Much of the origin of the Jobs To Be Done framework can be traced to business theorist and Harvard professor Clayton Christensen. Known for developing the concept of Disruptive Innovation, Christensen later turned his attention toward understanding what truly drives customers to make choices – not based on demographics or product features, but on progress they’re trying to make in their lives.

In his groundbreaking research, Christensen introduced the idea that people don't buy products or services just for what they are – they 'hire' them to complete a specific job. This concept became the foundation of what we now call Jobs To Be Done theory.

Why this idea felt different

Traditional market research often focused on identifying customer segments or reaction to product attributes. But Christensen argued that people’s behavior is driven by their desire to make some kind of improvement. For example:

• A parent buys a minivan not just because it has four doors, but because it helps them shuttle kids safely and efficiently – that’s the job.
• Someone orders fast food not just for the taste, but because it solves the problem of having little time to eat between meetings.

He famously illustrated this with a case study on milkshakes. When analyzing why people bought milkshakes from a fast-food chain, he found that many customers bought them in the morning for a long commute. Here, the milkshake wasn't competing against other drinks – it was competing against bananas, bagels, and boredom. The milkshake was 'hired' to do a specific job: make a long drive more bearable while keeping the customer full.

From theory to application

Christensen’s framing of JTBD helped shift thinking in innovation research and consumer insights. Businesses started turning away from overly broad segments and focusing instead on specific motivations that prompted actions. His book, “The Innovator’s Solution,” co-authored with Michael Raynor, helped introduce the JTBD concept to a wider audience, sparking curiosity among product developers, strategists, and insight professionals alike.

Influence on modern market research frameworks

Christensen’s lens was especially powerful because it made customer behavior more predictable. If companies could identify the job that needed doing, they could tailor their solutions more precisely. For market researchers, this meant digging deeper to understand the real-world context, struggles, and objectives of people – leading to richer, more actionable insights.

Today, the Jobs To Be Done origin story often begins with Christensen because he reframed how we look at purchase decisions: not as outcomes of random preference but as deliberate choices made to make progress. This foundational idea continues to underpin many modern consumer insights approaches, including custom research solutions here at SIVO Insights.

While Clayton Christensen helped introduce the theory behind JTBD, another pivotal figure made it truly actionable: Tony Ulwick. As a strategist, innovation researcher, and founder of the firm Strategyn, Ulwick was one of the first to transform the concept of 'Jobs To Be Done' into a repeatable business strategy. His work helped move JTBD from academic theory into a structured innovation methodology used by companies worldwide.

From customer needs to measurable innovation

Ulwick’s crucial insight was that businesses often fail to innovate not because they lack ideas, but because they misunderstand customer needs. He saw that most product development processes relied on guesswork, focusing on what companies were able to make – instead of what people actually needed to achieve.

This led him to develop what he called Outcome-Driven Innovation (ODI), a structured approach to innovation built around the Jobs To Be Done framework. ODI sought to identify what 'job' a customer is trying to get done, then define the specific outcomes they want from that job – measurable statements customers use to judge how well a job is being completed.

Turning JTBD into a usable process

One of Ulwick’s most impactful ideas was that customer needs can be discovered, prioritized, and quantified once you understand the job to be done. His work laid the groundwork for using JTBD not just in theory, but in practical, strategic development. Through ODI, organizations could:

• Uncover unmet customer needs more precisely
• Prioritize innovation efforts based on opportunity gaps
• Reduce risk in product development by aligning solutions to actual customer jobs

These methods gained traction across industries, especially in technology, healthcare, and consumer goods. Companies used them to build better solutions by pinpointing exactly what 'success' looked like from the customer’s perspective.

Expanding the JTBD approach

Unlike Christensen, who focused heavily on theory and real-world stories, Ulwick’s contribution to JTBD was in making it usable for teams. His 2005 Harvard Business Review article, “Turn Customer Input into Innovation,” and his 2016 book “Jobs To Be Done: Theory to Practice” became key resources for those looking to use JTBD in day-to-day business decisions. His approach allowed teams to build around specific desired outcomes, not just fuzzy ideas of customer satisfaction.

Legacy in innovation research

In the history of JTBD, Tony Ulwick’s role is vital. He helped systematize a way of thinking about innovation that’s built on *why* customers take action, not just what they do. This shift aligns closely with the principles behind SIVO’s own research philosophy – understanding people’s deeper motivations so companies can deliver more meaningful solutions.

As we look at the JTBD framework today, both Christensen’s insights and Ulwick’s structured methods continue to shape modern market research frameworks. Together, they have made Jobs To Be Done a practical, human-centered tool for guiding innovation and unlocking lasting customer value.

While the Jobs To Be Done (JTBD) framework began as an academic idea, its value quickly gained traction beyond classrooms and published papers. The foundational thinkers envisioned a framework that could bridge the gap between theory and practice by focusing on the underlying motivations behind customer behavior. But how did a theoretical concept evolve into a widely used market research tool?

