Jobs to Be Done (JTBD) is a mindset and methodology used to understand the real reasons why customers choose a product or service. Instead of focusing on demographics or traditional segmentation, JTBD asks a more powerful question: What is the customer trying to accomplish?

Think of it this way: People don't buy a drill because they want a drill. They buy it because they need a hole in the wall. In JTBD terms, drilling the hole is the “job” they need to get done. That job could be functional (putting up shelves), emotional (feeling productive), or social (impressing guests). By understanding the job behind the purchase, businesses can create products and services that solve real-world problems more effectively.

Reframing Customer Needs Through Jobs

What makes the Jobs to Be Done framework so important for modern business is its ability to reveal deeper customer needs, not just surface-level preferences. By focusing on what customers are trying to achieve in their lives, JTBD sheds light on the reasons behind behavior. This is vital because customer decisions are often complex and driven by context – something basic market data may not clearly show.

For example, a parent buying a minivan isn’t just purchasing transportation. They’re hiring it for a job – safely getting kids to school, storing sports gear, and offering comfort during long drives. Understanding that full job reveals priorities like safety, flexibility, and storage space – guiding smarter design and marketing decisions.

The Value JTBD Brings

Using JTBD allows brands to:

• Design products based on what customers are trying to get done
• Identify unmet needs and gaps in the market
• Craft targeted messaging that connects emotionally and functionally
• Uncover jobs that customers may not even articulate directly

It also bridges teams. Whether you're in product, marketing, or strategy, aligning on customer jobs helps everyone work toward the same goals.

JTBD Is More Than Theory

While it has roots in innovation theory, Jobs to Be Done is highly practical. It’s about having conversations – often through qualitative research – that dig into what people are trying to do in specific situations. Then, these insights are translated into action: better customer experience, focused product features, and even smarter growth strategies.

Bottom line: JTBD helps companies get closer to the actual, lived experiences of their customers. And that understanding is the foundation of every great idea – and every successful business.

Traditionally, market research has revolved around identifying who the customer is: their age, income, lifestyle habits, and more. While helpful, this approach can overlook a key element: why customers make the choices they do. That’s where Jobs to Be Done takes things further.

Instead of sorting people into segments based on static attributes, JTBD dives into the context of a customer’s life and decisions. It’s not just about who they are, but what’s causing them to act. This shift in lens reveals motivations, pain points, and decision criteria that more conventional methods may miss.

Moving From Description to Action

Classic market research tends to generate descriptions – this audience likes A, this one prefers B. Jobs to Be Done helps uncover the processes and emotional triggers behind those preferences, turning description into direction. It often starts with qualitative research interviews that are structured to identify the progress the customer is trying to make, and the obstacles they face along the way.

This approach leads to insights like:

• “They didn’t abandon our app because of the price – they left because it didn’t help them complete their task fast enough.”
• “Customers don’t care about feature X, they’re hiring the product to reduce their stress at the end of the day.”

These kinds of discoveries are tough to get through survey data alone. JTBD uncovers underlying needs – both functional and emotional – that can directly inform product innovation, messaging, and competitive positioning.

The Strategic Advantage

Using the JTBD lens can help organizations make sharper, more confident decisions. From deciding what features to develop, to shaping the go-to-market strategy, to prioritizing customer segments – JTBD fuels cross-functional alignment.

Here’s how it stacks up:

Traditional Market Research:

• Focuses on demographics and stated preferences
• Good for validating hypotheses and measuring opinions
• Often based on past behaviors or opinions

Jobs to Be Done:

• Focuses on intentions, context, and outcomes
• Identifies hidden opportunities and unmet needs
• Informs forward-looking product and business strategy

This makes JTBD a powerful complement to traditional research – not a replacement. At SIVO, for instance, JTBD-inspired projects can blend both qualitative and quantitative research to offer a fuller picture. That’s what turns insights into practical action.

Real-World Relevance

Imagine a fictional example: a snack company looking to grow its product line. Instead of asking only about flavor preferences, a JTBD approach might reveal that their core consumers “hire” their snack during midafternoon slumps – not just for hunger, but for mental energy. This insight guides not just product flavor, but also form, packaging, and positioning – a much broader opportunity than initially expected.

Jobs to Be Done is ultimately about getting closer to the truth of customer behavior. It gives businesses the tools to see products and services from the perspective of the user – which, in turn, leads to more useful, usable, and meaningful solutions.

The Jobs to Be Done (JTBD) approach is more than conceptual thinking – it’s a hands-on way for businesses to better understand their customers and make smarter decisions. Unlike traditional market research that often focuses on demographics or product usage, JTBD digs deeper into the underlying motivations behind customer choices. That makes it ideal for solving real-world business challenges across functions like product development, marketing, sales, and customer experience.

Product Development: Building Solutions That Solve Real Problems

JTBD helps teams prioritize product features based on what customers are actually trying to accomplish – not just what they say they like. For example, a fictional meal kit company might discover through JTBD research that busy parents are not just buying meals – they’re hiring the service to win back a predictable family dinner routine after work. With that insight, the company can innovate in packaging, prep time, and even delivery to better meet that core job.

