Skill Concept Brief — Golden Example
Reference Brief: Hidden Revenue Scan (Skill #2)
Location: content/business/marketing/content-pipeline/concept-briefs/skill-02-hidden-revenue-scan.md
This is the standard to match for every skill concept brief.
Brief Structure
| Section | What It Does | Key Pattern |
|---|---|---|
| Header | Skill name, date, status, series position, what was teased | Always include the tease from prior DMs/emails |
| The Problem | What the user doesn't know that they should — 3 bullets max | Problem first, not solution first |
| IP Direction | Table mapping Kathryn's concepts to what each captures | Concepts ARE the IP — not references to existing files |
| Adjacent existing IP | Angle files, tools, campaigns that inform but don't source | Clearly labeled as reference, not source |
| Design Constraint Check | Table: constraint → how this skill meets it | All three must pass. If one fails, redesign before proceeding. |
| Quality Bar Check | Does it meet "fortunate they got it free, guilty they didn't pay"? | Specific reasons, not vague claims |
| Foundational Dependency | Works without foundations? What makes it better? | Must work standalone for the free campaign |
| Skill Output (Sections) | Table of output sections with jobs | Each section has ONE job |
| Signal Types | Table mapping each type to the IP concept it's rooted in | Every type traces to IP |
| Cohesion Check | Series arc table — all 5 skills with throughline | The throughline sentence should be consistent across all 5 |
| Teaching Story | TBD until tested — what Kathryn needs to report | Don't fabricate. List the specific questions to answer from testing. |
| Distribution | Trigger word, URLs, series position, next skill teaser | Mostly TBD at brief stage |
| Open Questions | What's unresolved | Honest, specific, numbered |
| Next Steps | Checklist of what happens after brief is validated | Always starts with "Kathryn validates this brief" |
Key Patterns to Match
Preview link at the top: Every brief starts with Preview: https://markdownlivepreview.com/
IP direction table: The IP concepts Kathryn provides are listed in a table with two columns: the concept and what it captures. These are NOT existing files — they're the ideas that drive the skill design.
Signal types trace to IP: Every signal type in the skill maps back to a specific IP concept. The golden example shows this in the "Rooted In" column.
Foundational dependency is explicit: The brief states clearly: works without foundations, works better with them. This is the upgrade path to Practice Builders OS.
Teaching story is TBD: At brief stage, the teaching story doesn't exist yet. List the specific questions Kathryn needs to answer from testing. Don't make up stories.
Cohesion check uses the series throughline: "You already have everything you need." Each skill completes the sentence differently. This appears in every brief.