---
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: "2.6.0"
updated: 2026-06-10
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.