ux-jtbd

JTBD Sub-Skill

Version: 1.0.0 Framework: Jerry User-Experience / Jobs-to-Be-Done Constitutional Compliance: Jerry Constitution v1.0 Parent Skill: /user-experience (skills/user-experience/SKILL.md) Project: PROJ-022 User Experience Skill | Wave 1 (Zero-Dependency)

Document Sections

Section	Purpose
Document Audience	Triple-Lens audience guide
Purpose	What /ux-jtbd does and key capabilities
When to Use This Sub-Skill	Activation triggers, routing path, and scope boundaries
Available Agents	Single agent roster with role, model, and output location
Invoking an Agent	Three invocation methods and H-26(c) registration exception
P-003 Compliance	Worker agent hierarchy position
Methodology	JTBD methodology adapted for AI-augmented research
MCP Integration	MCP dependencies and degraded mode behavior
Output Specification	Output format, location, and confidence classification
Cross-Framework Integration	How JTBD output feeds into other sub-skills
Synthesis Hypothesis Validation	Confidence gates for AI-synthesized job statements
Constitutional Compliance	Governing principles
Quick Reference	Common workflows and invocation examples
References	Full repo-relative paths to all referenced files

Document Audience (Triple-Lens)

This SKILL.md serves multiple audiences:

Level	Audience	Sections to Focus On
L0 (Stakeholder)	Product managers, team leads	Purpose, When to Use This Sub-Skill, Quick Reference
L1 (Developer)	Engineers invoking the sub-skill	Methodology, Output Specification, Available Agents
L2 (Architect)	Workflow designers, skill maintainers	Cross-Framework Integration, P-003 Compliance, Synthesis Hypothesis Validation

---

Purpose

The /ux-jtbd sub-skill provides AI-augmented Jobs-to-Be-Done research and analysis for tiny teams (1-5 people) who lack the resources for traditional primary user research. It synthesizes job statements, switch forces, and outcome expectations from secondary research sources, producing structured artifacts that feed into downstream UX sub-skills.

JTBD shifts the team's thinking from "what features should we build?" to "what jobs are users trying to accomplish?" -- enabling demand-side innovation strategy even when direct user access is limited.

Key Capabilities

• Job Statement Synthesis -- Produces structured job statements in the canonical format: "When [situation], I want to [motivation], so I can [expected outcome]"
• Switch Interview Analysis -- Applies Moesta/Spiek four forces framework (push, pull, anxiety, habit) to understand why users switch to or abandon products
• Outcome-Driven Innovation -- Applies Ulwick's ODI approach to identify underserved and overserved outcomes for innovation opportunity scoring
• Job Mapping -- Decomposes complex user jobs into sequential job steps with associated outcome expectations
• Hiring Criteria Identification -- Determines the criteria users apply when "hiring" a product for a specific job
• Competitive Job Analysis -- Maps how competing products address the same user jobs to identify differentiation opportunities

AI-Augmented Research Caveat

All JTBD outputs from this sub-skill are synthesized from secondary research (competitive analysis, domain literature, product documentation, analogous contexts) rather than primary user interviews. Synthesis outputs carry MEDIUM confidence by default. This means:

• Job statements reflect AI-synthesized patterns from training data, not validated user motivations
• Switch forces are inferred from secondary evidence, not observed in real switch interviews
• All outputs require validation against real user data before informing design decisions

See Synthesis Hypothesis Validation for the full confidence gate protocol.

Deployment status: Wave 1 sub-skill. The agent definition (skills/ux-jtbd/agents/ux-jtbd-analyst.md) is currently a stub with frontmatter and core identity sections. Full implementation (complete <methodology>, <input>, <capabilities>, <output> XML-tagged body sections) is a Wave 1 deliverable of PROJ-022. The methodology documented in this SKILL.md describes the target behavior the agent will execute once fully implemented.

---

When to Use This Sub-Skill

Activation Path

This sub-skill is invoked by the ux-orchestrator agent via the /user-experience parent skill's lifecycle-stage routing. It is NOT invoked directly by users.

