The Jobs To Be Done (JTBD) theory is a customer research tool that focuses on the outcomes people are trying to achieve when they buy a product or service. Instead of concentrating on demographics or product features, JTBD seeks to understand the deeper motivation behind customer behavior: the “job” they are hiring your product to do.

Think of it this way: people don’t buy a drill because they want a drill – they buy it because they need a hole. The job is making a hole. This shift in perspective helps businesses uncover what truly matters to their customers and why they make the choices they do.

How JTBD Differs from Traditional Market Research

Traditional customer profiles often cluster people into segments based on categories like age, income, or gender. While helpful in some contexts, those characteristics don’t always predict behavior. Two people with very different backgrounds might hire the same product to solve the same problem – and that’s where JTBD shines. It helps you look beyond the customer’s identity and toward the task they’re trying to complete.

Components of a Job To Be Done

Each “job” typically includes a few key parts:

 
• Functional needs: the practical task the customer wants to accomplish
 
• Emotional drivers: how the customer wants to feel while getting the job done
 
• Context: when, where, and how the job arises in their life

These elements help form a full picture of the forces influencing their decision-making process.

Simple Example: A JTBD in Action

Imagine a busy commuter who stops at the same café every morning. They aren't just buying coffee – they’re hiring it to help them wake up, feel energized, and start the day with routine and comfort. A JTBD interview might uncover that speed and convenience matter more than taste or brand loyalty. Now the coffee shop can adjust its service model or marketing to highlight that value.

This example is fictional but illustrates how the JTBD approach brings clarity to customer behavior. By focusing on what job the customer is trying to get done, companies can design offerings better aligned with real-world use cases.

The JTBD framework is increasingly used in product innovation, marketing strategy, and even organizational decision-making. It helps shift focus from guessing what customers want to understanding what they’re trying to achieve – creating a stronger foundation for business strategy.

At the core of every successful business is a clear understanding of customer needs. But as markets evolve and consumer expectations shift, it becomes increasingly important to not just recognize what customers want – but why they want it. That’s where tools like the Jobs To Be Done (JTBD) framework come into play, offering a deeper look into the real motivations that drive customer behavior.

Why Traditional Insights Aren’t Always Enough

Business decisions often rely on basic consumer insights – such as survey data or demographic trends – to inform marketing or product changes. While these data points are helpful, they can fall short in revealing the true triggers behind a purchase. That’s because traditional research often answers the "who," but not the "why." Understanding the job behind the decision connects your solution to the customer’s underlying problem or goal, enabling more precise and impactful strategies.

How Customer Understanding Fuels Business Growth

When companies listen closely to what customers are trying to accomplish, the benefits ripple across the organization:

• Product Innovation: Identify unmet needs that lead to new product ideas or improvements on existing ones.
• Stronger Marketing Strategy: Position your message around the job, not just the features. This helps your value proposition resonate on a deeper level.
• Better Customer Experience: When you understand the full context of a customer’s job, you can remove friction and streamline their journey.
• Improved Brand Loyalty: Customers are more loyal to products and services that consistently help them achieve their goals.

Examples of Customer Jobs Driving Growth

A streaming service may learn that customers aren't just watching to be entertained – they are “hiring” the service to unwind after a long workday. With that insight, the company can invest in features like personalized relaxation playlists or mood-based browsing. Another fictional example: a meal kit brand might discover that time-starved parents are hiring their product not just to cook meals, but to create guilt-free family moments – leading the brand to craft messaging around simplicity and connection.

Market Research with Purpose

At SIVO Insights, we emphasize human understanding through consumer insights grounded in reality. By using frameworks like JTBD, businesses can bring together data and empathy to guide product development and strategic direction. The result isn’t just better decision-making – it’s measurable business growth fueled by solutions that truly meet customer needs.

Pairing JTBD with well-designed market research can uncover patterns and small details that surface big opportunities. Whether you're launching a new offering or refining your marketing message, gaining clarity on why customers buy products and services positions you to create real value. And when customers feel understood, they return – creating a foundation for long-term business success.

At its heart, the Jobs To Be Done (JTBD) framework is about uncovering why customers make the choices they do – not just what they buy, but what job they are trying to accomplish. These underlying reasons may not always be obvious. In fact, many motivations driving purchasing behavior are subconscious, shaped by routines, frustrations, or unmet desires.

Going Beyond Customer Demographics

Traditional market research often focuses on customer profiles – age, gender, income, and preferences. While valuable, these details don’t always explain behavior. Two customers with nearly identical profiles can make very different decisions. JTBD focuses instead on what customers are trying to get done in their lives, which reveals more dynamic and actionable insights.

For example, a customer buying a smoothie may not simply want a tasty drink. One person’s 'job' might be to replace breakfast during a busy commute. Another might be trying to eat healthier after a morning workout. Understanding why they choose the product helps businesses tailor messaging, packaging, and even the product itself.

