At first glance, Jobs to Be Done (JTBD) and use cases might seem like two ways of saying the same thing – but they aren’t. Each serves a different purpose in product management and UX research. Here's how the two approaches differ at their core.

Use Cases: Focusing on Interaction

A use case is a structured description of how a user interacts with a product to complete a specific task. It usually follows a step-by-step narrative, outlining what a user does, how the system responds, and what success looks like.

Use cases are ideal during later stages of product development when teams are refining features, designing workflows, or preparing technical specifications. They’re about defining the “how.”

Typical use case elements include:

• The user (or actor)
• The goal of the interaction
• The steps taken by the user and system
• Expected outcomes or exceptions

Jobs to Be Done: Focusing on Motivation

In contrast, JTBD is a strategic framework used to understand the deeper purpose behind a user’s behavior. It centers on the job – a task or problem people want to solve in their lives – regardless of the tools or products they currently use.

Rather than asking, “How does a customer use our app to order coffee?” JTBD asks, “What is the customer trying to accomplish when ordering coffee?” That distinction might reveal jobs like “feel energized for the day” or “take a break from work stress.”

JTBD vs Use Cases: Key Differences

Here are a few ways JTBD and use cases compare:

• Perspective: JTBD looks at the broader personal or emotional goal; use cases focus on tactic-based interactions with a product
• Timing: JTBD is often used early in the market research or innovation phase; use cases come into play during product design and development
• Flexibility: JTBD is product-agnostic (it doesn’t assume your tool is the solution); use cases usually assume your product is already in use

In summary, traditional use cases help you optimize what you’re building. Jobs to Be Done helps you understand why you’re building it in the first place. Both are valuable – but they serve different goals in the journey of insight-driven product development.

When it comes to truly understanding customer needs, the Jobs to Be Done framework often uncovers richer, more actionable consumer insights than traditional use cases. Why? Because JTBD gets to the heart of human motivation – not just task completion.

Understanding User Behavior Beyond the Interface

Use cases are grounded in system behavior. They tell us how users behave within a platform, outlining workflows at a surface level. But they rarely explore the user’s world outside the product – such as daily routines, pain points, or unmet desires driving those actions.

JTBD, by contrast, is user-first instead of product-first. It asks, “What problem does the user want to solve in their life, and what outcomes matter most to them?” That lens allows you to design experiences that align with what people care about most – not just what they click on.

JTBD Motivations: Functional, Emotional, Social

A core strength of the JTBD framework is its ability to uncover three layers of user motivation:

By identifying all three, JTBD paints a more complete picture of user behavior. This leads to product decisions that are not only usable but emotionally resonant – a key factor in lasting customer loyalty.

Real-World Example: Ordering Lunch

Let’s say you’re designing a food delivery app. A use case might read:

“A user opens the app, selects a restaurant, adds items to the cart, and checks out.”

It describes WHAT the user does. Helpful, but limited.

Now consider a JTBD approach:

“When I’m short on time between meetings, I want to quickly order something healthy so I can stay energized and focused.”

This 'job' opens design opportunities around time-saving features, meal recommendations, or even smart scheduling. It reflects not just the interaction, but the user’s broader context and goals.

Why Product Teams and UX Researchers Prefer JTBD

Modern product managers and UX research teams increasingly leverage JTBD to guide early-stage product development, roadmap prioritization, and concept testing. Here’s why it works:

• Uncovers unmet needs in saturated markets
• Helps differentiate features based on actual user outcomes
• Supports innovation beyond minor updates or iterations

Ultimately, JTBD enables researchers and business leaders to translate abstract customer needs into concrete product strategies. It complements – rather than replaces – traditional methodologies like use cases. But when you need deeper clarity about user intent, JTBD offers the more powerful lens.

Understanding when to leverage Jobs to Be Done (JTBD) versus traditional use cases can dramatically improve your product discovery process. These two tools serve different, but complementary, purposes depending on your product team’s goals. While both aim to clarify user behavior and guide product development, the depth and nature of insights they generate vary.

Use JTBD when you're exploring underlying customer needs

If you're at the early stage of product discovery – trying to understand what problems your customers are really trying to solve – JTBD is the most effective choice. It uncovers why people hire a product or service to make progress in their lives. This broader context helps shape innovative features, improve the product-market fit, and spark future-facing ideas.

