Jobs To Be Done (JTBD) is a framework that helps product teams understand the underlying motivations behind customer behavior. Instead of simply describing what customers do or like, JTBD explores why they do it. This makes JTBD a powerful tool during strategic planning, especially in Agile environments where understanding customer needs is key to delivering meaningful value.

Understanding JTBD in Product Development

At its core, the JTBD concept centers around the idea that people “hire” products and services to get a job done. These jobs aren’t necessarily about tasks – they’re about progress. Whether the job is to feel more confident, save time, or stay connected, JTBD connects product development with deeper emotional and practical goals.

This clarity is invaluable when setting direction for a product roadmap or making investment decisions. Instead of focusing only on features or user types, JTBD allows Agile teams to organize around the problems customers are trying to solve. As a market research framework, it brings a data-driven, human-centered approach to strategic thinking.

How Agile Teams Apply JTBD

During upfront product planning stages, Agile teams use the JTBD framework to:

• Identify underserved customer needs
• Prioritize market segments based on unmet demand
• Develop product value propositions that align with real-life use cases
• Guide ideation sessions with concrete problem statements
• Complement personas and journey maps with motivational context

For example, imagine a mobile payment app team trying to uncover new feature ideas. A behavioral research study based on JTBD might reveal that people aren’t just trying to “make mobile payments,” but rather to “feel confident managing small purchases while traveling abroad.” That insight gives the team a strategic direction that goes beyond the surface behaviors.

JTBD as a Bridge Between Research and Strategy

One of the strengths of JTBD is how it integrates market research directly into strategic decision-making. Instead of relying solely on user demographics or habits, it explores the context, constraints, and motivations behind a purchase or product use. This makes it an effective method for bridging customer insight with Agile tools like roadmaps, epics, and themes.

JTBD use cases in product strategy often include entering new markets, improving product-market fit, or identifying pain points ripe for innovation. By focusing on progress customers are trying to make, JTBD shifts the discussion from “who is the customer?” to “what help do they need?”

While user stories are key to tactical execution (more on that next), JTBD gives Agile product teams a strategic foundation rooted in real, validated understanding. It ensures the team is working on the right problems – before investing in building solutions.

User stories are a fundamental part of Agile product development. They help teams break down complex functionality into manageable, human-centric tasks that can be built, tested, and delivered in short cycles. But unlike JTBD – which supports long-term product strategy – user stories support tactical day-to-day implementation.

The Basics of User Stories

A user story is a simple, structured statement that describes a feature from the perspective of the user. Most follow a basic formula: "As a [type of user], I want to [do something], so that I can [achieve a goal]."

For example: "As a frequent traveler, I want to save my flight preferences so that I can book tickets faster." This story puts the user front and center, clarifying what they need and why it matters.

User stories are created and refined during backlog grooming and sprint planning sessions. They communicate customer needs in plain language, making them easy for development teams to reason about, estimate, and build against.

When to Use User Stories in Agile

User stories are used throughout Agile sprints to translate broader insights into executable actions. They serve as the building blocks for:

• Defining features and functionality
• Prioritizing development work
• Clarifying user expectations
• Facilitating communication between product owners, designers, and developers

While they don’t explain the deeper motivation behind user behavior, they are essential for organizing work and ensuring the product evolves in response to customer needs.

User stories also allow Agile teams to remain responsive. When user feedback or business priorities shift, the team can update or reprioritize stories without overhauling the strategy. This makes them a flexible and lightweight method within fast-paced development environments.

How User Stories and JTBD Work Together

Rather than seeing user stories and JTBD as competing tools, it's worth recognizing how they complement each other. JTBD informs the high-level why of product development, helping teams prioritize the right problems. User stories tackle the how, converting those strategic decisions into tested features and deliverables.

For instance, after learning that users want to “feel in control of travel spending abroad” (the JTBD), a product team might create stories like: “As a traveler, I want to set a foreign currency limit, so that I don’t overspend.” One informs the broader direction, the other sets the build task.

Understanding how user stories fit into Agile development – both tactically and contextually – allows teams to stay grounded in strategy while building iteratively. Combining the JTBD framework for Agile teams with day-to-day execution tools like user stories helps ensure that every sprint pushes the product toward meaningful outcomes.

On the surface, Jobs To Be Done (JTBD) and user stories can seem similar: both focus on user needs and improving product outcomes. But in practice, the difference between Jobs To Be Done and user stories lies in their level of focus and purpose within product development. While they both serve user-centered goals, they tackle them from different angles – strategic insight versus tactical action.

Jobs To Be Done: The "Why" Behind User Behavior

JTBD is a market research framework designed to uncover the fundamental motivations behind why people “hire” a product or service to solve a problem or reach a goal. It digs deeper than demographics or surface behaviors. JTBD in product development often answers questions like:

• “What problem is the customer really trying to solve?”
• “What progress do they want to make in their lives?”
• “What triggers their need for a solution, and what’s stopping them?”

