Personas & JTBD

Overview

Daylight serves users who prioritize data ownership over convenience. These aren’t mainstream productivity app users—they’re people who’ve thought about what happens to their data and decided they want control.

Four personas represent the primary audience, each with distinct motivations but shared values around data ownership.

Persona 1: The Linux Power User

Profile

Jobs to Be Done

• Primary JTBD: When I’m planning my work week, I want to see what’s overdue, what’s due today, and what’s coming up, so I can prioritize without context-switching to multiple apps.
• Secondary JTBD: When I set up a recurring task, I want to trust that completing today’s instance won’t mess up tomorrow’s, so I don’t have to babysit the recurrence logic.

Anxieties

1. “Will this work on Linux without Electron bloat or missing features?”
2. “Can I actually read and edit task files without the app if I need to?”
3. “What happens to my data if this project gets abandoned?”

Success Criteria

• Can set up in under 10 minutes with existing Syncthing setup
• Task files are readable in vim/VS Code
• Recurrence works correctly for weekly and daily tasks
• App doesn’t crash or lose data

Activation Path

Docs first. Alex will read the schema docs and architecture page before downloading. Show the file format early. Prove it’s real Markdown.

Talk Track

“Daylight is Markdown task files with YAML frontmatter. Native Linux app, no Electron.Your tasks sync via Syncthing—you probably already have it running. Complete today’s recurring task without losing tomorrow’s. And if you want to grep your tasks or write a script against them, they’re just files.”

Persona 2: The Obsidian Organizer

Profile

Jobs to Be Done

• Primary JTBD: When I’m managing tasks alongside notes, I want my task system to use the same file format as my knowledge base, so I don’t have two separate systems that don’t talk to each other.
• Secondary JTBD: When I complete a recurring task, I want to see that it actually completed for today specifically, so I trust the system isn’t losing my work.

Anxieties

1. “Obsidian Tasks kind of works, but recurrence is flaky. Will this actually be better?”
2. “Will I have to choose between Daylight and Obsidian, or can they coexist?”
3. “Is the mobile app good enough to use on the go, or is it a desktop afterthought?”

Success Criteria

• Tasks can live in the same Syncthing folder as Obsidian vault
• Mobile app is genuinely usable (not a “companion” app)
• Recurrence handles weekly tasks without duplication bugs
• Can open task files in Obsidian if needed

Activation Path

Compatibility first. Jordan needs to know Daylight files work alongside Obsidian. Show folder structure. Emphasize that tasks are just .md files in a folder—Obsidian can see them.

Talk Track

“Daylight tasks are Markdown files with the same YAML frontmatter you use in Obsidian. Keep them in your vault or a separate folder—your call. The mobile app is a first-class citizen, not a web wrapper. And recurrence actually tracks each instance separately, so completing Monday’s task doesn’t accidentally complete Tuesday’s.”

Persona 3: The Android-First Planner

Profile

Jobs to Be Done

• Primary JTBD: When I’m away from my desk, I want to quickly capture and check off tasks on my phone, so I don’t lose track of commitments.
• Secondary JTBD: When I switch between phone and laptop, I want my tasks to sync reliably, so I’m not working from stale data.

Anxieties

1. “Will this actually sync, or will I end up with conflicts and lost tasks?”
2. “The permissions request looks scary—why does it need ‘all files access’?”
3. “Is this going to be too technical for me?”

Success Criteria

• Setup on Android takes under 15 minutes
• Sync actually works between phone and laptop
• App is fast enough for quick capture
• Permissions are explained clearly

Activation Path

Mobile setup first. Sam evaluates on phone. The Android experience is the product, not an add-on. Getting Started guide must nail the Android permission explanation.

Talk Track

“Daylight works great on Android—that’s where most people use it. Set up Syncthing once (we have a guide), point Daylight at the folder, and you’re done. Yes, it asks for storage permission—that’s how it accesses your Syncthing folder. Your tasks never touch our servers because we don’t have servers.”

Persona 4: The Privacy-Conscious Skeptic

Profile

Jobs to Be Done

• Primary JTBD: When I’m tracking work tasks, I want to know my employer or random companies can’t see my personal todos, so I don’t have to maintain separate systems.
• Secondary JTBD: When an app asks for permissions or an account, I want to understand exactly what it can access, so I can make an informed decision.

Anxieties

1. “Every app says they’re privacy-focused. Why should I believe this one?”
2. “If there’s no account, how does sync work? Is that actually possible?”
3. “Will I be able to use this without becoming a sysadmin?”

Success Criteria

• Can verify there’s no server (architecture docs help)
• Syncthing setup is achievable with documentation
• Data stays on devices they control
• No “trust us” vibes—show the architecture

Activation Path

Trust, then try. Casey won’t download until they understand the architecture. The Limitations page and Architecture docs build trust. “No server” needs proof, not promises.

Talk Track

“Daylight has no server. Not ‘optional cloud’—no server, period. Your tasks are files on your devices. Sync happens through Syncthing, which is peer-to-peer encryption. We can’t see your data because it never passes through anything we control. Check our architecture docs—we’re not asking you to trust us, we’re showing you why you don’t have to.”

Persona Comparison Matrix

Common Threads

All four personas share:

1. Data ownership matters. Whether for technical, practical, or ethical reasons, they want to control their data.
2. Skepticism of cloud. They’ve either been burned before or thought about what could go wrong.
3. Willing to trade convenience. They’ll do some setup work for the right tradeoffs.
4. Recurrence reliability is table stakes. They’ve experienced flaky recurring tasks elsewhere.

Non-Personas (Who Daylight Isn’t For)