JTBD is especially valuable when you:

• Need a deeper look into user motivations and frustrations
• Want to uncover new product opportunities through unmet needs
• Are focusing on early-stage innovation or entering a new market
• Are designing a product that can be used in different ways by various segments

Use cases are better suited for defining product interaction

When it's time to think through how your users will interact with specific features or interfaces, use cases provide the structure you need. They describe the step-by-step user interaction with your product in a way that’s concrete and buildable. This makes them popular with engineering, UX research, and design teams during solution development.

Use cases are helpful when you:

• Need to map technical or functional product requirements
• Want to visualize how a user performs a task with an interface or system
• Are preparing design specs or UI wireframes
• Need input for QA testing and user flow evaluation

Combining JTBD and use cases for full coverage

Rather than seeing JTBD and use cases as either-or tools, many successful product management teams use both. JTBD identifies the goal; use cases define the path to reach it. For example, JTBD might tell you that customers want to “feel confident getting dinner on the table quickly,” while use cases would outline how they select a recipe, add ingredients to a cart, and check out.

In short, JTBD is best for uncovering strategic opportunity spaces, while use cases guide you through tactical implementation. Choose based on whether you're identifying what to build – or how to build it.

The best way to understand the difference between Jobs to be Done and use cases is by looking at practical, real-world examples. Let’s walk through a few simple scenarios that illustrate how each approach frames the customer perspective in different ways.

Example 1: Grocery delivery app

JTBD: “When I’ve had a long day at work and have no energy to cook, I want to get dinner on the table fast so my family can eat together and I can relax.”

Use Case: “User logs into the app, browses pre-made meal kits, adds one to cart, selects delivery time, and checks out.”

Takeaway: The JTBD explains the emotional and functional need (save time, reduce stress), while the use case focuses on the interaction flow within the app.

Example 2: Fitness tracking wearable

JTBD: “I want to feel in control of my health by tracking my daily movement, so I know I’m meeting my fitness goals.”

Use Case: “User syncs their watch with the app, views daily step count, compares it to weekly average, and shares it with a trainer.”

Takeaway: JTBD offers insight into the user’s intrinsic motivation and effort to improve their health. The use case shows how your product supports that journey at the feature level.

Example 3: Online learning platform

JTBD: “I want to keep growing professionally so I can stay competitive in my career and feel accomplished.”

Use Case: “User searches for a course, filters by difficulty level, signs up, and watches the first lesson.”

Takeaway: JTBD provides the human-centric reason for seeking your product, aiding in content strategy and positioning. The use case guides developers and designers on feature integration and smooth user flow.

In all three examples, JTBD highlights why people care, while use cases explain how they interact. Used together, they give insight into user behavior, product development, and UX planning with more clarity.

At SIVO, we believe effective product development begins with a deep understanding of customer needs – not just what people say they want, but what progress they’re actually trying to make. That’s why our researchers use the Jobs to Be Done framework to uncover the motivations behind consumer choices in a way traditional use cases can’t.

We start by listening to life, not just product

Our approach goes far beyond asking, “What would you like this product to do?” Using qualitative interviews, ethnographic methods, and real-world scenarios, we dig into the situations that lead people to seek out a product or brand in the first place. This helps us understand the context in which consumers make decisions – and what they’re really hiring a solution to do.

For example, if someone buys an air purifier, it may not just be about cleaner air – it could be about protecting a child with asthma or creating a home environment that feels safe. That emotional depth fuels decisions. Through JTBD-informed consumer insights, we capture that hidden intent.

We translate motivations into actionable insights

JTBD is not just about curiosity – it’s about clarity. At SIVO, we take what we learn and turn it into outcomes you can use. By mapping jobs to customer segments and aligning them with triggers and pain points, we help clients prioritize product features, refine brand messaging, and identify new growth opportunities. This is where JTBD in product development becomes most powerful – it offers a roadmap for relevance.

Human-first insights, always

In a landscape where automation and AI tools are increasingly common, we remain firm in our belief that real insight comes from human observation, empathy, and connection. Consumer needs and behaviors are nuanced, and our team knows how to capture those nuances using JTBD without losing sight of your product’s practical realities.

Whether you’re building a new solution or repositioning an existing one, SIVO uses JTBD to provide insight into the real human stories behind data – supporting innovation that resonates today and sustains tomorrow.