TBD — 5-Tier JTBD Methodology for Claude Code
A Claude Code plugin skill that runs a structured Jobs-to-be-Done analysis in 5 progressive tiers — from "why do users need this" to "what should we build" to "did we cover everything."
The 5 Tiers
| Tier | Name | What Happens |
|---|
| 1 | JTBD | Extract job statements from a product description — solution-agnostic, motivation-first |
| 2 | Mini-Jobs | Decompose into sub-jobs with alternative paths (DAG structure, a-suffix convention) |
| 3 | Job Map | Map mini-jobs through Ulwick's 8 steps × 4 emotional forces (Push/Pull/Anxiety/Habit) → synthesized observations |
| 4 | Solution | Regroup by solution concern (not by JTBD) into Epics + Stories with emotional force tags and traceability |
| 5 | Traceability | 5 automated checks (coverage matrices, orphan detection, gap analysis framed as opportunities) |
What Makes This Different
- Emotional forces on every job map step — not just a generic Ulwick map
- Observations, not a matrix — Tier 3 synthesizes cross-cutting patterns instead of dumping 232 cells
- Regroup by solution concern — Tier 4 groups stories by what the product needs to build, not by which job they serve
- 25% alternatives rule — at least 25% of JTBDs must have alternative mini-job paths
- Automated traceability — Tier 5 closes the loop with 5 verification checks (5A-5E)
Install
Add to your Claude Code settings (.claude/settings.json):
{
"plugins": {
"marketplaces": [
"https://github.com/lagz0ne/tbd"
]
}
}
Or clone locally:
git clone https://github.com/lagz0ne/tbd.git
claude --plugin-dir ./tbd
Usage
/tbd # starts JTBD extraction (Tier 1)
"decompose the jobs" # Tier 2: mini-jobs
"map the jobs" # Tier 3: job map + emotional forces
"create epics and stories" # Tier 4: solution regrouping
"run traceability" # Tier 5: coverage + gap analysis
"resume" # auto-detect and continue from last tier
"full TBD" # run all tiers sequentially
"show example" # load golden example for calibration
The skill pauses at 2 hard checkpoints (after Tier 2 and Tier 3) for review before proceeding.
Golden Example
Included under skills/tbd/examples/golden-example/ — a complete 5-tier analysis of a Team Kanban Board:
- 8 JTBDs, 29 mini-jobs (8 alternatives)
- 6 cross-cutting emotional patterns
- 11 epics, 48 stories
- 61% job map step coverage, 3 gap opportunities identified
Structure
.claude-plugin/
├── plugin.json
└── marketplace.json
skills/tbd/
├── SKILL.md # dispatch + workflow rules
├── references/
│ ├── tier1-jtbd.md # anti-patterns, procedure
│ ├── tier2-mini-jobs.md # 25% rule, DAG, checkpoint
│ ├── tier3-jobmap.md # emotional force layering, synthesis
│ ├── tier4-solution.md # regrouping, story format
│ └── tier5-traceability.md # 5A-5E verification
└── examples/golden-example/
├── 01-jtbd.md
├── 02-mini-jobs.md
├── 03-jobmap-observations.md
├── 04-solution.md
└── 05-traceability.md
License
MIT
lagz0ne
lagz0ne
