The Jobs To Be Done (JTBD) framework is a method for understanding why customers choose one product or service over another. Rather than focusing on customer demographics or product features, JTBD centers on the idea that people "hire" products to complete a "job" in their lives – to get something done. The job could be functional (like commuting to work), emotional (like feeling secure), or social (like appearing professional to peers).

This concept is especially helpful for business leaders looking to drive product innovation, improve customer experience, or anchor their business strategy in real-world consumer behavior. When you know the job your customer is trying to accomplish, you can build better solutions that directly meet their needs – often even before they realize those needs themselves.

Breaking It Down: A Simple JTBD Example

Think about someone buying a power drill. They're not interested in the tool itself – they want a hole in the wall to hang a photo. Even further, the ultimate job might be: “Make my home feel more personal.” JTBD asks you to zoom out from the purchase and understand the customer’s underlying goal.

Why It Matters for Business Growth

For companies aiming to grow in crowded markets, understanding the job behind the purchase offers a major advantage. It can help you:

• Discover unmet customer needs and pain points
• Create products and services tailored to real goals
• Connect marketing messages to outcomes customers care about
• Prioritize features based on what truly adds value

Companies using JTBD insights often see stronger customer retention, more relevant innovation, and more effective communication across teams. It acts as a bridge between market research and actionable business strategy. And because it's rooted in actual customer behavior, it cuts through the guesswork.

JTBD Is a Tool, Not a Trend

Even though the term may sound new to some, Jobs To Be Done is not a passing theory. It's a proven, practical lens used by leading companies looking to bring real customer insights into product development and strategic planning. At SIVO, we see it as one of the most accessible tools in the market research basics toolkit – particularly useful for connecting customer needs to innovation opportunities.

When adopted thoughtfully, JTBD helps rebuild teams' understanding of “why customers really buy,” setting a foundation for long-term business growth and customer alignment.

The Jobs To Be Done framework was not created in one place at one time – it's the result of evolving ideas shaped by both business practice and academic insight. However, the concept was strongly influenced and popularized by Harvard Business School professor Clayton Christensen in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Christensen, known for his work on disruptive innovation, introduced JTBD as a way to better understand why innovation succeeds or fails. Through research and industry analysis, he observed that many companies were too focused on who their customers were, instead of why customers made the choices they did. He argued that success came when companies understood the "job" their product was being hired to do.

It Started With a Milkshake

One of the most referenced JTBD case studies involved a fast-food company trying to sell more milkshakes. Traditional customer segmentation (age, income, etc.) wasn't helping. But when the team reframed the question using JTBD – "What job is this milkshake being hired to do?" – the real insight emerged. They discovered that commuters were buying milkshakes in the morning not as a treat, but because they wanted something filling, long-lasting, and easy to consume while driving. That simple shift in understanding led to product improvements tailored to that specific job, resulting in better sales.

This example captured the essence of what makes JTBD effective: it reveals the underlying problems customers are trying to solve, many of which don’t show up in surface-level data. It also showed that this was not just theory – JTBD could deliver immediate, actionable value.

Extending the Work: Who Else Has Shaped JTBD?

While Christensen brought JTBD into broad awareness, other contributors helped shape and refine it. Innovators like Tony Ulwick (creator of the Outcome-Driven Innovation process) and Bob Moesta have both written extensively on how to apply JTBD in business settings.

These experts continued to evolve the framework into a flexible tool that businesses can use across industries – from software development to healthcare to consumer products. The key idea remains constant: people don't buy products, they hire them to get a job done.

Why Understanding JTBD Origins Matters

Knowing the origin of Jobs To Be Done helps business leaders see that it's not a passing trend or abstract idea. It's a research-based, insight-driven approach grounded in real-world application. By focusing on customer behavior and motivations, it aligns naturally with core market research principles – helping companies make better decisions with greater confidence.

At SIVO Insights, we view JTBD as a valuable entry point for market research beginners as well as experienced teams looking for fresh perspectives. It’s one of the many frameworks that can guide meaningful discovery – and when combined with the right tools and talent, it empowers teams to innovate in ways that truly reflect what people are trying to achieve.

The Jobs To Be Done (JTBD) framework helps businesses uncover what truly motivates customers to buy a product or service. While traditional market research often focuses on demographics or product features, JTBD digs deeper – into the underlying tasks, struggles, and goals that drive customer behavior.

At its core, JTBD reframes the way we think about customers: instead of asking who they are or what they buy, it asks why they buy. In other words, what job are they hiring your product or service to do?

Revealing Customers' True Motivations

People don't buy products just because they look good or have great features. They buy solutions. Whether it’s a busy parent looking for a quick dinner fix or a small business owner trying to organize finances, customers face unmet needs and turn to products to fill those needs. This is where JTBD shines – identifying the functional, emotional, and social dimensions of customer needs.