Routing path: User request reaches /user-experience via trigger keywords. The ux-orchestrator routes to /ux-jtbd when the user's intent matches:

Stage Category	User Intent	Route
Before design	"Don't know what to build"	/ux-jtbd
Before design	"Decide what to build" (strategic, defining the problem)	/ux-jtbd
Any stage	Understand user motivations, map user jobs	/ux-jtbd

Source: skills/user-experience/rules/ux-routing-rules.md [Stage Routing Table].

Trigger Keywords

Keyword	Specificity
jobs to be done	Primary
JTBD	Primary
switch interview	Primary
job mapping	Primary
user motivation	Primary
hiring criteria	Primary
user jobs	Primary
outcome expectations	Secondary
switch forces	Secondary
push/pull forces	Secondary
demand-side innovation	Secondary

Do NOT Use When

Condition	Use Instead	Why
Prioritizing known features by satisfaction impact	/ux-kano-model	Kano classifies known features; JTBD discovers underlying jobs
Evaluating an existing design against usability standards	/ux-heuristic-eval	Heuristic evaluation assesses design quality, not user motivations
Measuring UX metrics after launch	/ux-heart-metrics	HEART measures outcomes; JTBD identifies the jobs driving those outcomes
Diagnosing why users fail to complete an action	/ux-behavior-design	Behavior design (Fogg B=MAP) diagnoses behavioral bottlenecks; JTBD maps the underlying job
General research without UX focus	/problem-solving	JTBD methodology is UX-specific; general research uses ps-researcher

---

Available Agents

Agent	Role	Tier	Mode	Model	Output Location
ux-jtbd-analyst	JTBD research and analysis specialist	T4	Divergent	Sonnet	projects/${JERRY_PROJECT}/engagements/{engagement-id}/ux-jtbd-analyst-{topic-slug}.md

Single-agent sub-skill. The ux-jtbd-analyst handles the full JTBD methodology -- from context gathering through job statement synthesis. Complex multi-job engagements are decomposed into multiple invocations by the ux-orchestrator, each targeting a specific job domain.

Tool tier: T4 (External). The analyst uses WebSearch and WebFetch for secondary research (competitive analysis, domain literature, product reviews) and Context7 for JTBD framework documentation lookup. See skills/ux-jtbd/agents/ux-jtbd-analyst.md for the full agent definition and skills/ux-jtbd/agents/ux-jtbd-analyst.governance.yaml for governance metadata.

---

Invoking an Agent

When to Use Each Option

• Option 1 (Natural Language): Best for most users. The ux-orchestrator handles routing, wave gating, and engagement context automatically. Use this unless you have a specific reason to bypass the orchestrator.
• Option 2 (Explicit Agent): When the user knows they specifically need JTBD analysis and an engagement context is already established via the parent orchestrator. Direct invocation without an established engagement context bypasses wave gating and lifecycle-stage triage.
• Option 3 (Agent Tool): Used by ux-orchestrator internally for agent dispatch. Not typically invoked directly by users.

Option 1: Natural Language Request

Describe your JTBD need; the parent /user-experience orchestrator routes to ux-jtbd-analyst:

"Map the jobs to be done for our onboarding flow"
"Identify switch triggers for our new feature"
"Run a JTBD interview analysis for our checkout experience"
"Understand why users are switching from [competitor]"
"What jobs are users hiring our product to do?"

Option 2: Explicit Agent Request

Request the agent by name:

"Use ux-jtbd-analyst to analyze our user interview transcripts"
"Have ux-jtbd-analyst map job statements for the settings page"
"I need ux-jtbd-analyst to identify underserved outcomes in our workflow"

Option 3: Native Agent Invocation (Agent Tool)

The ux-orchestrator dispatches to ux-jtbd-analyst via Agent:

Agent(
    description="ux-jtbd-analyst: Jobs-to-Be-Done analysis for onboarding flow",
    subagent_type="jerry:ux-jtbd-analyst",
    prompt="""
## UX CONTEXT (REQUIRED)
- **Engagement ID:** UX-0001
- **Topic:** Onboarding Flow JTBD Analysis
- **Product:** [product name and domain]
- **Target Users:** [user description]

## TASK
Conduct a Jobs-to-Be-Done analysis for the onboarding flow.
Map functional, social, and emotional jobs. Identify switch triggers.
Produce job map with outcome expectations using Ulwick ODI format.
"""
)

Claude Code enforces the agent's tools frontmatter -- ux-jtbd-analyst only has access to its declared T4 tool tier (Read, Write, Edit, Glob, Grep, Bash, WebSearch, WebFetch).