Solving Real Business Challenges

JTBD moved from theory to application when businesses began to face limitations with traditional market segmentation. Demographics and behaviors are useful, but they don't always explain why customers make the choices they do. JTBD introduced a fresh lens: people don't just 'buy' products – they 'hire' them to get a job done. This shift helped both innovators and researchers pinpoint unmet needs and develop more relevant products, services, and messaging strategies.

Example: A Milkshake for the Morning Commute

One of the most well-known examples of JTBD in action is Christensen’s study involving fast food milkshakes. Traditional segmentation hadn’t explained why certain customers purchased thick milkshakes early in the morning. Through JTBD research, it was revealed that customers hired the milkshake to make boring commutes more enjoyable and to keep them full until lunch. This insight changed how the product was marketed and positioned.

JTBD in Consumer Insights and Market Research

The framework soon became a powerful tool within consumer insights and innovation research. Researchers began using JTBD interviews and methods to uncover consumer motivations that would otherwise remain hidden. Rather than asking what people want, the JTBD approach focuses on what they are trying to accomplish in context – providing a deeper layer of understanding that traditional surveys can sometimes miss.

JTBD techniques also complemented other qualitative and quantitative methods, offering a stronger foundation for hypothesis development, product testing, and strategic refinement.

Key Real-World Impacts of JTBD

 
• Better alignment between product development and consumer needs
 
• Improved messaging that speaks to the job, not just the features
 
• Increased innovation success rates by identifying “hidden” jobs
 

JTBD’s transition into practical use underscored its flexibility. It wasn’t a replacement for other methods, but rather a way to deepen understanding – often serving as the “why” behind the “what.”

Since its early use in product development and service design, the Jobs To Be Done framework has evolved into a versatile tool across a wide range of industries. As businesses began to see the value of understanding what customers are trying to accomplish, JTBD expanded well beyond its roots in academia and innovation labs.

From Startups to Fortune 500s

JTBD gained popularity among startups looking to disrupt markets by identifying overlooked customer needs. At the same time, larger corporations adopted the strategy to refine product portfolios and respond more effectively to competitive pressures. This broad adoption showed how adaptable the JTBD approach was, regardless of company size or industry.

Whether designing a smartphone app, a grocery delivery service, or a new piece of healthcare equipment, understanding the job customers are trying to do helped teams prioritize features that matter most.

Usage Across Key Sectors

JTBD has proven useful in:

• Healthcare – Understanding patient behaviors and motivations beyond symptoms, such as seeking reassurance, convenience, or fast answers.
• Financial Services – Designing tools that help users manage uncertainty, build trust, and “hire” products for peace of mind or long-term planning.
• Retail and CPG – Identifying consumption situations and product goals that inform packaging, placement, and messaging.
• Technology & SaaS – Aligning user experience and software features with real-world jobs users are trying to get done, not just technical capabilities.

By focusing on customer motivation rather than surface-level wants, JTBD helps align company efforts with real customer challenges – ultimately leading to more effective offerings.

Integration with New Tools and Methods

As the JTBD framework matured, it began to integrate with modern research tools. Today, it’s often used in tandem with user journey mapping, ethnographic research, and even AI-driven analytics. However, human observation and empathy remain core to its success – revealing the deeper context that quantitative data alone can’t show.

This evolution illustrates that JTBD is more than just a static model. It's a flexible approach that has adapted over time to help organizations of all kinds see their customers with greater clarity.

As with any powerful framework, understanding the beginnings of Jobs To Be Done gives us deeper insight into how to apply it effectively today. JTBD isn’t just a buzzword or trend – it’s a strategic lens rooted in decades of experience across markets, disciplines, and industries.

Knowing who created Jobs To Be Done and how the JTBD framework started helps businesses stay true to its original mission: understanding the underlying needs and progress customers seek, rather than assuming answers through demographics or outdated models.

Keeping the Focus on Customer Motivation

One of the central ideas from both Clayton Christensen and Tony Ulwick was moving away from company-centric thinking and toward a customer-centric view. When researchers stay grounded in this JTBD origin story, they’re more likely to explore the “real why” behind behaviors – ultimately delivering more accurate, actionable consumer insights.

Guiding Better Research Design

Understanding JTBD principles can sharpen how research questions are written, how interviews are conducted, and how insights are interpreted. It brings depth to surveys, focus groups, and observational studies by pushing beyond surface-level answers.

A Bridge Between Innovation and Insight

JTBD stands at the intersection of innovation research and practical decision-making. For modern organizations exploring new growth opportunities, remembering the JTBD history – including the theory’s foundations in human progress and purpose – helps teams navigate with more clarity and avoid getting lost in assumptions.

Understanding where JTBD comes from allows teams to:

• Apply the framework with precision across use cases
• Train teams with consistent language and methodology
• Measure progress based on real customer outcomes, not just internal benchmarks

At a time when consumers are more nuanced than ever, having a well-rooted framework like JTBD helps create structure and purpose in decision-making – keeping teams aligned on what truly matters to people.