Mastering Jobs to be Done in Financial Services

Financial services firms often innovate around products instead of people. This section explains why Jobs to Be Done (JTBD) transforms how banks, insurers, and fintechs design offerings—by uncovering what customers truly aim to accomplish in their financial lives. Rather than focusing on features or demographics, JTBD looks at the underlying motivations and contextual needs driving financial decisions. By aligning innovation with these real-world goals, organizations can reduce failure risk, increase customer loyalty, and design solutions that resonate emotionally as well as functionally. In a market crowded with similar offerings, JTBD becomes a powerful differentiator.

• Once this mindset shift occurs, financial institutions can unlock a clearer path to relevance and growth:

• Replace product-centered thinking with customer-centered problem-solving.

• Understand functional and emotional motivations behind saving, borrowing, or investing.

• Design financial solutions that fit seamlessly into customers’ daily lives.

• Reduce innovation risk by testing against real Jobs, not assumed wants.

• Use Jobs to Be Done as the foundation for segmenting markets by motivation, not demographics.