/foundation-persona

name: foundation-persona
description: Generates an evidence-calibrated product or marketing persona using the canonical v2.5 output contract. Use when shaping artifact perspective, stress-testing decisions, or framing product and GTM strategy.
license: Apache-2.0
metadata:
  classification: foundation
  version: "2.6.1"
  updated: 2026-08-16
  category: research
  frameworks: [triple-diamond, lean-startup, design-thinking]
  author: product-on-purpose

<!-- PM-Skills | https://github.com/product-on-purpose/pm-skills | Apache 2.0 -->

Persona Builder

This skill produces decision-usable personas from one canonical template pack.

Supported Modes

• `product`
• `marketing`
• `buyer` as input alias for `marketing` (output remains labeled `Marketing`)

Generated `agent` mode is out of scope for `v2.5.0`. If the user asks for `agent`, ask them to choose `product` or `marketing`.

When to Use

• Before drafting PM or GTM artifacts that need a clear persona viewpoint
• When teams disagree on priorities and need behavior-grounded tradeoff framing
• When assumptions and confidence levels must be explicit for decision review
• When tailoring downstream work (PRD, stories, launch, messaging, enablement) to a specific user or buyer profile

When NOT to Use

• You need the job context rather than the person -> use `define-jtbd-canvas`; the canvas captures what customers hire products to do, the persona captures who they are
• You are mapping internal stakeholders, not customers -> use `discover-stakeholder-summary`
• You have raw interviews to synthesize first -> use `discover-interview-synthesis`; a persona built on unsynthesized notes inherits their noise
• No evidence exists at all and a real decision rides on the persona: gather research first; the skill labels assumptions honestly but cannot substitute for evidence

Instructions

When asked to generate a persona, follow these steps:

1. **Resolve mode and intent** Determine whether the request is `product` or `marketing` (`buyer` alias allowed). If mode is omitted, ask for mode selection. If execution must continue without reply, default to `product` and state that fallback explicitly.

2. **Collect context and evidence** Use user-provided context first (goals, audience, domain, constraints, sources). If evidence is thin, continue generation but mark gaps and calibrate confidence.

3. **Select exactly one template** Use `references/TEMPLATE.md` and choose exactly one of:

• `Product Persona Template`
• `Marketing Persona Template`

4. **Generate a complete artifact** Fill the selected template end-to-end:

• header + one-sentence core-reality statement
• metadata table
• `Persona Card`
• sections `1` through `11`
• `Evidence & Confidence`

5. **Enforce mode boundaries**

• Product mode: focus on workflow behavior, decision patterns, friction, quality bar, and product tradeoffs.
• Marketing mode: focus on buying triggers, evaluation criteria, committee dynamics, objections, messaging, and GTM implications.

6. **Apply evidence and confidence policy**

• Use `High|Medium|Low` confidence with rationale.
• Distinguish validated evidence from assumptions.
• State open questions and governance follow-up.

7. **Finalize for direct use** Remove template guidance blockquotes (`>` notes) from the final output. Ensure narrative entries are concrete and decision-changing, not placeholder bullets.

Output Contract (v2.5.0)

• Use one mode only (`Product` or `Marketing`) per output.
• Keep section numbering and headings from the selected template.
• Preserve the evidence table plus validated/assumed/open-questions/governance blocks.

Quality Checklist

Before finalizing, verify:

• [ ] Exactly one mode is used and clearly labeled
• [ ] `buyer` inputs are normalized to `Marketing`
• [ ] Header, core-reality statement, metadata table, and `Persona Card` are present
• [ ] All `1` through `11` sections from the selected template are present and complete
• [ ] Includes/not-valid boundaries are explicit in the metadata and narrative
• [ ] Evidence table is populated with concrete sources
• [ ] Confidence is `High`, `Medium`, or `Low` with rationale
• [ ] `Validated`, `Assumed`, `Open questions`, and `Governance` blocks are present
• [ ] Template authoring notes (`>` guidance lines) are removed from the completed output

Examples

See `references/EXAMPLE.md` for a completed sample output.