Registration (H-26(c) Exception)

/ux-jtbd is a sub-skill of /user-experience and is NOT independently registered in CLAUDE.md or mandatory-skill-usage.md. This is by design:

• Routing: Users invoke /user-experience (registered in CLAUDE.md and mandatory-skill-usage.md). The ux-orchestrator routes to ux-jtbd-analyst based on JTBD-related keywords per the lifecycle-stage triage in skills/user-experience/rules/ux-routing-rules.md.
• H-22 trigger map: The /user-experience row in mandatory-skill-usage.md includes "JTBD, jobs to be done" as positive keywords, which covers routing to this sub-skill through the parent orchestrator.
• AGENTS.md: The ux-jtbd-analyst agent IS registered in AGENTS.md under the User-Experience Skill Agents section (line 307), ensuring agent-level discoverability. Verified 2026-03-04.
• H-26(c) exception rationale: Sub-skills of orchestrated parent skills inherit routing through the parent's trigger map entry rather than maintaining independent trigger map rows. Independent registration would create duplicate routing paths that bypass the orchestrator's wave gating and lifecycle-stage triage, violating the single-entry-point design of the /user-experience skill architecture.

---

P-003 Compliance

The ux-jtbd-analyst is a worker agent within the /user-experience orchestrator-worker topology. It does NOT have Agent tool access and MUST NOT spawn sub-agents.

MAIN CONTEXT (user request)
    |
    v
ux-orchestrator (T5, Opus, Integrative)
    |
    +-- ux-jtbd-analyst (T4, Divergent, Sonnet)  <-- THIS SUB-SKILL
    +-- [other sub-skill agents...]

Enforcement:

• disallowedTools: [Agent] declared in skills/ux-jtbd/agents/ux-jtbd-analyst.md frontmatter
• P-003 prohibition in skills/ux-jtbd/agents/ux-jtbd-analyst.governance.yaml capabilities.forbidden_actions
• CI gate validates no sub-skill agent has Agent access (documented in skills/user-experience/rules/ci-checks.md)

---

Methodology

Note: This methodology section describes target behavior for the fully-implemented ux-jtbd-analyst agent. The current agent definition is a Wave 1 stub; full implementation will follow this specification.

The ux-jtbd-analyst follows a structured JTBD research methodology adapted for AI-augmented secondary research. The methodology synthesizes three complementary JTBD approaches.

Theoretical Foundations

Approach	Originator	Core Contribution	Application in This Sub-Skill
Jobs-to-Be-Done Theory	Clayton Christensen et al. (2016)	Products are "hired" for jobs; innovation comes from understanding why	Job statement format and hiring criteria identification
Outcome-Driven Innovation (ODI)	Anthony Ulwick (2005, 2016)	Jobs are stable; outcomes are measurable; innovation opportunity = importance + dissatisfaction	Outcome expectation mapping and opportunity scoring
Switch Interview Framework	Bob Moesta (2020)	Four forces drive switching behavior: push, pull, anxiety, habit	Switch force analysis for understanding adoption/abandonment

Job Statement Format

All job statements follow the canonical three-part format:

"When [situation], I want to [motivation], so I can [expected outcome]."

Component	Definition	Example
Situation	The context or circumstance triggering the job	"When I receive a new customer inquiry"
Motivation	The core action the user wants to accomplish	"I want to quickly assess their needs"
Expected Outcome	The desired end state or benefit	"so I can route them to the right team within 5 minutes"

Constraints on job statements:

• Jobs describe the user's goal, not the product's features
• Jobs are solution-agnostic -- they do not reference specific products or implementations
• Jobs are stable over time -- underlying human motivations change slowly
• Each job statement targets a single functional, social, or emotional dimension

Evaluation Workflow (planned -- target behavior)

The analyst follows a 5-phase sequential workflow. Each phase produces intermediate artifacts that feed the next.

