valuable, JTBD adds another layer – it explores the “why” behind the purchase decision. This leads to insights that are often more actionable because they reflect what people are truly trying to achieve.

Here’s how JTBD fits into business decision-making:

  • Identifies unmet customer needs more clearly
  • Informs product design and feature prioritization
  • Creates stronger messaging strategies based on real motivations
  • Guides company-wide focus on solving meaningful problems

Imagine you run a meal delivery service. You might assume customers choose your product for convenience – but a JTBD approach might reveal that busy parents are really trying to spend more quality time with their children after work. That “job” may lead you to rethink your packaging or offer family-oriented meal plans. (This is a fictional example for illustration.)

JTBD is not replacing other techniques – rather, it complements them by offering another lens through which to view customer behavior and market analysis. It’s a valuable piece of the consumer insight puzzle, especially when paired with robust qualitative and quantitative research methods, like those SIVO Insights provides in our custom solutions.

Why Understanding Customer Jobs Matters for Business Growth

Understanding the jobs your customers are trying to get done is more than an academic exercise – it’s a practical step toward unlocking product innovation and long-term business growth. The Jobs to Be Done framework enables companies to stop guessing what people want and instead truly understand what they need to make progress in their personal or professional lives.

Seeing beyond surface-level behaviors

When businesses rely only on demographic data or purchase patterns, they risk misinterpreting why customers choose a product or abandon it. JTBD digs beneath the ‘what’ to uncover the ‘why’ – the root motivations that drive behavior.

Knowing the “job” allows leaders to:

  • Build products and services that closely match real use cases
  • Streamline offerings to reduce waste, confusion, or misalignment
  • Uncover customer segments based on shared jobs (not just age or location)
  • Create messaging that speaks directly to a customer’s desired outcome

Connecting JTBD to growth opportunities

Market research methods like JTBD reveal hidden demand that may not appear in traditional data. For example, if you learn that a particular customer group is using your service in a way you hadn’t intended – such as using a work productivity app for personal budgeting – that insight could drive an entirely new product line or feature set. Understanding those unexpected jobs leads to innovation and smarter product decisions.

Additionally, knowing your customers' jobs helps you stay ahead of competition. If customers are “hiring” a competitor because it better addresses their goals, JTBD can show exactly where your product falls short. This makes it easier to pivot, adapt, or enhance your offering – with clear evidence to guide you.

Real-world business alignment

JTBD doesn’t just help product teams. When adopted across departments – from marketing and customer care to strategy and design – it creates alignment. Everyone is focused on solving the same set of meaningful customer problems, which builds a culture centered on value creation.

Think of JTBD as a compass for strategic direction. It helps businesses:

  • Prioritize features or initiatives based on what matters most
  • Reduce risk when entering new markets or launching new products
  • Design better customer journeys with clear purpose

Let’s say you’re launching a financial app. Traditional research tells you your customers are millennials who value simplicity. But a JTBD approach might reveal something more actionable: they’re trying to feel more confident in their financial decisions without judgment. That insight suggests different onboarding flows and customer support strategies. (This is a hypothetical illustration.)

JTBD doesn't replace good instincts – it sharpens them. By aligning market research with your customers’ real goals, you set the stage for ongoing innovation, resilience, and customer loyalty. It's a critical tool for leaders who want to grow with intention.

How to Apply the JTBD Framework in Your Business

Bringing the Jobs to Be Done (JTBD) framework into your business starts with shifting how you view your customers. Instead of focusing purely on demographics or purchase data, JTBD encourages you to ask, “What are our customers trying to accomplish?” This mindset sets the stage for uncovering the real customer needs that drive product and service decisions.

Step 1: Conduct Customer Conversations with the Right Focus

The cornerstone of any successful JTBD effort is qualitative research. Whether through interviews, focus groups, or observational studies, dig into the stories behind your customers’ decisions. Focus your questions around the moment of choice – what they were trying to achieve, what frustrated them, what alternatives they considered. This helps surface the true “job” the customer was hiring a product or service to do.

