JTBD Shared Principles & Core Contract
This document governs all skills in the jtbd-skills repository. It provides the cross-skill terminology, evidence discipline, and strict analytical boundaries required to execute Outcome-Driven Innovation (ODI) reliably.
1. Core Terminology Contract
Every JTBD skill must strictly maintain the following distinctions:
| Term |
Definition |
Key Characteristic |
Example |
| Core Functional Job |
The stable, functional progress a job executor is trying to accomplish. |
Solution-free, outcome-free, emotionally neutral. |
Restore blood flow in a blocked artery |
| Job Executor |
The specific person performing the core functional job. |
Not a buyer persona or demographic tag. |
Interventional cardiologist |
| Solution |
A specific product, feature, technology, supplier, algorithm, or channel used to get a job done. |
Variable over time; interchangeable. |
Angioplasty balloon catheter, Stent |
| Desired Outcome |
A measurable success metric used by the executor to judge how well the job is completed. |
Formulaic: Direction + Metric + Object + Clarifier. |
Minimize the likelihood of damaging the arterial wall during inflation |
| Emotional Job |
How the job executor wants to feel while executing the job. |
Internal psychological state. |
Feel confident during high-risk procedures |
| Social Job |
How the job executor wants to be perceived by peers, patients, or superiors. |
External perception / status. |
Be regarded as an expert practitioner |
| Consumption Chain Job |
A lifecycle support activity related to the product (install, setup, clean, maintain, dispose). |
Executed by support roles or executor in support mode. |
Sterilize the catheter before procedure |
2. Evidence Discipline & Source Tracing
When analyzing user prompts, research notes, product descriptions, or interview transcripts:
Evidence vs. Inference Separation:
- Direct Evidence: Explicit statements provided in the source text. Must be cited or preserved.
- Inference / Hypothesis: Logical deductions made by the agent. Must be explicitly flagged with
status: inferred or status: candidate.
- Fabrication Ban: Never invent customer interviews, survey scores, market satisfaction data, or quotes.
Handling Missing Evidence:
- If the job executor is unknown, flag it as an
evidence_gap.
- If evidence is insufficient to define a confident functional job, state
status: insufficient_evidence and specify the exact missing fact needed.
No Solution-to-Job Tautology:
- Do NOT define a job by taking a solution name and appending a verb (e.g., "Use an AI tool" -> "Do AI tool usage"). A job exists independently of whether the solution exists.
3. Scope Boundaries across Skills
jtbd-job-definer: Defines, audits, and rewrites the single Core Functional Job Statement.jtbd-job-mapper: Breaks down an established Job into sequential process steps (Universal Job Map).jtbd-outcome-uncoverer: Extracts quantitative Desired Outcome Statements per job map step.jtbd-opportunity-analyzer: Evaluates Opportunity Scores ($Importance + \max(Importance - Satisfaction, 0)$).jtbd-growth-strategist: Formulates business and product positioning strategy.
No skill should cross into the responsibility of another skill without explicit input data.
1---2name: jtbd-principles3description: Shared principles, terminology, evidence discipline, and core contracts for all Jobs-to-be-Done (JTBD) and Outcome-Driven Innovation (ODI) agent skills.4---56# JTBD Shared Principles & Core Contract78This document governs all skills in the `jtbd-skills` repository. It provides the cross-skill terminology, evidence discipline, and strict analytical boundaries required to execute Outcome-Driven Innovation (ODI) reliably.910## 1. Core Terminology Contract1112Every JTBD skill must strictly maintain the following distinctions:1314| Term | Definition | Key Characteristic | Example |15| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |16| **Core Functional Job** | The stable, functional progress a job executor is trying to accomplish. | Solution-free, outcome-free, emotionally neutral. | *Restore blood flow in a blocked artery* |17| **Job Executor** | The specific person performing the core functional job. | Not a buyer persona or demographic tag. | *Interventional cardiologist* |18| **Solution** | A specific product, feature, technology, supplier, algorithm, or channel used to get a job done. | Variable over time; interchangeable. | *Angioplasty balloon catheter, Stent* |19| **Desired Outcome** | A measurable success metric used by the executor to judge how well the job is completed. | Formulaic: Direction + Metric + Object + Clarifier. | *Minimize the likelihood of damaging the arterial wall during inflation* |20| **Emotional Job** | How the job executor wants to feel while executing the job. | Internal psychological state. | *Feel confident during high-risk procedures* |21| **Social Job** | How the job executor wants to be perceived by peers, patients, or superiors. | External perception / status. | *Be regarded as an expert practitioner* |22| **Consumption Chain Job** | A lifecycle support activity related to the product (install, setup, clean, maintain, dispose). | Executed by support roles or executor in support mode. | *Sterilize the catheter before procedure* |2324---2526## 2. Evidence Discipline & Source Tracing2728When analyzing user prompts, research notes, product descriptions, or interview transcripts:29301. **Evidence vs. Inference Separation**:31 - **Direct Evidence**: Explicit statements provided in the source text. Must be cited or preserved.32 - **Inference / Hypothesis**: Logical deductions made by the agent. Must be explicitly flagged with `status: inferred` or `status: candidate`.33 - **Fabrication Ban**: Never invent customer interviews, survey scores, market satisfaction data, or quotes.34352. **Handling Missing Evidence**:36 - If the job executor is unknown, flag it as an `evidence_gap`.37 - If evidence is insufficient to define a confident functional job, state `status: insufficient_evidence` and specify the exact missing fact needed.38393. **No Solution-to-Job Tautology**:40 - Do NOT define a job by taking a solution name and appending a verb (e.g., "Use an AI tool" -> "Do AI tool usage"). A job exists independently of whether the solution exists.4142---4344## 3. Scope Boundaries across Skills4546- **`jtbd-job-definer`**: Defines, audits, and rewrites the single **Core Functional Job Statement**.47- **`jtbd-job-mapper`**: Breaks down an established Job into sequential process steps (Universal Job Map).48- **`jtbd-outcome-uncoverer`**: Extracts quantitative Desired Outcome Statements per job map step.49- **`jtbd-opportunity-analyzer`**: Evaluates Opportunity Scores ($Importance + \max(Importance - Satisfaction, 0)$).50- **`jtbd-growth-strategist`**: Formulates business and product positioning strategy.5152No skill should cross into the responsibility of another skill without explicit input data.
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