pm-skill-creator

Purpose

Walk through the full skill design process interactively — from raw idea or content to a structured, repo-compliant SKILL.md draft. Asks adaptive questions to determine skill type, scope, structure, and content, then generates a ready-to-validate draft.

This skill is the conversational complement to skill-authoring-workflow. That skill defines the process and validation gates. This one sits with you and figures out what to build before you build it.

Key Concepts

When to Use This vs. Other Authoring Tools

The Three Skill Types (Decision Criteria)

• Component: One artifact or template. Self-contained. Gets referenced by other skills. Ask: "Is this a thing someone creates?"
• Interactive: Guided conversation with adaptive questions and enumerated recommendations. Ask: "Does this require back-and-forth to be useful?"
• Workflow: Multi-phase orchestration referencing other skills. Ask: "Does this coordinate multiple activities across steps?"

Skill Anatomy (Non-Negotiable Sections)

Every skill requires these sections in order:

1. Purpose — What it does + when to use it (outcome-focused)
2. Key Concepts — Frameworks, definitions, mental models
3. Application — Step-by-step instructions an agent can follow
4. Examples — At least one concrete, specific example
5. Common Pitfalls — Named failure modes with consequences and fixes
6. References — Related skills, external frameworks, source material

Metadata Constraints

• name: lowercase kebab-case, ≤ 64 characters
• description: ≤ 200 characters, must include trigger cue ("Use when...")
• intent: longer repo-facing summary (no character limit)
• type: one of component, interactive, workflow

Facilitation Source of Truth

Use workshop-facilitation as the default interaction protocol for this skill.

It defines:

• Session heads-up + entry mode (Guided, Context dump, Best guess)
• One-question turns with plain-language prompts
• Progress labels (e.g., Context Q1/5)
• Interruption handling and pause/resume behavior
• Numbered recommendations at decision points
• Quick-select numbered response options (include Other (specify) when useful)

This file defines the domain-specific content. If there is a conflict, follow this file's domain logic.

Application

This interactive skill asks up to 5 adaptive questions, then delivers a complete SKILL.md draft with frontmatter, all required sections, and repo-compliant structure.

Step 0: Session Start

Agent says:

"I'll help you design a new PM skill from scratch. This takes about 10-15 minutes and up to 5 questions. How do you want to start?

1. Guided — I'll ask questions one at a time and build the skill from your answers (recommended)
2. Context dump — Paste your raw content, notes, or framework and I'll propose a skill structure
3. Best guess — Tell me just the topic and I'll draft a skill you can refine"

Question 1: What's the Raw Material? (Q1/5)

Agent asks:

"What are we turning into a skill? Give me whatever you have."

1. A framework or mental model — A structured way of thinking about a PM problem (e.g., prioritization matrix, decision tree)
2. A template or artifact — A deliverable PMs create (e.g., PRD section, positioning statement, epic format)
3. A process or workflow — A multi-step method for completing a PM task (e.g., discovery sprint, roadmap planning)
4. A coaching or advisory topic — A domain where PMs need guided, adaptive help (e.g., stakeholder navigation, pricing decisions)

Or describe what you have in your own words.

Agent note: If the user pastes raw content instead of choosing an option, analyze the content and infer the answer. Confirm your interpretation before proceeding.

Question 2: Skill Type Decision (Q2/5)

Based on Q1 answer, agent recommends a type and confirms:

If Q1 = Framework or Template:

"This sounds like a component skill — a self-contained artifact or reference. It would include a template, quality criteria, and examples. Does that fit, or is there a conversational/adaptive element I'm missing?

1. Yes, component — It's a standalone deliverable or reference
2. Actually, it needs conversation — Users need guided questions to use it well (→ interactive)
3. It's bigger than one artifact — It orchestrates multiple steps or other skills (→ workflow)"

If Q1 = Process or Workflow:

"This sounds like a workflow skill — a multi-phase process. Does it reference or orchestrate other discrete skills/artifacts, or is it more of a guided conversation?

1. Yes, workflow — It has distinct phases and may reference other skills
2. It's more conversational — The value comes from adaptive questions and recommendations (→ interactive)
3. It's simpler than I described — Really it's one artifact with steps (→ component)"

If Q1 = Coaching or Advisory:

"This sounds like an interactive skill — guided questions that adapt based on answers, ending with enumerated recommendations. Sound right?

1. Yes, interactive — It needs back-and-forth to be useful
2. It's more of a reference — Users just need the framework, not a conversation (→ component)
3. It's a full process — Multiple phases, orchestrates other skills (→ workflow)"

Question 3: Scope and Naming (Q3/5)

Agent asks:

"What should we call this skill? I need two things:

a) A working name — lowercase-kebab-case, max 64 characters (e.g., feature-investment-advisor, user-story, discovery-process)

b) A one-sentence description — What it does + when to use it. Must fit in 200 characters and start with a verb or 'Use when...'

Give me your best attempt and I'll tighten it if needed. Or just describe the skill's purpose and I'll propose both."

Agent note: Validate the name format (kebab-case, ≤ 64 chars) and description length (≤ 200 chars) before proceeding. If either fails, suggest a fix.

Question 4: Key Content (Q4/5)

This question adapts based on skill type from Q2:

For component skills:

"What are the core elements of this artifact or framework? I need:

1. The template or structure — What sections/fields does it contain?
2. Quality criteria — What separates a good one from a bad one?
3. One concrete example — A filled-in version showing it done well

Give me whatever you have — bullet points, rough notes, or a full draft."

For interactive skills:

"Walk me through the conversation flow:

1. What's the opening question? — What does the user need to tell you first?
2. What are the 2-4 branching paths? — How do answers change what comes next?
3. What recommendations emerge? — What are the 3-5 outcomes you'd offer?

Give me the decision tree as you see it — even if it's rough."

For workflow skills:

"Map out the phases:

1. What are the major steps? (Usually 3-6 phases)
2. What's the input and output of each phase?
3. Which existing skills does this reference? (Check with scripts/find-a-skill.sh --keyword <topic>)
4. Where are the decision points?

Give me the flow — sequential, branching, or both."

Question 5: Pitfalls and Edge Cases (Q5/5)

Agent asks:

"What goes wrong when people do this badly? I need 2-3 failure modes:

1. Name the failure — Give it a label (e.g., 'Metrics Theater', 'Hero Syndrome')
2. **Describe t