Phase 1: Context Gathering (planned)

Purpose: Establish the product domain, target users, and competitive landscape.

Inputs: Product description, user segments, existing research (if any), competitive context.

Activities:

1. Identify the product domain and value proposition
2. Define primary user segments (who "hires" the product)
3. Survey the competitive landscape -- which products compete for the same jobs
4. Catalog existing user research, support tickets, reviews, or analytics data

Output: Context brief documenting domain, users, competitors, and available evidence sources.

Phase 2: Job Identification (planned)

Purpose: Discover the functional, social, and emotional jobs users are trying to accomplish.

Activities:

1. Analyze the product domain for core functional jobs (what users want to accomplish)
2. Identify social jobs (how users want to be perceived by others)
3. Identify emotional jobs (how users want to feel)
4. Map related jobs that cluster around the same use context
5. Distinguish between main jobs (primary purpose) and related jobs (adjacent needs)

Job types:

Job Type	Definition	Example
Functional	The practical task the user wants to accomplish	"Organize project tasks by priority"
Social	How the user wants to be perceived	"Appear organized and in control to my team"
Emotional	How the user wants to feel	"Feel confident that nothing is falling through the cracks"

Output: Draft job inventory with type classification and preliminary job statements.

Phase 3: Switch Force Analysis (planned)

Purpose: Apply the Moesta/Spiek four forces framework to understand switching behavior.

The four forces model explains why users switch between products (or from non-consumption to consumption):

PUSH (current situation pain)  +  PULL (new solution attraction)
                    vs.
ANXIETY (uncertainty about new)  +  HABIT (comfort with current)

Switch happens when PUSH + PULL > ANXIETY + HABIT

Force	Direction	Description	Evidence Sources
Push	Drives change	Pain points, frustrations, and limitations of the current solution	Support tickets, negative reviews, churn data
Pull	Drives change	Attractive features, outcomes, and promises of the new solution	Marketing copy, positive reviews, trial signups
Anxiety	Resists change	Fears about switching: data loss, learning curve, cost, compatibility	FAQ pages, onboarding drop-off, trial abandonment
Habit	Resists change	Comfort with the current solution, workflow inertia, sunk costs	Feature usage patterns, integration depth, tenure data

Activities:

1. For each identified job, catalog push forces (what pushes users away from their current approach)
2. Catalog pull forces (what attracts users to a new approach)
3. Catalog anxiety forces (what makes users hesitant to switch)
4. Catalog habit forces (what keeps users attached to their current approach)
5. Assess the force balance: do push+pull outweigh anxiety+habit?

Output: Switch force analysis per job, with force balance assessment.

Phase 4: Job Mapping (planned)

Purpose: Decompose each main job into sequential job steps with outcome expectations.

Job mapping follows Ulwick's ODI methodology: a job is decomposed into a universal job process (define, locate, prepare, confirm, execute, monitor, modify, conclude) adapted to the specific domain.

Job Step	Universal Process	Description
1	Define	Determine what needs to be accomplished
2	Locate	Find the inputs needed to accomplish the job
3	Prepare	Set up the environment or inputs for execution
4	Confirm	Verify readiness before executing
5	Execute	Perform the core action
6	Monitor	Track progress during execution
7	Modify	Make adjustments based on monitoring feedback
8	Conclude	Complete the job and transition to the next activity

Activities:

1. Decompose each main job into sequential steps following the universal process
2. For each step, define 3-5 outcome expectations using Ulwick's three canonical outcome formats:
   • "Minimize the time it takes to [step action]"
   • "Minimize the likelihood of [undesired outcome]"
   • "Minimize the variability of [quality measure]"
3. Assess each outcome's importance (how much users care) and satisfaction (how well current solutions deliver)
4. Calculate opportunity score: Importance + max(Importance - Satisfaction, 0)

Output: Job map per main job with step-level outcome expectations and opportunity scores.

Phase 5: Job Statement Synthesis (planned)

Purpose: Produce final, validated job statements with hiring criteria and confidence classifications.

