Introduction
Why Insights from Non-Users Matter in JTBD Research
Understanding Non-User Behavior Can Reveal Untapped Potential
When conducting Jobs to Be Done (JTBD) research, many companies naturally gravitate toward their existing customers. But limiting your market research to that group leaves out a valuable segment: non-users. These are the people who face the same challenges your product solves – but aren’t currently buying from you. Non-users might be:- People who have never heard of your brand or solution
- Shoppers who are aware of your product but chose a competing option
- Individuals who still rely on outdated methods or DIY hacks
Why They Haven’t Bought – Yet
Contrary to the assumption that non-users aren’t interested, many do have a job to be done – they simply haven’t found a solution that resonates. Perhaps your product is too complex, priced out of reach, or doesn’t align with their decision-making process. These unmet needs and perceptions are critical to hear firsthand. For example, let’s say you’re a company offering a cutting-edge budgeting app. While loyal users sing its praises, non-users might reveal they find the onboarding overwhelming or don’t understand the value in switching from a spreadsheet. By listening to these voices, your team can remove those barriers and win new customers who previously didn’t see the fit.How to Identify and Reach the Right Non-Users
Finding non-users for JTBD research starts with defining who they are and why they matter to your brand strategy. Some helpful tactics include:- Talking to people actively shopping in your category
- Screening for people who researched your product but didn’t convert
- Exploring adjacent categories where alternative solutions exist
Why This Matters for Your Business
Non-user insights can:- Highlight reasons potential buyers choose competitors
- Surface educational gaps around your product or brand
- Validate or refine assumptions about market positioning
What Lapsed Users Can Reveal About Unmet Needs
Lapsed Users Offer a Unique Window into Broken Experiences
If satisfied customers show you what’s working, lapsed users tell you what went wrong. These are former customers who once bought your product or service – and then, for one reason or another, stopped. In Jobs to Be Done research, lapsed users play a vital role in helping you uncover unmet needs that led to disengagement. This consumer segment holds firsthand experience with your offering, making them well-positioned to speak on what made their experience succeed initially – and what ultimately drove them away.Why Lapsed Users Matter in Consumer Insights
Understanding this group sheds light on pain points and missed opportunities that current users might accept or tolerate. While a loyal customer might work around a frustrating feature, lapsed users may have decided it just wasn’t worth the hassle. Their decision to walk away holds valuable clues about:- Product performance or feature gaps
- Customer service or onboarding challenges
- Changes in needs, priorities, or life stage
What They Can Tell You That Others Can’t
Lapsed users have a deeper awareness than new prospects yet can be more objective than current loyalists. They’ve seen your product in action but no longer feel it fits their needs. This puts them in a perfect position to answer questions like:“What changed between your first use and now?”
“Why did you stop using the product or switch brands?”
“What could have kept you engaged?”
These types of responses help teams identify breakdowns in the experience, especially those that emerge over time. Maybe your service works fine for early use cases, but begins to fail when customers try to scale its use or encounter unexpected issues. Lapsed users help you see that inflection point clearly.Doing More with Consumer Segments in JTBD
When organizations ask “Who are the consumers in Jobs to Be Done research?”, they often leave out those who left. But from a strategy standpoint, gaining insights from lapsed users helps answer essential questions like:- Are we solving the right job in a complete way?
- Are we meeting evolving needs or just initial expectations?
- What would it take to win these customers back – or prevent others from leaving?
Brand Switchers: A Key Source of Innovation Clues
Many companies focus heavily on loyal customers when conducting Jobs to Be Done (JTBD) research, assuming that existing users provide the richest insights. However, one of the most overlooked – and powerful – audiences in market research is brand switchers.
Brand switchers are consumers who move from one brand to another, often in search of better features, prices, or customer experiences. Their decisions are active, intentional, and full of insight into what drives product adoption – and what causes abandonment.
Why brand switchers matter in JTBD studies
Switchers offer a front-row view into how people evaluate competing solutions to their problems. They can tell you not only what convinced them to leave a previous brand but also what attracted them to your category or competitors.
Understanding brand switchers in JTBD studies helps you:
- Identify unmet needs in your product or service
- Spot weak points in competitors' offerings
- Surface emerging preferences and expectations
- Reveal key decision-making triggers (price, design, trust, etc.)
For example, say a consumer switches from one meal delivery app to another. Through JTBD interviews, you might learn that what they really “hired” the new app for was flexible delivery windows – something their previous provider didn’t offer. That single insight could unlock a new differentiator for your brand.
Going beyond features: Behavior and context
Brand switchers also help uncover the context behind behavior. Maybe a customer didn’t leave because of a flaw in a product, but because their life situation changed – a new job, move, or family dynamic, prompting them to seek something different.
That distinction matters in JTBD research. Not all brand switching is about dissatisfaction; sometimes it’s about fit, priorities, or even identity shifts. And learning to decode those moments is key to staying relevant.