The framework creates a clearer understanding of:

• The context: What situation triggers someone to look for a solution?
• The struggle: What pain points or inconveniences currently exist?
• The desired outcome: What does “success” look like from the customer’s perspective?
• The alternatives: What other ways are they solving the problem now?

Turning Insights Into Action

This deep dive into consumer behavior guides more effective decision-making. When you understand the job your customer needs done, it becomes easier to design better products, communicate more clearly, and focus your business strategy around what matters most.

For example, a company may discover that its customers aren’t just buying an “energy drink” – they’re hiring a product to help them feel confident and alert before a presentation. With that insight, marketing messages, product size, or new features can be redesigned to better meet that job.

Why It Matters for Growth

Understanding customer needs through JTBD leads to fewer assumptions and more grounded innovation. Instead of guessing what features might resonate or launching products based on trends, you build around what real people actually need.

For market research beginners, this framework is an excellent tool for turning qualitative insights and interviews into focused, actionable guidance. It’s not about generating piles of data, but rather creating clarity – what job is your product truly being hired to do?

The Jobs To Be Done framework shines brightest when applied to real-world situations. Let's explore how different organizations – from startups to global brands – have successfully used JTBD to transform their business strategy, shape offerings, and fuel customer loyalty.

1. Netflix: Competing Against the Comfort of Doing Nothing

When Netflix asked, “What job are our customers hiring us to do?” they realized it wasn’t just about watching movies. It was about helping people relax, unwind after a long day, or spend time with family. Instead of focusing only on boosting movie selection, they began tailoring the interface to be as low-effort and engaging as possible – promoting binge-worthy content that fits that relaxation job. This insight helped drive product innovation and user experience enhancements that contributed to massive subscriber growth.

2. Airbnb: Beyond Affordable Stays

Airbnb didn't just position itself as a cheaper alternative to hotels. By applying JTBD thinking, they realized travelers were often hiring them for a sense of local connection – to “live like a local” in a new city. This led to curated local experiences, host storytelling, and changes in marketing to emphasize cultural discovery. JTBD helped Airbnb shift its narrative and appeal to unmet needs in the travel experience market.

3. Snickers: A Job To Satisfy Hunger – Not a Candy Craving

Mars, the parent company of Snickers, used JTBD to reposition the candy bar. Research showed consumers were using Snickers not as a sweet treat, but as a way to address hunger between meals. This job led directly to their successful “You’re not you when you’re hungry” campaign – highlighting the product's functional role in satisfying hunger, which drove a measurable boost in sales.

4. B2B SaaS: Helping Managers Track Progress

In B2B software, a productivity app listed features like task tracking and inbox management. But customer interviews using JTBD revealed the true job was “help me prove I’m making progress to my boss.” That insight shifted their messaging and feature priorities – including auto-generated reports that managers could share easily. As a result, onboarding improved, user retention increased, and they broke into enterprise sales accounts more easily.

These Jobs To Be Done examples for product development and marketing illustrate that when you pinpoint the real reasons people choose your solution, you unlock new strategies for customer satisfaction and business growth.

Whether you're refining an existing offer or entering new markets, JTBD offers a practical lens to make consumer behavior both relatable and actionable.

Starting with the Jobs To Be Done framework doesn't require a full-scale transformation. Even small businesses and market research beginners can weave JTBD into their existing processes to uncover customer insights and guide smarter decisions.

Step 1: Shift the Way You Frame Customer Questions

Begin by rethinking how you approach customer feedback. Instead of asking what customers like or dislike, ask about the context. What led them to your product? What outcome were they hoping to achieve? Identifying the timeline and triggers helps surface the underlying jobs they're trying to get done.

Step 2: Conduct Simple Customer Interviews

One of the most effective tools for JTBD is the customer interview. These conversations reveal how real people evaluate choices, struggle through tasks, and why they ultimately pick your product.

Here’s what to focus on:

• What caused them to look for a solution?
• What were they doing before they discovered your product?
• What were they hoping your product would help them achieve?
• What other options did they consider?

These insights reveal not just the functional need, but emotional and relational factors too. That’s key for building products and marketing around what actually matters.

Step 3: Map Out Jobs Stories

Use a simple structure to capture what you've learned. A common format is:

When ________, I want to ________, so I can ________.

This statement helps you articulate the job clearly – aligning teams around why your customer takes action and what they need to succeed.

Step 4: Apply JTBD to Product, Marketing, and Strategy

Once you’ve identified core jobs, plug them into your roadmap:

Product development: Prioritize features that better fulfill the job.
Marketing: Improve messaging by speaking directly to the job-to-be-done.
Customer experience: Remove friction points along the customer’s journey based on their job timeline.

Step 5: Collaborate, Learn, and Iterate

JTBD isn’t a one-time activity – it's a mindset. As markets evolve and customer expectations shift, revisiting the jobs they’re trying to accomplish will keep your offerings relevant and empathetic.

If you’re just beginning with market research basics, JTBD offers a structured, approachable way to start understanding your customers. And for growing businesses, it provides a clear route to innovation that aligns with real-world needs.