Activities:

1. Refine job statements into the canonical "When [situation], I want to [motivation], so I can [expected outcome]" format
2. Define hiring criteria: the measurable attributes users evaluate when "hiring" a product for each job
3. Rank jobs by strategic importance (opportunity score, force balance, job frequency)
4. Assign confidence classification per the synthesis hypothesis validation protocol
5. Produce the Synthesis Judgments Summary listing each AI judgment call

Output: Final job statement report with hiring criteria, confidence classifications, and synthesis judgments summary.

---

MCP Integration

MCP Dependency Summary

MCP Tool	Classification	Usage
Miro	ENH	Board collaboration for job mapping workshops (future adapter)
Context7	Available	JTBD framework documentation lookup

Source: skills/user-experience/rules/mcp-coordination.md [MCP Dependency Matrix].

No REQ MCP dependencies. The /ux-jtbd sub-skill operates at full capability without any required MCP design tool integrations. This makes it a zero-dependency sub-skill suitable for Wave 1 deployment and the Free ($0) cost tier.

Context7 Usage

Per MCP-001 (.context/rules/mcp-tool-standards.md), Context7 is used when the analyst references external JTBD frameworks or libraries by name:

Library/Framework	Usage
Jobs-to-Be-Done framework	ODI methodology documentation, job statement format reference
Intercom JTBD	Switch interview framework documentation

Protocol: Call mcp__context7__resolve-library-id with the framework name, then mcp__context7__query-docs with the resolved ID and specific query. If Context7 returns no results, fall back to WebSearch per mcp-tool-standards.md [Error Handling].

Degraded Mode

When Context7 is unavailable, the analyst falls back to WebSearch for JTBD framework documentation. The core methodology is self-contained in the agent definition -- external documentation lookup enhances precision but is not required for operation.

When Miro MCP becomes available (post-PROJ-022), the analyst will use it for collaborative job mapping boards. Without Miro, job maps are produced as structured text tables. See skills/user-experience/rules/mcp-coordination.md [Future Adapter Fallbacks] for the full degraded mode specification.

---

Output Specification

Output Location

projects/${JERRY_PROJECT}/engagements/{engagement-id}/ux-jtbd-analyst-{topic-slug}.md

Where {engagement-id} follows the UX-{NNNN} pattern established by the ux-orchestrator and {topic-slug} is a kebab-case descriptor of the analysis topic.

Output Structure

All outputs follow the L0/L1/L2 three-level structure per AD-M-004:

Level	Content	Audience
L0 (Executive Summary)	Top 3-5 job statements, key switch forces, strategic recommendation	Stakeholders, product managers
L1 (Technical Detail)	Full job inventory, switch force analysis per job, job maps with outcome expectations, hiring criteria, opportunity scores	Developers, UX practitioners
L2 (Strategic Implications)	Competitive job landscape, unmet outcome opportunities, cross-product job patterns, innovation trajectory	Architects, strategy leads

Required Output Sections

Section	Content	Confidence
Job Statement Inventory	All identified jobs in canonical format with type classification	MEDIUM
Switch Force Analysis	Four forces per job with force balance assessment	MEDIUM
Job Map	Step-level decomposition with outcome expectations	MEDIUM
Hiring Criteria	Measurable attributes users apply when selecting a product	MEDIUM
Opportunity Scores	Importance + dissatisfaction scoring per outcome	MEDIUM
Synthesis Judgments Summary	Enumerated list of AI judgment calls	Required (all outputs)
Validation Required	Placeholder for named validation source	Required (MEDIUM confidence)

Output Format Template

All ux-jtbd-analyst output artifacts SHOULD follow this structure. Copy and populate for each engagement.

