Jobs to Be Done is a powerful framework that helps you understand the underlying motivations and desired outcomes that drive customers to purchase and use your products or services, for both B2C and B2B businesses. Instead of focusing on current behaviors, it asks, “What exactly is the customer trying to get done?” By shifting attention from behavior to motivation, Jobs to Be Done enables you to predict what will resonate with customers and avoid innovations that fall flat.

Let’s break this down with a simple example: Coffee. People don’t simply buy coffee—they turn to it to fulfill specific Jobs in their lives. For some, it’s about staying alert and productive during a busy morning. For others, it’s about enjoying a moment of comfort or connecting socially with friends. By identifying and understanding these functional and emotional Jobs, as well as the obstacles that might stand in the way (like limited time or access), businesses gain actionable insights that guide innovation and strategy.

Rather than just selling features or benefits, Jobs to Be Done empowers your team to focus on the essential Jobs customers need to accomplish. This perspective not only broadens creative possibilities but also leads to solutions that are more impactful, and customer centered.
How Is Jobs to Be Done different from other research methods?
Traditional market research often misses the mark when it comes to understanding the deeper motivations behind consumer behavior. While other methods focus on demographics or self-reported data, Jobs to Be Done offers a unique approach that goes beyond surface-level responses. It doesn’t rely on customers to articulate their needs precisely, nor does it measure everything solely in functional terms. Instead, Jobs to Be Done provides a rigorous framework for uncovering the underlying reasons behind customer actions, highlighting new opportunities, identifying adoption barriers, and evaluating the competitive landscape from a fresh perspective.

Key Differentiators:
  1. Jobs to Be Done Focuses on the Underlying Need: Unlike traditional methods that often concentrate on demographics and psychographics, Jobs to Be Done digs deeper into the motivations that actually drive consumer behavior, providing a clearer understanding of what truly matters to your customers.
  2. Jobs to Be Done Offers a More Accurate Understanding of Behavior: While traditional research often relies on averages and self-reported data, Jobs to Be Done focuses on specific purchase and usage events, allowing you to understand how your product or service fits into real-life customer contexts—capturing the nuance that other methods miss.
  3. Jobs to Be Done Uncovers Unmet Needs: Jobs to Be Done excels at revealing latent, unmet needs—those that consumers may not even be able to express directly. By focusing on the Jobs customers are trying to accomplish, Jobs to Be Done helps companies identify areas where they can uniquely deliver value and solve problems in new ways.
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How can Jobs to be Done transform your business?

​Jobs to Be Done isn't just a framework--it's a powerful tool that helps you better understand your customers, unlock new opportunities, and drive growth. By focusing on the deeper motivations behind customer actions, Jobs to Be Done empowers you to make smarter decisions, innovate more effectively, and connect with your audience in ways that truly resonate. Here's how it can help your business thrive:
​
  • Become a Better Innovator: With Jobs to Be Done, you’ll get to the heart of why customers "hire" your products or services. It helps you solve the right problems by understanding your customers as real people with both emotional and functional needs. By uncovering the root causes of customer challenges—not just surface-level symptoms—you’ll create solutions that really hit home. You’ll also gain clarity on what matters most, so your team can focus on the ideas that will have the greatest impact.​
​
  • ​Unlock Market Expansion Opportunities: Jobs to Be Done opens up new growth possibilities by helping you see the hidden motivations driving your customers. It shows you where there are untapped markets, new occasions where your products can add value, and how to expand into related categories. Whether you’re venturing into new geographies or identifying unmet customer needs, Jobs to be Done gives you the insights you need to make informed, strategic decisions that fuel expansion.
  • Craft a Compelling Brand Strategy: Understanding your customers' functional and emotional Jobs is key to building a brand that stands out. Jobs to Be Done helps you connect with your customers on a deeper level, moving beyond features to focus on how your products make them feel. By tapping into these emotional triggers, you can build stronger connections, foster loyalty, and differentiate your brand in the marketplace—leading to a stronger, more compelling value proposition.
​
  • Drive Customer-Centric Decision-Making: Leverage customer insights across every aspect of your business—whether it’s strategic planning, product development, or marketing campaigns—to ensure all efforts are aligned with what your customers truly need and value.

How can Jobs to be Done transform your business?

