The Jobs To Be Done (JTBD) framework is a way to understand why people buy and use products or services – not just at face value, but in terms of the deeper problems they're trying to solve. Originally popularized by innovation expert Clayton Christensen, JTBD starts with a key idea: people don't simply buy products because of features or pricing; they "hire" them to help achieve a desired outcome.

For example, when someone buys a high-protein snack bar, the job they're trying to get done might be “stay full between meetings” or “feel good about healthy choices while on the go.” The actual product – the snack bar – is just the tool they choose to complete that job. Understanding those jobs helps businesses step into the customer’s mindset in a much more meaningful way.

Why it matters for business growth

By focusing on the job instead of just surface behaviors, JTBD helps companies reach beyond traditional customer data and get to the heart of decision-making. This leads to more strategic thinking, especially when it comes to:

• Identifying unmet needs – Learn where current products or services fall short, and where customers are underserved
• Driving innovation – Design offerings around real-life use cases, not assumptions
• Improving product-market fit – Align features and messaging with what matters most to customers

What makes JTBD different from typical research?

Traditional market research might ask, “What features do you like?” or “Would you recommend this?” JTBD asks, “When was a time you needed to solve this problem, and what did you turn to?” It’s more behavioral and situational – grounded in real decision-making moments. It invites stories, context, tradeoffs, and emotional cues that are often missed in standard surveys or focus groups.

That’s why many businesses use JTBD as a foundational part of their product development or marketing strategy. It offers a blueprint for understanding the “why” behind buying patterns rather than just the “what.” And in doing so, it allows teams to build smarter, more relevant solutions.

The takeaway? JTBD matters because it re-centers your business strategy around what your customers are truly trying to achieve – enabling better decisions that drive sustainable business growth.

At its core, Jobs To Be Done is all about revealing the motivations behind customer behavior. It's a structured approach to digging into what really drives a person to choose a product, switch to a competitor, or even do nothing at all. These underlying reasons – often emotional or functional – are key to developing useful consumer behavior insights.

Uncovering the full customer story

Rather than looking only at demographics or purchase history, JTBD investigates the context around the customer’s decisions. What happened before and after a purchase? What alternatives were considered? What pushed someone to act?

For instance, imagine a fictional case where a customer starts using a budgeting app. At first glance, it may look like they simply wanted to track expenses. But after a JTBD-style interview, you might learn they just had their first child and needed to feel more financially in control. The job isn’t “track monthly spend” – it’s “feel confident managing family finances.” That deeper motivation changes how you position your product, prioritize features, and craft messaging.

The key behaviors JTBD helps explain

By focusing on progress rather than personas, JTBD helps decode several common types of consumer behavior:

• Switching behavior – What causes someone to leave one brand for another?
• Inertia – Why might customers stick with an imperfect solution rather than try something new?
• Abandonment – What makes someone stop using a product days or weeks after starting?
• Surprise adoption – How do people use products in ways you didn’t expect?

These patterns may otherwise feel unpredictable if you're only looking at surface-level data. JTBD fills in those blind spots, so you can understand the mindset behind each behavior.

Turning insights into action

So, how do you use Jobs To Be Done to understand customers more effectively? You start by mapping out their journey holistically – not just what they did, but what they were trying to achieve. You look at forces pushing them toward (or pulling them away from) action. And you listen for emotional and practical needs, including overlooked ones.

From there, you can uncover opportunities to:

• Refine product strategy – Include real-world goals in your roadmap
• Update your messaging – Speak to the actual job, not just the features
• Differentiation – Solve the job better than any competitor

Ultimately, by using JTBD for market research, you gain more than just data – you gain clarity. And when you truly understand the deeper forces behind customer behavior, you’re far better positioned to create offerings that grow loyalty, satisfaction, and revenue.

Examples of Using JTBD to Discover Customer Needs

The real power of the Jobs To Be Done (JTBD) framework lies in how it uncovers the true motivations behind why customers make decisions. It shifts the focus from who the customer is, to what they are trying to accomplish. Let’s walk through simple, fictional examples to illustrate how businesses can use JTBD thinking to get closer to what their customers actually need – not just what they say they want.

1. A beverage company learns what job its new drink is hired to do

Imagine a beverage brand launching a low-sugar, plant-based drink. Traditional research might segment consumers by age, income, or dietary choice. But a JTBD approach involves asking: “When and why might someone reach for this drink?”

Through interviews and observational research, the company might discover that customers “hire” the drink for a post-workout refreshment that feels rewarding without undoing their fitness efforts. The true job isn’t hydration – it’s providing a sense of accomplishment in a health-conscious way. This insight can shape packaging, messaging, and even where the product is placed – such as near gyms or sporting goods stores.