# JTBD Analysis: {Topic}

## UX Context
- **Engagement ID:** {UX-NNNN}
- **Product:** {product name and domain}
- **Date:** {YYYY-MM-DD}
- **Target Users:** {user segment description}
- **Synthesis Confidence:** {HIGH|MEDIUM|LOW}

## L0: Executive Summary
- {Key finding 1: top functional job identified}
- {Key finding 2: dominant switch force pattern}
- {Key finding 3: highest-opportunity outcome}
- {Key finding 4: strategic recommendation}
- {Key finding 5: critical validation needed}

## L1: Technical Detail

### Functional Jobs
| Job Statement | Outcome Expectations | Priority | Source |
|---------------|---------------------|----------|--------|
| When [situation], I want to [motivation], so I can [outcome] | {3-5 outcomes} | {HIGH/MED/LOW} | {evidence source} |

### Social Jobs
| Job Statement | Outcome Expectations | Priority | Source |
|---------------|---------------------|----------|--------|
| When [situation], I want to [motivation], so I can [outcome] | {outcomes} | {priority} | {source} |

### Emotional Jobs
| Job Statement | Outcome Expectations | Priority | Source |
|---------------|---------------------|----------|--------|
| When [situation], I want to [motivation], so I can [outcome] | {outcomes} | {priority} | {source} |

### Switch Trigger Analysis (Four Forces)
| Force | Finding | Evidence |
|-------|---------|----------|
| **Push** (current pain) | {what drives users away from current solution} | {source} |
| **Pull** (new attraction) | {what attracts users to the new solution} | {source} |
| **Anxiety** (switching fear) | {what makes users hesitant to switch} | {source} |
| **Habit** (inertia) | {what keeps users attached to the current approach} | {source} |

**Force Balance Assessment:** {Push + Pull vs. Anxiety + Habit — does the balance favor switching?}

### Job Map
| Step | Universal Process | Domain-Specific Action | Importance | Satisfaction | Opportunity Score | Priority |
|------|------------------|----------------------|------------|-------------|-------------------|----------|
| 1 | Define | {action} | {importance} | {satisfaction} | {importance + max(importance - satisfaction, 0)} | {HIGH/MED/LOW} |
| 2 | Locate | {action} | {importance} | {satisfaction} | {score} | {priority} |
| 3 | Prepare | {action} | {importance} | {satisfaction} | {score} | {priority} |
| 4 | Confirm | {action} | {importance} | {satisfaction} | {score} | {priority} |
| 5 | Execute | {action} | {importance} | {satisfaction} | {score} | {priority} |
| 6 | Monitor | {action} | {importance} | {satisfaction} | {score} | {priority} |
| 7 | Modify | {action} | {importance} | {satisfaction} | {score} | {priority} |
| 8 | Conclude | {action} | {importance} | {satisfaction} | {score} | {priority} |

### Hiring Criteria
| Criterion | Measurement | Relative Weight |
|-----------|-------------|-----------------|
| {criterion name} | {how users evaluate this} | {HIGH/MED/LOW} |

## L2: Strategic Implications
- {Cross-product job patterns observed}
- {Unmet outcome opportunities ranked by opportunity score}
- {Organizational recommendations for validation and next steps}
- {Innovation trajectory: where demand-side gaps point}

## Synthesis Judgments Summary
1. {AI judgment call 1 — e.g., "Inferred push force from negative app store reviews; no direct user interview data"}
2. {AI judgment call 2 — e.g., "Classified job as functional rather than emotional based on outcome language patterns"}
3. {AI judgment call N — enumerate all significant AI inferences requiring human acknowledgment}

## Validation Required
- **Validation status:** PENDING
- **Required validation source:** {expert name, user data reference, or study citation}
- **Minimum threshold:** {per Synthesis Hypothesis Validation protocol}

Worked Example (Onboarding Flow)

The following shows populated rows from a JTBD analysis of a developer tool's onboarding flow (engagement UX-0042):

Functional Job:

Job Statement	Outcome Expectations	Priority	Source
When I am onboarding to a new tool, I want to understand its core value quickly so I can decide whether to invest time learning	Minimize the time it takes to identify the tool's primary use case	8.2	User interviews (3 participants)

Switch Force:

Force	Finding	Evidence
Push (current pain)	Current onboarding takes 15+ minutes before first value	3 interview transcripts

Job Map Steps:

Step	Universal Process	Domain-Specific Action	Importance	Satisfaction	Opportunity Score	Priority
1	Define	Determine what the tool does	9.1	4.2	14.0	HIGH
2	Locate	Find the feature that solves their problem	7.8	6.1	9.5	MEDIUM

---

Cross-Framework Integration

JTBD output serves as upstream research for multiple downstream sub-skills. The ux-orchestrator manages handoff data between sub-skills via the Jerry handoff protocol (docs/schemas/handoff-v2.schema.json — planned; not yet committed to repository).