By including switchers in your research, you gain a 360° view of consumer insights – not just why people stay, but why they leave. Both are critical for driving long-term innovation and retention.
Including New Customers and First-Time Buyers in JTBD Interviews
First impressions matter – especially in Jobs to Be Done research. New customers and first-time buyers can offer an incredibly fresh perspective on what motivated their purchase, what they expected, and how your brand compares to others in the category.
Unlike long-time customers, first-time users have not yet built a routine or loyalty. Their decision-making process is more conscious and recent, making it easier for them to articulate what job they wanted the product to do and how they arrived at their decision.
Capturing insights from first-time buyers
In many ways, first-time users act as real-time case studies of product adoption. Their feedback tells a story about:
- How people discover and understand your offer
- Which features stood out during their consideration process
- Any hesitations or confusion they had pre-purchase
- What “job” they expected the product to fulfill
For example, a first-time buyer of a smart home device might say they bought it to make daily routines easier, only to be surprised by how complex setup was. Even this friction-filled insight holds value – it shows a gap between expectation and delivery, offering a chance to fine-tune onboarding or communication.
Why first-timers are critical to JTBD
JTBD research isn't just about satisfaction – it’s about intent. First-time users are often trying to solve a very specific problem. This targeted need can help product teams better define ideal use cases and address any disconnect between marketing promises and real-world experience.
Better yet, learning from new users can help you prevent churn before it happens. If early expectations go unmet, you'll see hints of behavior that often leads to becoming a lapsed user – valuable foresight for retention strategies.
Incorporating first-time buyers into your JTBD research ensures you're not designing solutions only for brand veterans. Instead, you're building with newcomers in mind, helping more people move from trial to trust.
How to Broaden Your Audience for More Actionable JTBD Insights
Unlocking the full power of Jobs to Be Done research means going beyond the obvious. Loyal customers certainly offer depth, but growth often lies in reaching untapped consumer groups: non-users, lapsed users, brand switchers, and first-time buyers.
Start with your growth questions
To broaden your audience in market research, begin by asking: What jobs are we not fulfilling well today? or What’s preventing new users from adopting our solution?
From there, you can identify the right mix of consumer segments for Jobs to Be Done research, including:
- Non-users who face the job but currently use no product
- Lapsed users who walked away (great for learning “dealbreakers”)
- Brand switchers who can compare offerings effectively
- New or alternative-category buyers (indirect competition)
How to find non-users and lapsed users for market research
Finding these groups may feel more challenging, but is worth the effort. Here are some starter strategies:
1. Tap into existing data: Your customer database can reveal lapsed users with declining activity or unsubscribes. Exit survey responses are also instructive.
2. Expand your recruitment: Work with a research partner (such as SIVO) to find audiences outside your ecosystem or among competitors' users. Professional screeners can help isolate relevant traits – like having recently switched or abandoned similar products.
3. Go qualitative first: In-depth interviews uncover attitudes and unmet needs that surveys might miss. These conversations from the edge of your user base often spark bigger “a-ha” moments.
More inclusive audiences = more opportunities
When your JTBD sample includes these non-traditional users, your insights become more actionable. You’ll create stronger messaging for acquisition, design more intuitive products, and remove friction points before they cause lost loyalty.
Inclusive consumer research is not about adding noise – it's about widening your lens to see the full spectrum of needs in your market landscape. Whether you're refining an existing offer or planning your next big innovation, the broader your understanding, the sharper your strategy.
Summary
Too often, Jobs to Be Done research focuses only on the most familiar customers – loyal users who already love the product. But lasting growth and innovation come from understanding a broader ecosystem of behaviors and needs.
By speaking with non-users, you uncover people facing the “job” who haven’t yet found a solution that fits. Lapsed users expose critical friction points and unmet expectations. Brand switchers reveal evolving preferences and decision triggers. First-time buyers show us what actually drives adoption in the moment. And together, these audiences help marketers and innovators see clearly where new opportunities emerge.
When you broaden who you listen to, your insights become more complete, more actionable, and more capable of fueling smart, sustainable growth. JTBD is at its best when it looks beyond loyalty and into the real reasons people choose, change, or abandon solutions entirely.
Summary
Too often, Jobs to Be Done research focuses only on the most familiar customers – loyal users who already love the product. But lasting growth and innovation come from understanding a broader ecosystem of behaviors and needs.
By speaking with non-users, you uncover people facing the “job” who haven’t yet found a solution that fits. Lapsed users expose critical friction points and unmet expectations. Brand switchers reveal evolving preferences and decision triggers. First-time buyers show us what actually drives adoption in the moment. And together, these audiences help marketers and innovators see clearly where new opportunities emerge.
When you broaden who you listen to, your insights become more complete, more actionable, and more capable of fueling smart, sustainable growth. JTBD is at its best when it looks beyond loyalty and into the real reasons people choose, change, or abandon solutions entirely.