​Jobs to Be Done isn't just a framework—it's a powerful tool that helps you better understand your customers, unlock new opportunities, and drive growth. By focusing on the deeper motivations behind customer actions, Jobs to Be Done empowers you to make smarter decisions, innovate more effectively, and connect with your audience in ways that truly resonate. Here's how it can help your business thrive:
Become a Better Innovator: With Jobs to Be Done, you’ll get to the heart of why customers "hire" your products or services. It helps you solve the right problems by understanding your customers as real people with both emotional and functional needs. By uncovering the root causes of customer challenges—not just surface-level symptoms—you’ll create solutions that really hit home. You’ll also gain clarity on what matters most, so your team can focus on the ideas that will have the greatest impact.​
​
Unlock Market Expansion Opportunities: Jobs to Be Done opens up new growth possibilities by helping you see the hidden motivations driving your customers. It shows you where there are untapped markets, new occasions where your products can add value, and how to expand into related categories. Whether you’re venturing into new geographies or identifying unmet customer needs, Jobs to be Done gives you the insights you need to make informed, strategic decisions that fuel expansion.
Craft a Compelling Brand Strategy: Understanding your customers' functional and emotional Jobs is key to building a brand that stands out. Jobs to Be Done helps you connect with your customers on a deeper level, moving beyond features to focus on how your products make them feel. By tapping into these emotional triggers, you can build stronger connections, foster loyalty, and differentiate your brand in the marketplace—leading to a stronger, more compelling value proposition.
Drive Customer-Centric Decision-Making: Leverage customer insights across every aspect of your business—whether it’s strategic planning, product development, or marketing campaigns—to ensure all efforts are aligned with what your customers truly need and value.
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How can Jobs to be Done transform your business?

Jobs to Be Done isn't just a framework—it's a powerful tool that helps you better understand your customers, unlock new opportunities, and drive growth. By focusing on the deeper motivations behind customer actions, Jobs to Be Done empowers you to make smarter decisions, innovate more effectively, and connect with your audience in ways that truly resonate. Here's how it can help your business thrive:

​
  • Become a Better Innovator: With Jobs to Be Done, you’ll get to the heart of why customers "hire" your products or services. It helps you solve the right problems by understanding your customers as real people with both emotional and functional needs. By uncovering the root causes of customer challenges—not just surface-level symptoms—you’ll create solutions that really hit home. You’ll also gain clarity on what matters most, so your team can focus on the ideas that will have the greatest impact.
  • Unlock Market Expansion Opportunities: Jobs to Be Done opens up new growth possibilities by helping you see the hidden motivations driving your customers. It shows you where there are untapped markets, new occasions where your products can add value, and how to expand into related categories. Whether you’re venturing into new geographies or identifying unmet customer needs, Jobs to be Done gives you the insights you need to make informed, strategic decisions that fuel expansion.
  • Craft a Compelling Brand Strategy: Understanding your customers' functional and emotional Jobs is key to building a brand that stands out. Jobs to Be Done helps you connect with your customers on a deeper level, moving beyond features to focus on how your products make them feel. By tapping into these emotional triggers, you can build stronger connections, foster loyalty, and differentiate your brand in the marketplace—leading to a stronger, more compelling value proposition.
  • Drive Customer-Centric Decision-Making: Leverage customer insights across every aspect of your business—whether it’s strategic planning, product development, or marketing campaigns—to ensure all efforts are aligned with what your customers truly need and value.
DOWNLOAD CHAPER 1 OF THE BOOK >
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Our Approach to Gathering Jobs to be Done Insights

Our method for gathering Jobs to be Done insights looks at 8 key elements to give a rigorous, detailed, and holistic view of consumers. This method allows us to depict the landscape of Jobs to be Done for distinct customer groups, including key decision-making elements such as the drivers that impact how important certain Jobs are, the pain points they encounter with current approaches, and the success criteria they have for calling a Job “well done”.
We often use a combination of qualitative and quantitative research methods for gathering Jobs to be Done insights. Qualitative methods — such as in-depth interviews and ethnographies — are best suited for laying out the landscape of Jobs to be Done, while quantitative surveys can be deployed to assess the prevalence of these Jobs in the marketplace, measure satisfaction gaps, and identify groups of customers that are united by similar Jobs. Our engagements are tailored to each company and situation -- we’ll work closely with you to determine the best tools to suit your target customer, research questions, budget, and timeline.
FEATURED WORKING PAPER

The Power of
​Jobs to be Done for Consumer -Oriented Businesses​

This paper provides a detailed look at how Jobs to be Done research methods can enable you to:
​
  • Become a Better Innovator through identifying market gaps as well as routes for competing in new ways
  • Unlock Market Expansion Opportunities through tying consumer insights to growth strategies
  • Craft a Brand Strategy that resonates with consumers at both a functional and emotional level

How is Jobs to be Done different from other research methods? 
READ THE WORKING PAPER >

Jobs to be Done in Action

Tillamook

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How a leading U.S. dairy brand captured new growth opportunities by uncovering unmet customer needs​

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UnitedHealthcare

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Improving the quality of life in retirement with Jobs to be Done customer research

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