These insights support product strategy by shaping value propositions, helping teams avoid feature bloat, and aligning development efforts with what truly matters to users.

User Stories: The "What" and "How" of Feature Implementation

User stories, on the other hand, are lightweight planning tools used in Agile product development. They break down product features into small, testable actions. Following the familiar format – “As a [user], I want to [action], so that I can [goal]” – user stories guide development and prioritize work during sprints.

They are best used once product direction and features have already been defined, typically flowing from earlier research like JTBD findings or persona work. The primary focus of user stories is implementation, not discovery.

Key Differences at a Glance

• Level of Detail: JTBD explores high-level motivations; user stories zoom into feature tasks.
• Timeframe: JTBD is used early in the product lifecycle; user stories are active during design and development.
• Orientation: JTBD focuses on overall customer needs; user stories interpret those needs into features.

When comparing JTBD and Agile methodologies, JTBD functions as a strategic compass – guiding the customer needs discussion and long-term product thinking. User stories operate as the step-by-step GPS, taking those insights and walking Agile teams through execution.

Rather than picking one tool over the other, high-performing Agile product teams find that Jobs To Be Done and user stories complement each other beautifully. Together, they create a layered understanding of both why customers need a product and how to deliver that value efficiently.

JTBD Sets the Strategic Foundation

JTBD shines in the earlier stages of product management, where the goal is to uncover unmet needs and define the right problem to solve. It helps teams:

• Develop a clear product vision grounded in customer needs
• Prioritize features based on real-life jobs users are trying to complete
• Avoid assumptions or surface-level persona traps

For example, a fitness app team might discover through JTBD that users aren’t just “trying to work out at home,” but rather “trying to maintain energy and focus throughout the day.” This strategic insight can shape not just individual features, but the app’s entire positioning.

User Stories Drive Day-to-Day Execution

Once strategic direction is in place, teams translate that understanding into specific tasks using user stories. This keeps backlogs focused and ensures that developers and designers stay aligned with user intent.

In the fitness app example, a user story might become: “As a remote worker, I want to get a quick 10-minute workout between meetings so I can stay energized in the afternoon.” This story is traceable to the original job, keeping delivery aligned with long-term goals.

Using Both for Better Alignment Across Teams

Here’s how Agile teams often integrate both tools throughout a project lifecycle:

• Discovery Phase: Use JTBD interviews and segmentation to identify core jobs and pain points
• Concept Development: Link jobs to product features and value statements
• Execution Phase: Translate those features into user stories for sprint planning, testing, and feedback loops

Market research supports this workflow by providing the voice of the customer at every stage. At SIVO Insights, we often see the most successful product teams using both tools harmoniously – one shaping the “why,” the other delivering the “what.”

Every tool in Agile product development has its place – the key is knowing when to use Jobs To Be Done or user stories based on your phase in the product lifecycle. Making strategic use of each helps teams stay aligned, reduce rework, and build features customers truly value.

When to Use JTBD for Strategic Product Planning

Jobs To Be Done is most effective during early-stage discovery and long-term planning. Use JTBD when you need to:

• Understand new markets or target audiences
• Identify unmet needs or opportunities for innovation
• Refine or reposition existing products
• Explore new product concepts or categories

This is especially helpful for product managers and leaders looking to align roadmaps with real customer needs and motivations. JTBD use cases in product strategy include exploring emerging behavior shifts, validating assumptions, and creating customer segments around jobs instead of personas or demographics.

When to Use User Stories for Agile Execution

User stories shine once foundational insights have been gathered. Use them during:

• Sprint planning and backlog grooming sessions
• Feature development
• UX and design handoffs
• QA and usability testing

They help cross-functional teams stay on track and ensure that each feature delivers customer value. It’s also easier to adjust or rewrite user stories based on new feedback or test results, making them ideal for the short-term cycles of an Agile environment.

Combining JTBD with Other Research Tools

Remember, JTBD doesn’t need to stand alone. At SIVO, we often pair the JTBD framework for Agile teams with qualitative research, surveys, and in-market testing to confirm direction and deepen understanding. The key is adapting tools to the challenge – not siloing them unnecessarily.

Quick Guide: When to Use Each Tool

• Explore & Discover: Lean on JTBD to uncover key motivations
• Define & Design: Use JTBD to shape the problem; user stories to guide early features
• Build & Test: Let user stories map development for Agile sprints
• Evaluate & Iterate: Use both – JTBD for major pivots, user stories for day-to-day enhancements

By leveraging each at the right time, teams can build with both strategy and speed – delivering solutions that make real impact.