Writing Skills

Build effective A Team skills through TDD for documentation: write the skill, watch agents use it, close the gaps.

What Makes a Good Skill

A skill is a reference guide that agents consult before taking action. It is NOT:

• A tutorial (agents don't need hand-holding on basics)
• A checklist of preferences (that's a rule file)
• An agent definition (that's .claude/agents/)

A skill must:

• Define WHEN to use it (trigger conditions)
• Define WHEN NOT to use it (scope limits)
• Define the process (steps, decision points)
• Define red flags (patterns that mean you're off-track)
• Be verifiable (an agent following it produces measurable output)

The TDD Process for Skills