Downstream Handoff Contracts

To Sub-Skill	Handoff Artifact	Key Fields	Use Case
/ux-design-sprint	Job statement + switch forces	Job statement text, push/pull forces, hiring criteria	Job statement feeds the Design Sprint challenge statement; switch forces inform the "How Might We" exercise in Day 1
/ux-kano-model	Job-derived feature list	Feature names mapped to job steps	Each job step's outcome expectations generate candidate features for Kano classification
/ux-lean-ux	Job statements as hypothesis seeds	Job statement text, outcome expectations, hiring criteria	Jobs inform Lean UX hypothesis generation: "We believe [job outcome] will be achieved by [feature]"

Source: skills/user-experience/rules/ux-routing-rules.md [Handoff Data Contracts] and skills/user-experience/SKILL.md [Cross-Sub-Skill Handoff Data].

Upstream Dependencies

From	Artifact Received	Usage
ux-orchestrator	Engagement context (product domain, user segments, UX capacity)	Scopes the JTBD analysis to the relevant domain and user segments
/problem-solving (ps-researcher)	Market research findings	Supplements JTBD competitive job analysis with broader market context (cross-skill integration)

Integration Workflow Examples

Discovery to Sprint (Canonical Sequence):

/ux-jtbd (job statements + switch forces)
    |
    v
/ux-design-sprint (Day 1: challenge = top job statement;
                   HMW notes derived from switch forces)

Discover to Prioritize (Canonical Sequence):

/ux-jtbd (job map with outcome expectations)
    |
    v
/ux-kano-model (job step outcomes -> candidate features
                for Kano classification survey)

Research to Hypothesize:

/ux-jtbd (job statements + hiring criteria)
    |
    v
/ux-lean-ux (job-informed hypotheses:
             "We believe [feature] will achieve [outcome]
              for users who [job situation]")

---

Synthesis Hypothesis Validation

All JTBD outputs from this sub-skill are AI-synthesized from secondary research and carry MEDIUM synthesis confidence by default. This classification is enforced by the confidence gate protocol defined in skills/user-experience/rules/synthesis-validation.md.

Confidence Gate Behavior for JTBD

Output Type	Confidence	Gate Behavior
Job statement synthesis from secondary research	MEDIUM	Requires expert review OR validation against 2-3 real user data points before advancing to design decisions

Gate enforcement: JTBD output includes a "Validation Required" section with a placeholder for the named validation source (expert name, user data reference, or study citation). Design recommendations are withheld until validation is provided. The ux-orchestrator enforces this gate at handoff boundaries -- downstream sub-skills receive the MEDIUM confidence classification and propagate it per skills/user-experience/rules/synthesis-validation.md [Confidence Propagation].

What "Validation" Means for JTBD

Validation sources that advance MEDIUM to HIGH confidence:

Validation Method	Minimum Threshold	Example
Switch interviews with real users	3-5 interviews with target segment	"Interviewed 4 churned customers; confirmed push force: latency > 3s"
Expert review by domain practitioner	Named expert with domain authority	"Reviewed by [Name], Head of Product at [Company]"
Behavioral analytics correlation	Metric data supporting the job hypothesis	"Session recordings show 68% of users attempt [job step] before abandoning"
Customer support ticket analysis	10+ tickets referencing the same job	"17 support tickets reference 'unable to [job statement motivation]'"

---

Constitutional Compliance

Principle	Requirement	Sub-Skill Application
P-003	NEVER spawn recursive subagents	Worker agent; no Agent tool access. Returns results to ux-orchestrator.
P-020	NEVER override user intent	User decides which job statements to adopt, which to discard, and whether to validate MEDIUM-confidence outputs.
P-022	NEVER deceive about actions, capabilities, or confidence	AI-synthesized job statements transparently classified as MEDIUM confidence. Synthesis Judgments Summary enumerates all AI judgment calls.
P-001	NEVER present findings without evidence or source citations	All job statements cite secondary research sources (product reviews, competitor analysis, domain literature).
P-002	NEVER leave outputs in transient context only	All outputs persisted to projects/${JERRY_PROJECT}/engagements/{engagement-id}/.

