In traditional marketing, competitors are usually defined as companies operating in the same category, selling similar products. But in the Jobs to Be Done (JTBD) framework, competition is not about product similarity – it's about purpose.

JTBD revolves around the idea that people 'hire' products or services to achieve specific outcomes. These aren’t just functional goals – they can also be emotional or social. The real competition, then, is any solution your customer might turn to in order to get the same job done.

Competing Solutions = Any Way to Solve the Same Job

Let’s say someone is ‘hiring’ something to help them unwind after a stressful day. The “job” is relaxation. In that case, their competing options might include:

• A glass of wine
• Streaming a movie
• Taking a yoga class
• Scrolling through social media
• Calling a friend

None of these options come from the same product category, but all are valid competing solutions. They solve the same customer job in different ways. With a JTBD lens, you're not just comparing apples to apples – you're asking what all the fruit in the basket is there to do.

Why This Matters for Business Competition

By understanding customer jobs, you also understand what truly drives decision-making. This kind of consumer insight expands your competitive analysis – and your strategic possibilities. It helps explain customer behavior that might not make sense through a category lens: Why does someone pick a DIY video over hiring a professional? Why choose fast food instead of meal kits?

Businesses that track only traditional category competitors may miss these choices completely. But those using JTBD market research can broaden their view to include:

• Indirect competitors
• Workarounds and substitutes
• Emerging options outside the usual radar

Job Mapping Reveals the Whole Picture

Job mapping – a key component of the JTBD framework – helps identify each step a customer takes to get a job done. From there, researchers can uncover which competitive solutions enter the picture at each stage. This not only helps brands innovate more effectively, but also helps them identify gaps where they can uniquely add value.

So, when you ask, “Who are your real competitors?” from a JTBD perspective, the answer stretches far wider than the usual suspects. It includes anything customers might turn to in pursuit of their goal – and that's what makes the Jobs to Be Done approach so powerful for today’s product strategy and business competition landscape.

Many organizations rely on standard competitor audits. They scan brands in the same category, compare features or price points, and build positioning strategies based on what direct rivals are doing. While this approach can be useful, it has critical blind spots – especially in fast-changing markets where consumer behavior constantly evolves.

The biggest limitation? Traditional competitor lists only reveal a fraction of the full market terrain. They rarely account for how real customers approach problems or the alternative ways they solve them. That's where a Jobs to Be Done competitor analysis offers game-changing insight.

Why Category-Only Thinking Falls Short

Let’s look at an example. Imagine you're marketing a budgeting app. You scan the competitive landscape and point to other personal finance tools. But in the JTBD mindset, someone who wants to gain control of their money might also:

• Use a spreadsheet
• Rely on a cash-only system
• Consume financial literacy podcasts
• Ask a friend or parent for help

None of these are in the same product category, yet all are valid ways of accomplishing the same outcome: managing personal finances. If you only benchmark against fintech apps, you overlook the broader context of customer choice. This limits not just your competitive analysis – it limits innovation potential too.

How JTBD Helps Uncover Hidden Competitors

The JTBD framework helps you think outside the box – literally. Instead of assuming your competitors look like you, it pushes you to study what your customers are hiring your product to do. By focusing on the outcome (not the object), you start identifying non-obvious competitors that traditional analysis overlooks:

• Experience-based alternatives (e.g., people visit a park for stress relief instead of using your meditation app)
• Do-nothing scenarios (some consumers solve the ‘job’ by postponing it or not acting at all)
• DIY or workaround solutions (like writing notes by hand instead of using a note-taking app)

This broader view is especially useful for product teams, marketers, and strategists who want to future-proof their offerings. It opens up space for opportunity – places where unmet needs exist because existing solutions aren’t fully satisfying the job.

Outcompete by Understanding Context

When you see your real competitors through a JTBD lens, your product strategy becomes more aligned with how people make decisions in real life. You’re no longer fixated on matching features – you’re focused on solving real problems better than anyone else can.

Using JTBD market research strategy pushes your team to serve customer needs more holistically. It reveals the forces behind switching behavior and gives you the language to speak directly to people’s goals – not just their demographics or product preferences.

Ultimately, the traditional way of defining competition is useful, but it’s incomplete. If you want a more accurate – and actionable – view of your marketplace, reframing competitors in JTBD terms is a smart place to start.

One of the most eye-opening aspects of the Jobs to Be Done (JTBD) framework is how it reveals competitors you might never expect. By focusing on what customers are trying to accomplish – their core goals or “jobs” – instead of which product category you compete in, the JTBD approach reframes your competition entirely. It uncovers a broader range of alternatives people consider when seeking a solution.

