SESSION 3 · ~60M
Skills & slash commands
A skill is a packaged, repeatable workflow — the moment you do something the same way twice, it's a candidate to become one.
A skill (or slash command) is a saved prompt-plus-procedure you invoke by name. Instead of re-typing a 20-line prompt every time you want a code review, you type a single command and the skill runs the whole thing. It packages your hard-won process into a reusable unit.
Skill anatomy
- A trigger — the name or phrase that invokes it (e.g., a standup or review command).
- Instructions — the prompt body: what the model should do, step by step.
- Inputs — optional arguments (a file, a topic, a date) the skill fills in.
- References — optional attached files the skill can read for context.
When a skill beats a prompt: any time you find yourself re-deriving the same multi-step workflow. The first time is learning; the third time is a skill waiting to be written. Skills also make your workflow legible — you can read, share, and improve them.
Packaged procedure beats improvisation. The ICU checklist story is famous because it's general: explicit, ordered steps outperform memory under pressure or fatigue. A skill is your personal checklist, invoked in one keystroke.
Start narrow and let skills grow. A skill that does one thing reliably is worth more than an ambitious one that's flaky. As you reuse it, you'll see exactly which steps to tighten — that iterative sharpening is where the leverage compounds.
TRY IT
Name one workflow you've typed out more than twice this month (a standup summary, a weekly review, a code-review pass). Draft its three-step structure as a skill: trigger, instructions, inputs. You now have the skeleton of your first real skill.
CHECK YOUR UNDERSTANDING
What are the four anatomical parts of a skill listed in the module?
The module compares a skill to what real-world tool?
What does the module recommend about the scope of a new skill?
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