Principles

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

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2. Evidence Discipline & Source Tracing

When analyzing user prompts, research notes, product descriptions, or interview transcripts:

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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.

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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.