Surprising JTBD Competitor Examples

Let's look at common cases where JTBD reveals hidden or indirect competition:

• Streaming services vs. bookstores: From a traditional view, Netflix competes with other streaming platforms. But through a JTBD lens, it competes with books, podcasts, and even meditation apps – all fulfilling the job of “help me relax after a long day.”
• Coffee shops vs. coworking spaces: A café isn't just about lattes. For some, it's a convenient place to focus, work remotely, or meet colleagues. In this case, coffee shops are competing with coworking spaces and even libraries – not just other cafés.
• Meal kit services vs. grocery stores vs. takeout: When someone wants a quick, comforting dinner without too much effort, they might cook with HelloFresh, order UberEats, or stop by the supermarket for a frozen meal. These are all competing solutions for the same job: “give me an easy way to eat well at home.”
• Ride-hailing apps vs. car ownership: The job might be “get me from point A to B without the hassle of parking or driving.” That means Uber doesn’t just compete with taxis – it may also take share from people who would otherwise buy a car.

These examples illustrate why job-based competitor analysis is so powerful. It helps identify non-obvious competitors that traditional segmentation methods might overlook. By focusing on the function or purpose behind the choice, you uncover what consumers really value – convenience, flexibility, enjoyment, safety, time savings, or even peace of mind.

Product teams, marketers, and strategists can all benefit from applying this way of thinking. It can shift how you analyze the marketplace, define your unique value, and decide where to innovate.

Next, let’s explore how to uncover these insights through thoughtful customer research.

Identifying who truly competes with your business through a Jobs to Be Done lens requires more than educated guesses – it takes structured market research designed to uncover real customer behavior and motivations. The goal is to learn what “job” your customers are trying to accomplish, and which other tools or solutions they consider along the way.

Start with Deep Customer Conversations

One of the most effective ways to begin is with qualitative research. At SIVO, interviews, observational studies, and ethnographic approaches are often used to help uncover the underlying goals, context, and progress consumers are seeking. These methods highlight real choices and decision-making moments that reveal competitors beyond your immediate category.

During JTBD interviews, we focus on moments of change and product usage.

Questions might include:

• “What made you decide to start using this product or service?”
• “What were you trying to achieve when you looked for a solution?”
• “What other options did you consider?”
• “What did this help you do better than before?”

These types of questions help identify indirect competitors and alternatives your customers weigh before choosing (or skipping) your solution.

Layer In Quantitative Data

To scale these insights, quantitative tools can segment customers by jobs rather than demographics or purchase frequency. For instance, a survey may identify the top three “jobs” people hire your product for, and show different solution sets based on customer type or usage scenario. This process often includes job mapping – to outline how people define success and the steps they take to make progress.

Use Behavioral Data and Feedback Loops

When available, customer usage logs, app analytics, or CRM data can shed light on patterns indicating which functions or features get used most (and thus, which “jobs” they serve). You can also incorporate AI tools for sorting feedback at scale – but always bring in human interpretation to uncover context and meaning that machines might miss.

Most importantly, remain open to what customers are trying to accomplish, even if it falls outside your initial expectations. The JTBD framework isn’t about confirming what you already believe – it’s about discovering new ways people solve the same problem.

When done effectively, consumer insights and JTBD research reveal where customers believe they’re making progress – and which options they're comparing to yours, even if you don’t see them as direct competition.

Once you’ve identified your customer’s true desired outcome – the real job they’re trying to get done – you’ve unlocked a powerful lever for growth. JTBD insights don’t just reshape your view of the competitive landscape. They also guide smarter product strategy, marketing decisions, and purposeful innovation.

Target Your Messaging Toward the Job, Not the Product

If customers are hiring your offering to fulfill a specific job, then your marketing should speak directly to that outcome. This is where many companies miss an opportunity – they talk about features, not value. With a JTBD approach, you align messaging and positioning based on what people are truly trying to achieve.

For instance, instead of saying “fastest video editing software,” you might reposition as “helping content creators publish compelling videos in record time.” This appeals directly to the job, which may elevate you above competitors focused on specs alone.

Innovate by Solving Friction Points Along the Job Journey

Once you’ve done job mapping – breaking down how a customer executes a job and where they encounter challenges – you gain a map of opportunity areas. Where are they getting stuck? What feels cumbersome or time-consuming? These insights inform where to innovate: whether it’s improving onboarding, bundling services, streamlining tools, or removing steps entirely.

Jobs to Be Done research can also reveal unmet or underserved jobs, helping you identify adjacent innovation spaces. For example:

• A fitness app might uncover a new job: “help me stay motivated throughout the week,” leading to new features like social accountability or mood-based workout recommendations.
• An e-learning platform might expand into “help me make my career pivot feel less overwhelming” – opening opportunities for mentor matching or paced learning programs.

Differentiate by Offering a Unique, End-to-End Solution

When you align your offering closely with the job customers care about, you can create more holistic, one-stop solutions. This pulls you out of head-to-head feature battles and positions you as a trusted partner in progress. Your differentiation becomes: “No one helps me do the job as well as they do.”

Ultimately, JTBD analysis helps you rise above price or product specs and anchor your value in customer needs and outcomes. It’s not just about identifying new competitors – it’s about outlasting them by delivering deeper, more meaningful experiences.