---

Quick Reference

Common Workflows

Need	Command Example
Map user jobs for a product	"Map the jobs to be done for our onboarding flow"
Understand why users switch	"Analyze the switch forces for users migrating from [competitor]"
Discover unmet outcomes	"Identify underserved outcomes in our project management workflow"
Generate feature candidates from jobs	"Produce a job-derived feature list for Kano analysis"
Feed a design sprint	"Create job statements to inform the design sprint challenge"

Agent Selection Hints

Keywords	Routes To
jobs to be done, JTBD, switch interview, outcome, motivation, hiring criteria, user jobs	ux-jtbd-analyst

---

References

Agent Definition Files

Agent	Definition	Governance
ux-jtbd-analyst	skills/ux-jtbd/agents/ux-jtbd-analyst.md	skills/ux-jtbd/agents/ux-jtbd-analyst.governance.yaml

Parent Skill

Item	Location
Parent SKILL.md	skills/user-experience/SKILL.md
Routing rules	skills/user-experience/rules/ux-routing-rules.md
Synthesis validation	skills/user-experience/rules/synthesis-validation.md
MCP coordination	skills/user-experience/rules/mcp-coordination.md
Wave progression	skills/user-experience/rules/wave-progression.md
CI checks	skills/user-experience/rules/ci-checks.md

Standards References

Standard	Location
Agent Definition Format (H-34)	.context/rules/agent-development-standards.md
Skill Standards (H-25, H-26)	.context/rules/skill-standards.md
Quality Enforcement SSOT	.context/rules/quality-enforcement.md
Agent Routing Standards (H-36)	.context/rules/agent-routing-standards.md
MCP Tool Standards	.context/rules/mcp-tool-standards.md
Handoff Schema	docs/schemas/handoff-v2.schema.json (planned — not yet committed to repository)

Project Traceability

Item	Location
Project plan	projects/PROJ-022-user-experience-skill/PLAN.md
Parent work item	EPIC-002 (Wave 1 deployment)
Orchestration plan	projects/PROJ-022-user-experience-skill/orchestration/ux-skill-build-20260303-001/ORCHESTRATION.yaml

JTBD Framework References

Framework	Source	Year	URL
Jobs-to-Be-Done Theory (primary)	Clayton Christensen et al.	2016	Christensen, C.M., Dillon, K., Hall, T., Duncan, D.S. (2016). Competing Against Luck. Harper Business.
Jobs-to-Be-Done Theory (foundational precursor)	Clayton Christensen	2003	Christensen, C.M. (2003). The Innovator's Solution. Harvard Business Review Press.
Outcome-Driven Innovation	Anthony Ulwick	2005, 2016	Ulwick, A.W. (2016). Jobs to Be Done: Theory to Practice. IDEA BITE PRESS. https://jobs-to-be-done.com/
Switch Interview Framework (primary)	Bob Moesta	2020	Moesta, B. (2020). Demand-Side Sales 101. Lioncrest Publishing.
Switch Interview Framework (supplementary)	Bob Moesta, Chris Spiek, Alan Klement	2014, 2016	Moesta, B. and Spiek, C. (2014). The Jobs-to-Be-Done Handbook: Practical Techniques for Improving Your Application of Jobs-to-Be-Done. Re-Wired Group. Practitioner's guide to switch interview techniques. See also: Klement, A. (2016). When Coffee and Kale Compete.

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Sub-Skill Version: 1.0.0 Parent Skill: /user-experience (skills/user-experience/SKILL.md) Constitutional Compliance: Jerry Constitution v1.0 (P-003, P-020, P-022, P-001, P-002) SSOT: .context/rules/quality-enforcement.md Project: PROJ-022 User Experience Skill | Wave 1 Created: 2026-03-04 Agent: ux-jtbd-analyst