For example, rather than asking, “Why did you buy this software?” explore, “What problem were you trying to solve when you chose this solution?”

Step 2: Identify Functional and Emotional Jobs

Customer jobs typically fall into two categories:

  • Functional jobs: Practical tasks or problems a customer wants solved (e.g., transporting kids safely from school).
  • Emotional jobs: How the customer wants to feel in the process (e.g., feeling confident as a parent).

Recognizing both dimensions helps you develop products and experiences that resonate more deeply. It also ensures you're attuned to underlying customer behavior that traditional market analysis might overlook.

Step 3: Map Jobs Along the Customer Journey

Each customer interaction point may involve a different job. Mapping these across the process – from discovery to decision and ongoing use – reveals gaps or friction points where product innovation or clearer messaging could improve outcomes.

Step 4: Translate Jobs into Opportunity Areas

Once key jobs are identified, ask:

  • Are these jobs adequately addressed by existing offerings?
  • Where are customers improvising or using workarounds?
  • What unmet needs suggest room for new solutions?

This approach uncovers growth opportunities not visible through traditional segmentation or surveys.

JTBD is not a replacement for other market research methods – it’s a powerful complement that aligns product innovation with human behavior. And when paired with solid data analysis, you’ll move from assumptions to actionable strategy.

Examples of Jobs to Be Done in Action

Sometimes the best way to understand a concept is by seeing it applied in real-world contexts. The Jobs to Be Done framework brings clarity to product development and customer experience by exposing the why behind the buy. Here are a few simplified, illustrative examples that demonstrate how JTBD can impact business strategy.

Fictional Example 1: A Meal Kit Service

Instead of asking “Who buys meal kits?” a JTBD approach asks, “What job are customers hiring this service to do?” Through customer interviews, insights reveal:

  • Functional job: Save time on grocery planning and prep during busy weekdays.
  • Emotional job: Feel accomplished and health-conscious despite a demanding schedule.

This understanding leads the company to introduce faster prep options, a “15-minute dinners” category, and better messaging around lifestyle alignment – unlocking new growth opportunities among busy professionals.

Fictional Example 2: A Budget Travel App

Data shows that users drop off after browsing but before booking. A JTBD lens uncovers that users aren’t just looking for low prices – they’re trying to feel confident they’re making the best personal travel choice, often with limited information or time to decide. That “job” includes:

  • Filtering through excessive options quickly
  • Assessing hidden costs (baggage fees, transfers)
  • Validating legitimacy and safety of unknown vendors

With those insights, the brand redesigns its booking interface to be more transparent, adds user reviews, and simplifies comparison tools – resulting in higher conversion rates.

Fictional Example 3: A Fitness Watch Brand

The brand originally positioned itself around tracking performance data. But using JTBD interviews shows that a large segment of buyers are not athletes – they’re people looking to rebuild healthy routines and confidence post-pandemic. For them:

  • Functional job: Set and maintain daily activity goals
  • Emotional job: Feel in control and proud of progress

This shift in perspective led to marketing focused on motivation, progress tracking over perfection, and new “starter” device options – opening up a new customer segment altogether.

Each of these fictional examples shows how understanding customer behavior through a JTBD lens can reveal non-obvious market opportunities. Whether you're in product management, marketing, or customer experience – the framework aligns what you offer with what customers truly need.

Getting Started with JTBD: Simple Steps for Beginners

If this is your first time exploring the Jobs to Be Done framework, don’t worry – you don’t need a giant research team or complex setup to begin. You just need to start approaching customer problems with curiosity and empathy. Here’s a quick guide to get you off the ground.

1. Start with Real Conversations

Set up customer interviews focused on decision moments. Choose 5–10 customers who recently made a purchase, switched to your product, or left your service. Ask questions like:

  • What triggered the need for a solution?
  • What alternatives were considered?
  • What made the final choice feel right (or wrong)?

This helps uncover the “pushes” and “pulls” influencing their behavior – essential for JTBD thinking.