2. A banking app uncovers emotional drivers in decision-making

A financial tech company developing a new budgeting app used JTBD research to get to the root of customer behavior. Rather than accept that people want “more savings features,” they explored what users were trying to achieve. One recurring job emerged: “Give me peace of mind that I won’t overspend when the holidays come.” That emotional layer revealed an untapped need – customers weren’t just asking for tools, they were looking for relief from anxiety around money.

3. A quick-service restaurant rethinks its morning menu

In another fictional case, a restaurant chain analyzed why morning commuters chose their coffee over competitors. Interviews revealed the job wasn’t just picking up caffeine – it was buying a dependable morning ritual that stabilized a hectic day. That insight led to streamlining ordering for regulars, ensuring their “job of starting the day right” was done quickly and consistently.

These examples show how JTBD can surface actionable customer insights that go beyond features or demographics. By focusing on the deeper needs and context driving consumer behavior, companies can identify unmet needs and design better solutions.

Whether you're building products, refining your marketing strategy, or improving customer experiences, using JTBD for market research helps you see your offerings through the lens of the customer’s real-world goals and struggles.

JTBD vs. Traditional Market Research: What’s the Difference?

Both Jobs To Be Done (JTBD) and traditional market research seek to uncover insights that drive better business decisions – from product development to marketing and beyond. But they take different routes to get there. Understanding these differences can help you decide when and how to use JTBD to gain deeper consumer behavior insights.

Traditional market research focuses on the "who"

Standard research approaches typically center on demographics, psychographics, brand preferences, or customer satisfaction. They often ask:

• Who is buying?
• What are their preferences?
• How likely are they to recommend the product?

This data is useful, but it doesn’t always explain the “why” behind decisions. Why did they choose one product over another? Why do they remain loyal (or not)? Without that context, assumptions can lead strategy astray.

JTBD focuses on the "why" and "when"

JTBD uncovers the job – or motivation – a customer hires a product or service to help with. It focuses on the situation and context surrounding a customer’s decision, combining emotional, functional, and social dimensions. This approach helps answer questions like:

• What are customers trying to achieve in this moment?
• What triggers the need for a new solution?
• What frustrations or workarounds exist today?

In essence, traditional research looks at users and usage, while JTBD investigates goals and outcomes. For example, market research might tell you that millennial parents are buying digital thermometers for their kids. JTBD adds that these parents may be “hiring” the thermometer to confirm health status quickly so they can confidently make childcare or work arrangements.

Complementary, not conflicting

It’s important to note that JTBD is not a replacement for traditional methodologies – rather, it enhances them. JTBD excels when you need to:

• Understand customer decision-making processes
• Identify unmet needs
• Uncover triggers that prompt switching behavior
• Guide innovation or repositioning

At SIVO Insights, we believe that blending approaches – combining the scale of quantitative research with the depth of frameworks like JTBD – leads to stronger, more well-rounded customer insights. JTBD offers a different lens that helps businesses move from product-first thinking to problem-solving mindsets. That’s the key to unlocking growth.

How to Apply JTBD in Your Business Strategy

Understanding the Jobs To Be Done (JTBD) framework is one thing – putting it to work is another. The good news? Applying JTBD thinking isn’t limited to product teams or innovation labs. Any part of your business that touches the customer journey can benefit from it, from marketing to service design to brand strategy. Here’s how to start using JTBD to build smarter, insight-driven strategies.

Start by identifying key customer situations

JTBD begins by examining moments in a customer’s life where they experience a problem or need that prompts action. Instead of brainstorming features, ask:

• What prompts a consumer to seek out our offering?
• What’s going on in their life when they make that decision?
• What are they hoping will change as a result?

This shift toward situational research helps you move beyond static segments and into dynamic, behavior-driven insights – where real innovation happens.

Talk to real people, not just data points

Interviews are key to uncovering the full story behind a customer’s decision.“Walk me through the last time you...” is often more revealing than “How often do you…?” Look for patterns across customers who made similar choices and ask what job they were trying to get done. Use these insights to map out JTBD journeys that reflect the customer’s reality, not assumptions.

Translate JTBD into action

Once you’ve discovered clear jobs to be done, the next step is activation. This could influence:

• Product development: Design features that resolve core job-related barriers
• Marketing messaging: Speak directly to the outcome customers are looking for
• Channel strategy: Show up at the right moment when the job arises
• Innovation roadmaps: Use JTBD to prioritize ideas based on unmet needs

For example, knowing someone “hires” a meal kit not just for convenience but to feel like a confident home cook might steer you to highlight recipe mastery in your brand voice, rather than time-saving claims alone.

Keep evolving with deeper understanding

Consumer behavior isn’t static, and neither are jobs to be done. As your market shifts, revisit your JTBD interviews and frameworks. New events, trends, or technologies can create fresh jobs – or change how customers view solutions already on the market. This makes JTBD an ideal foundation for an adaptable business strategy.

By embedding JTBD into your strategic thinking, you're not just solving problems on the surface – you're creating long-term value by addressing what truly matters to your customers. And that’s where growth begins.