Marketing: Crafting Messaging That Resonates

Understanding why people seek solutions helps brands position their offerings more effectively. JTBD can guide the development of messaging that addresses the emotional and functional needs customers are trying to meet. A fitness app, for instance, might find that users aren’t just tracking steps – they’re pursuing a sense of control in a chaotic day. Marketing that speaks to that deeper job connects more powerfully with an audience.

Customer Experience: Enhancing Every Interaction

JTBD insights can highlight pain points across the customer journey. Whether it’s simplifying onboarding or rethinking customer support, businesses can redesign touchpoints around the core jobs customers are trying to accomplish. This customer understanding creates a more intuitive and satisfying experience.

Strategic Planning and Portfolio Design

For leadership teams, JTBD offers clarity on which markets to enter, products to launch, or offerings to sunset. Customer needs analysis through JTBD can reveal white space opportunities or unmet needs that competitors aren’t serving – providing a clear path for business growth and innovation.

• Aligns teams around what really matters to customers
• Reveals motivations that drive customer behavior
• Supports decisions with qualitative research and real-world logic

In practical terms, Jobs to Be Done works because it shifts focus from the product to the person. It invites companies to ask: What is our customer really trying to achieve – and how can we help them get there?

One of the most powerful advantages of the Jobs to Be Done framework is its ability to uncover needs that customers themselves may not clearly express. Traditional market research often captures surface-level feedback – what customers say they want or identify as problems. But JTBD goes deeper by exploring the context, emotions, and outcomes behind customer decisions.

Understanding Customers' Decision-Making Process

When someone chooses a product or service, they’re usually trying to make progress in their lives. JTBD research looks at the 'why' behind that choice – not just what they chose, but what they were trying to change. For example, consider a fictional budgeting app. A typical survey might tell you users want more graphs or faster syncing. JTBD interviews reveal that what users may actually need is a sense of control after feeling overwhelmed by unexpected expenses. That’s a different, deeper problem – and it calls for a different set of solutions.

Revealing Emotional and Functional Needs

JTBD combines both rational and emotional perspectives. Customers ‘hire’ a product not just for what it does, but for how it makes them feel. This blend of tangible and intangible drivers gives businesses a fuller picture of customer behavior.

For instance:

• Functional need: “I need to organize my week.”
• Emotional need: “I want to feel in control and less stressed.”

By identifying both, companies are better equipped to tailor solutions that truly matter.

Going Beyond the Obvious with Qualitative Research

The JTBD methodology typically involves in-depth interviews, storytelling, and contextual exploration – classic techniques of qualitative research. These methods are ideal for capturing nuance, which is critical when trying to identify hidden or unmet needs. They allow researchers to recognize patterns of behavior and subtle triggers that might not surface in numeric surveys alone.

Why These Insights Matter

When businesses understand not just what customers are doing, but why they are doing it, they can develop products and services that solve problems customers didn’t even know they had. This level of customer insight leads to stronger product-market fit, more effective marketing, and strategic business decisions that reflect real human behavior – not just assumptions or averages.

Bottom line? JTBD helps pull back the curtain on customer behavior. It reveals the forces behind decisions – and those hidden drivers are often the key to creating breakthrough solutions.

Innovation doesn't start with a product – it starts with a problem. That’s why companies across industries are turning to the Jobs to Be Done framework as a foundational tool for strategic innovation and growth. Rather than chasing trends or competitor features, JTBD helps businesses stay grounded in what truly matters: what customers are really trying to achieve.

Moving Beyond Incremental Improvements

While traditional approaches might focus on improving existing features, JTBD helps teams look at the bigger picture. What job is the consumer really trying to complete? Understanding that broader context opens space for transformative, not just incremental, innovation.

For example, imagine a coffee brand designs a new brewing machine. Traditional research might ask what features consumers like in current coffee makers. But a JTBD orientation explores why people drink coffee in the first place. Perhaps it's about creating a calming morning ritual or jumpstarting focus before a meeting – drivers that lead to more meaningful and differentiated product ideas.

Aligning Innovation with Strategic Business Decisions

JTBD gives structure to what can often feel like abstract or creative conversations. By defining the core job, companies can make confident, aligned decisions across functions – from R&D to marketing to executive leadership. Innovation becomes less risky when it's rooted in validated customer needs.

Finding White Space for Growth

A major benefit of JTBD in growth strategy is its ability to illuminate unmet needs – what customers wish they could do but can’t with current solutions. These are often opportunities competitors have overlooked, and they represent real potential for differentiation and market expansion.

For example, a fictional streaming service might discover that customers aren’t just hiring it for entertainment – they’re hiring it to wind down after work without decision fatigue. This could inspire innovations in guided playlists, mood-based recommendations, or short-form content optimized for quick viewing – unlocking a new, emotion-driven user experience.

A Path Toward Sustainable Growth

Because JTBD is grounded in authentic consumer insights, the solutions it inspires tend to be more lasting. They address root motivations, not passing preferences. And that helps businesses build offerings that stand the test of time, adapt with customers, and strengthen loyalty at every stage of the journey.

In a fast-moving business environment, that's the kind of clarity and focus that companies need to drive sustainable innovation – and scale with purpose.