Skill Build Kit — Context & Inputs
Concept Brief Template
Complete this before opening the build skill. Every field is required unless marked optional.
The Skill
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Skill name | [e.g., Client Intelligence Brief] |
| One-line description | [What it does in one sentence] |
| Problem it solves | [The specific pain — what the user is doing manually or not doing at all] |
| Input required from user | [What they paste in — emails, data, notes] |
| Output produced | [What they get back — brief, scorecard, plan] |
| Output sections | [List each section name and its job] |
| Time to run | [How long the skill takes — e.g., "2 minutes"] |
| Trigger phrase | [e.g., "Run the Client Intelligence Brief"] |
| Skill file version | [e.g., 3.0.0] |
The Core Principle
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Operating rule | [The one rule that makes this skill produce good output — e.g., "Read before writing"] |
| Why it matters | [What goes wrong without it] |
Testing Context
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Real data tested? | [Yes/No — must be Yes before proceeding] |
| What data was used | [e.g., "5 emails from one client, both directions, over 3 weeks"] |
| Testing findings | [What the skill found — specific numbers, patterns, surprises] |
| Output quality | [Does the output match the section-by-section spec? What needed fixing?] |
The Differentiator
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| What this replaces | [The manual process — how long, what gets missed] |
| Why it's not just a prompt | [What makes this a structured skill vs. "summarize my emails"] |
Validation Rules
Do not build the quick-start guide if any of these are missing:
- [ ] Skill file exists as a complete .md file
- [ ] YAML frontmatter is present (name, description, triggers, metadata)
- [ ] Tested on real data — at least 3 inputs from one real scenario
- [ ] Output matches the section-by-section spec
- [ ] Rules section covers format, scope, quality, and edge cases
- [ ] Output format template is complete and copy-pasteable
- [ ] Trigger phrase is chosen and natural
- [ ] If part of a series: other skills referenced by full name, not abbreviations
- [ ] If accepting another skill's output: input mapping section planned
File naming: [##]-[skill-name]-skill.md and [##]-[skill-name]-quick-start.md where ## is series position.
Voice check before any copy:
Load business-aos/reference/core/voice.md before writing the skill description, core principle, and "what makes this different" sections.