Unpacking Functional, Emotional, and Social Drivers

The JTBD framework breaks down customer needs into three categories:

• Functional Jobs: What the product helps the customer physically do
• Emotional Jobs: How the product makes the customer feel
• Social Jobs: How the product affects the customer’s perception in the eyes of others

These layers help surface hidden motivations. For instance, a person may choose a luxury car not just for transportation (functional), but to feel successful (emotional) and signal status (social).

Identifying Customer Pain Points

JTBD also looks at what’s frustrating customers or preventing progress. These pain points act as clues, revealing opportunities. If a customer’s job is to stay productive while traveling, and current options are clunky or inaccessible, that gap can fuel product or service development.

By asking, “What is the customer trying to accomplish?” — rather than “What do they want to buy?” — brands can expose untapped needs and form deeper connections with their audiences. It provides a path beyond surface behavior and into the true motivations behind customer actions.

The Jobs To Be Done framework isn’t just a theory – it’s being applied every day across industries to reshape strategy, uncover unmet customer needs, and inform product innovation. While each case is unique, the principles of JTBD make it highly adaptable and powerful, even in competitive or mature markets.

Example 1: A Coffee Chain Learns Why Customers Visit

Imagine a national coffee chain noticing a spike in foot traffic mid-morning but lower-than-expected beverage sales. Instead of surveying customers with checkboxes, the company uses the JTBD approach to better understand behavior.

They discover that many mid-morning visitors aren’t there for coffee at all — their “job” is finding a quiet workspace between meetings or taking a mental break from remote work. This leads to the chain offering more seating, charging stations, and outlets – transforming the location from a coffee stop into a productivity hub. Beverage sales also increase organically as dwell time improves.

Example 2: A Fitness App Solves Accountability, Not Just Workouts

A fictional digital fitness platform applies JTBD interviews and learns something surprising: many users don’t struggle with workout routines, they struggle with consistently showing up. The “job” isn’t just exercising – it’s staying accountable to a health goal. With this insight, the company redesigns its UX to include motivational nudges, peer check-ins, and progress visualizations. User engagement improves, reflecting a closer alignment with actual user needs.

Example 3: A Home Cleaning Service Rethinks Its Messaging

An on-demand home cleaning company, looking to refine its marketing strategy, uses JTBD interviews to dig deeper. One core insight emerges: most clients aren’t hiring cleaners just for a cleaner home (the functional job), but to reclaim time and reduce mental load (emotional jobs). Armed with this knowledge, the company shifts messaging from 'deep cleaning packages' to 'give yourself time back' and 'enjoy a calm, clean space.' Increased conversion follows with improved relevance.

Why Fictional Examples Matter

These fictional examples serve as illustrations of how JTBD can be used to uncover overlooked drivers of customer behavior. They reflect a common truth – businesses grow when they address the actual outcomes people want to achieve, not just immediate purchase decisions.

By applying the JTBD framework across different sectors – whether retail, tech, services, or direct-to-consumer – organizations can align more closely with their customers' lived experiences and unmet needs.

Understanding customer needs through the Jobs To Be Done framework doesn’t just help you sell better – it helps you build better. By focusing on the outcomes customers are trying to achieve, businesses can prioritize features, experiences, and strategies that directly support those goals. This approach fosters true product innovation and business growth.

Reframing Innovation Around Customer Jobs

Too often, innovation starts with new technology or internal capabilities. But JTBD flips that process. It asks: What job is our customer hiring us to do? What progress are they trying to make? Once you understand that, your solutions – whether in a physical product or service – become grounded in purpose.

For instance, instead of asking what color or size the next phone should be, a JTBD-aligned business starts by asking: “What job is the phone doing for our customers? Are there moments where they’re not getting that job done effectively?” These answers inform upgrades that actually matter to users.

Aligning Strategy with Real Customer Outcomes

JTBD insights are powerful inputs when developing broader business or marketing strategy. They help companies:

• Define their value proposition around actual customer needs
• Build more targeted messaging and content that resonates emotionally
• Identify underserved customer segments based on unmet jobs
• Plan product roadmaps focused on real-world use cases

Because JTBD isn’t limited to product teams, cross-functional groups – from marketing to customer experience – can align more effectively around the jobs customers are trying to accomplish driving clearer, more customer-centric strategy company-wide.

Integrating JTBD Into Existing Research Practices

While JTBD is powerful on its own, it also complements existing market research tools. It can be incorporated into qualitative interviews, surveys, and segmentation models to add a layer of depth and purpose to customer insights.

At SIVO, we often see that the most successful innovation strategies come from mixing analytical tools with real human context. A JTBD-informed approach anchors strategy in what people are trying to achieve – which isn't just insightful, it's actionable.