Uncover customer jobs, pains, and gains in a structured JTBD format.
SkillScore86Maintained
Automatic
◆Product Management pack
Last verified 8/23/2026
What it changes
Passed 19 of 22 test cases with the skill, and 18 of 22 without it.
Without skill82%
With skill86%
Checks it passed that the model alone missed
Directs initial product solutions toward addressing acute pains first
Recommends ranking pains by intensity to separate acute pains from mild annoyances
1 fixed18 passed either way3 still failing0 broke
Pass-rate lift
+5 pp
Tokens
+154%
Agent turns
0%
Response time
-14%
Model gemini-3.6-flashMeasured 8/23/2026v119 of 22 cases passed with skill
Tokens, turns and time describe resource use, not a dollar price.
See it in action
A test case the skill fixed. Same model, same prompt, with and without the skill.
Prompt
A discovery team compiled 15 distinct pains for an inventory system but doesn't know which features to build first. Describe how to process and prioritize these pains.
What was checked, without and with the skill
Checked
Without skill
With skill
Recommends ranking pains by intensity to separate acute pains from mild annoyances
Missed
Passed
Directs initial product solutions toward addressing acute pains first
Missed
Passed
case-17 · gemini-3.6-flash · 8/23/2026 · answers are capped and redacted
What's inside
The instructions your model reads when the skill loads.
SKILL.md361 linessingle file
Purpose
Systematically explore what customers are trying to accomplish (functional, social, emotional jobs), the pains they experience, and the gains they seek. Use this framework to uncover unmet needs, validate product ideas, and ensure your solution addresses real motivations—not just surface-level feature requests.
This is not a survey—it's a structured lens for understanding why customers "hire" your product and what would make them "fire" it.
Key Concepts
The Jobs-to-be-Done Framework
Influenced by Clayton Christensen and the Value Proposition Canvas (Osterwalder), JTBD breaks customer needs into three categories:
1. Customer Jobs:
Functional jobs: Tasks customers need to perform (e.g., "send an invoice")
Social jobs: How customers want to be perceived (e.g., "look professional to clients")
Emotional jobs: Emotional states customers seek or avoid (e.g., "feel confident in my work")
2. Pains:
Challenges: Obstacles customers face
Costliness: What's too expensive in time, money, or effort
Common mistakes: Errors customers make that could be prevented
Unresolved problems: Gaps in current solutions
3. Gains:
Expectations: What would exceed current solutions
Savings: Time, money, or effort reductions that delight
Adoption factors: What increases likelihood of switching
Life improvement: How a solution makes life easier or more enjoyable
Why This Structure Works
Separates job from solution: "Communicate with my team" (job) ≠ "email" (solution)
Reveals underlying motivations: Functional job may be "track expenses," but emotional job is "feel in control of finances"
Surfaces competition you didn't see: Customers "hire" non-obvious alternatives (pen and paper, spreadsheets, workarounds)
Prioritizes by intensity: Not all pains are equal—focus on the most acute
Anti-Patterns (What This Is NOT)
Not a feature wishlist: "I want AI, automation, and dashboards" is not a job
Not demographics: "Millennials want mobile-first" is a persona trait, not a job
Not generic: "Be more productive" is too vague—dig into which tasks and why
Not one-dimensional: Focusing only on functional jobs misses social/emotional motivations
Analyze political, economic, social, technological, environmental, and legal forces. Use when external market shifts could materially affect a product, roadmap, or strategy.