Use Cases

1. Developer Managing Daily Tasks

You are deep in a coding session and remember three things you need to do later. Alt-tabbing to a browser-based todo app breaks your flow.

With Jot, you capture tasks without leaving the terminal:

jot add "Fix flaky test in CI" --priority high --tag work
jot add "Reply to code review" --tag work
jot add "Update project README" --tag docs

At the end of the day, jot ls shows what is done and what carries over to tomorrow. No context switch, no lost thoughts.

2. Freelancer Across Multiple Projects

You juggle three clients and need to track tasks that do not belong in any client's Joy backlog - follow-up emails, invoice reminders, meeting prep.

Jot handles the personal overflow. Tag tasks by client to filter when needed:

jot add "Send weekly status to Acme" --tag acme
jot add "Prepare demo for Beta Corp" --tag beta --priority high
jot add "Submit invoice for March" --tag admin
jot ls --tag acme

Client work lives in Joy. Personal tasks live in Jot. Clean separation, one terminal.

3. Student Organizing Coursework

Assignments, reading lists, exam prep, group project tasks. A student needs a simple system that does not require learning a complex tool.

jot add "Read chapters 5-7 for Tuesday" --tag cs101 --priority high
jot add "Start lab report" --tag physics --effort 4
jot add "Group meeting Wednesday 3pm" --tag cs101
jot ls --tag cs101

No account to create, no app to install (beyond the binary), no data leaving your machine.

4. Team Member Receiving Dispatched Tasks

Your team uses Joy for product management. Sometimes a Joy item generates personal action items - things only you need to do that do not warrant a full backlog item.

When dispatch integration is available, Joy will be able to push tasks to your personal Jot instance:

• A reviewer assigns you feedback to address -> lands in Jot
• A milestone deadline triggers a reminder -> lands in Jot
• An AI agent identifies a follow-up for you -> lands in Jot

Your Jot becomes the inbox for actionable work that flows from the team's backlog.

5. Mobile User with CalDAV

You add tasks at your desk throughout the day. On the commute home, you want to check your list on your phone without SSH-ing into a server.

With CalDAV sync (planned), Jot tasks appear in Apple Reminders, Google Tasks, or any CalDAV client. Check items off on your phone, and the changes sync back. The terminal remains the primary interface for creation; the phone handles on-the-go access.