2. Look for Patterns and Jobs

After a few interviews, you’ll likely hear similar themes. Group them into common “jobs” – what the customer wanted to achieve functionally and emotionally. Don’t focus too much on demographics at this stage. Focus on intent and outcome.

3. Map Jobs to Current Offerings

Once you’ve identified key jobs, ask: Are we solving this job well today? Are there pain points we’ve missed? This is where JTBD provides powerful insights for product innovation and positioning strategy.

4. Use JTBD as a Planning Lens

Incorporate the framework into upcoming product planning sessions, marketing strategies, and user experience designs. Ask “Which job is this feature or message supporting?” as a way to stay aligned with real customer needs.

5. Consider Partnering with Market Research Experts

When you're ready to go deeper, consider full-scale market research leveraging JTBD methods. Partnering with experts can help you uncover more nuanced consumer insights, validate jobs across segments, and align findings to your business strategy.

This beginner’s guide to JTBD is just your starting point. The more you connect with the real motivations behind customer decisions, the more effectively you’ll uncover new growth opportunities for your products, services, and brand experiences.

Summary

The Jobs to Be Done framework is a powerful way to rethink how you understand and serve your customers. Instead of starting with the product or the market, JTBD focuses on the underlying human motivation – what customers are actually trying to achieve. In this guide, we explored:

  • What JTBD is and how it fits into market research
  • Why understanding customer jobs reveals deeper needs and unmet opportunities
  • How to apply the JTBD framework in your business with practical steps
  • Examples that show JTBD in action for product innovation and strategy
  • Simple ways to start using JTBD in your own organization – no complex tools required

JTBD is one of many research tools that, when used effectively, can transform your approach to customer behavior, market analysis, and innovation planning. And while it’s great for early-stage ideas, it also adds strategic clarity throughout product cycles and customer experience design.

Whether you're a start-up leader or part of a large organization, embracing JTBD can help align your team around what really matters to your customers – making your next strategic move more confident, focused, and impactful.

Summary

The Jobs to Be Done framework is a powerful way to rethink how you understand and serve your customers. Instead of starting with the product or the market, JTBD focuses on the underlying human motivation – what customers are actually trying to achieve. In this guide, we explored:

  • What JTBD is and how it fits into market research
  • Why understanding customer jobs reveals deeper needs and unmet opportunities
  • How to apply the JTBD framework in your business with practical steps
  • Examples that show JTBD in action for product innovation and strategy
  • Simple ways to start using JTBD in your own organization – no complex tools required

JTBD is one of many research tools that, when used effectively, can transform your approach to customer behavior, market analysis, and innovation planning. And while it’s great for early-stage ideas, it also adds strategic clarity throughout product cycles and customer experience design.

Whether you're a start-up leader or part of a large organization, embracing JTBD can help align your team around what really matters to your customers – making your next strategic move more confident, focused, and impactful.

In this article

What Is Jobs to Be Done (JTBD) in Market Research?
Why Understanding Customer Jobs Matters for Business Growth
How to Apply the JTBD Framework in Your Business
Examples of Jobs to Be Done in Action
Getting Started with JTBD: Simple Steps for Beginners

In this article

What Is Jobs to Be Done (JTBD) in Market Research?
Why Understanding Customer Jobs Matters for Business Growth
How to Apply the JTBD Framework in Your Business
Examples of Jobs to Be Done in Action
Getting Started with JTBD: Simple Steps for Beginners

Last updated: Jun 04, 2025

Curious how JTBD research could reveal hidden growth areas in your business?

Curious how JTBD research could reveal hidden growth areas in your business?

Curious how JTBD research could reveal hidden growth areas in your business?

At SIVO Insights, we help businesses understand people.
Let's talk about how we can support you and your business!

SIVO On Demand Talent is ready to boost your research capacity.
Let's talk about how we can support you and your team!

Your message has been received.
We will be in touch soon!
Something went wrong while submitting the form.
Please try again or contact us directly at contact@sivoinsights.com