• Focuses on outcomes customers want to achieve, not just product features
• Looks at context – when, where, and why customers make decisions
• Identifies both functional and emotional drivers of behavior
• Uncovers unmet needs and gaps in existing solutions

Shifts from assumptions to motivations

Breaks down complex behavior into moments of choice

Connects functional and emotional needs

Surfaces opportunity areas for innovation

Using JTBD to Drive Meaningful Innovation

When businesses set out to innovate, they often start by asking, “What features should we add?” or “What’s trending in the market?” While these questions have value, they often miss the deeper “why” behind customer behavior. This is where the Jobs To Be Done (JTBD) framework shines. It shifts the focus from products to people – specifically, the underlying motivations that drive their choices. This customer-first approach helps companies uncover unmet needs that traditional product development methods might overlook.

Rather than simply enhancing what's already available, JTBD surfaces the problems customers are actively trying to solve. When businesses understand these problems – or "jobs" – they can create solutions that are not only relevant, but essential.

How JTBD Fuels Business Innovation

JTBD plays a critical role in shaping innovation strategies because it helps businesses:

• Identify unmet or underserved customer needs – Understanding the jobs people are hiring products to do uncovers opportunity areas for new offerings or improvements.
• Move beyond demographics – Instead of targeting by age or location alone, JTBD focuses on real-world motivations and behaviors.
• Inform more effective marketing strategies – Better understand what drives buyer decisions and tailor messaging accordingly.
• Create customer-aligned innovation roadmaps – Identify the biggest impact areas based on the value customers seek, not just what competitors are doing.

Whether used as a standalone framework or integrated into a broader set of market research tools, Jobs To Be Done supports a stronger foundation for product innovation. It turns assumptions into insight, guiding teams to build products and experiences that fulfill a job rather than just filling a shelf.

JTBD as a Growth Framework

As a growth framework, JTBD helps businesses stay relevant in shifting markets. It can reveal new business models, highlight adoption barriers, and inspire creative thinking across departments – from R&D to marketing. That kind of cross-functional alignment is essential for modern business innovation. The result? Not just new ideas, but the right ideas – rooted in purpose and built to resonate with real customer needs.

By thinking in terms of customer jobs, businesses are better equipped to solve meaningful problems, enhance loyalty, and uncover growth opportunities that extend far beyond features alone.

What JTBD Looks Like in the Real World

To help illustrate how the Jobs To Be Done framework can come to life, let’s walk through a few fictional yet realistic examples. These show how JTBD thinking can help uncover deeper customer motivations and lead to smarter business decisions across different industries.

Consumer Electronics: Listening on the Go

A headphone brand wanted to design its next product but wasn’t sure which features customers valued most. Initial feedback suggested users wanted better sound quality – but JTBD interviews revealed something more nuanced: People were “hiring” headphones not just to play music, but to create a private, focused space during noisy commutes or in shared work environments.

This led the team to prioritize noise-canceling features and comfort for long wear, which ultimately guided their product innovation efforts and marketing angle – promoting a sense of “peace in motion” rather than just audio quality.

Hospitality: Booking with Confidence

A small hotel chain wanted to increase online bookings. Traditional surveys showed customers liked the rooms, pricing, and locations. But through a JTBD lens, a different insight emerged: Guests primarily “hired” the hotel for peace of mind during travel. They wanted to feel confident that their stay would be comfortable, safe, and easy after exhausting travel plans.

As a result, changes were made to communicate reliability earlier in the booking journey – such as clearer cancellation policies, real-time support messaging, and guest testimonials that emphasized trust and consistency.

Healthcare: Managing Medication

A pharmaceutical company developing a home delivery service for prescriptions applied JTBD research to understand why patients miss medication doses. Rather than assuming forgetfulness, the research revealed the true “job” was about regaining control – patients wanted a service that made them feel confident they were managing their health effectively.

Design features were added like refill reminders, easy customer support access, and medication tracking tools. All of these were shaped by the emotional job—not just the functional one.

Why These Examples Matter

Each of these fictional case studies demonstrates a core principle of the Jobs To Be Done framework: when we understand the real reason someone is using (or avoiding) a product or service, we’re better equipped to create solutions that stick. From technology to travel to healthcare, JTBD brings clarity and direction by exposing customer motivations hidden below the surface.

In your own business, applying the JTBD mindset can spark new thinking and guide decisions that are grounded in what people truly need – not just what seems logical on paper.

Turning Insight Into Impact: Starting with JTBD

If you're new to the Jobs To Be Done framework, integrating it into your business might seem daunting. The good news? You don’t need to change everything at once. JTBD can be introduced gradually – often starting as a powerful lens to view existing products or services in a new way.

1. Begin with Customer Conversations

Start by talking to customers. Specifically, focus on recent buying decisions – not just satisfaction with a product, but what triggered the search in the first place. Ask questions like:

• What made them realize they needed a solution?
• What other options did they consider?
• How did they decide which product to choose?
• What result were they hoping to achieve?

These questions are designed to uncover the underlying job – the progress they were trying to make – rather than just surface-level preferences.

2. Map the Full Job Journey

Jobs often unfold over time. From the initial trigger to the emotional, practical, or social hurdles along the way, mapping the full journey can reveal frictions and opportunities that product teams might not otherwise see.

Use this map to identify areas where your solution could do a better job – or where entirely new offerings might be created.

3. Consider JTBD Alongside Other Market Research Tools

JTBD doesn’t have to operate in a vacuum. In fact, it often works best when paired with other consumer insights tools like qualitative interviews, ethnography, or segmentation studies. It’s one piece of a broader discovery process that can bring freshness to product development and marketing strategies alike.

4. Engage Your Team in JTBD Thinking

Share what you learn across teams – from sales and marketing to innovation and design. When everyone is aligned around customer jobs, your entire organization can begin making smarter, more consistent decisions that support those goals.

5. Partner with Specialists When You’re Ready

If diving into JTBD on your own feels overwhelming, consider working with a research partner like SIVO Insights. We help businesses navigate the complexities of customer behavior with tailored growth frameworks grounded in real human insight.

Whether you’re seeking better product development strategies, improved marketing alignment, or clearer innovation ideas, JTBD is a proven starting point that meets your customers exactly where they are.