How do I install the Recommendation Canvas skill?

Run npx skillmds@latest add nandanosql/recommendation-canvas in your terminal (requires Node.js), paste this page's agent-chat prompt into Claude, Cursor, or any MCP-connected agent, or download the SKILL.md file and copy it into your agent's skills directory.

Is Recommendation Canvas safe to use?

This skill has not completed SkillMD's automated safety review yet. SkillMD never runs a skill's scripts for you; review the SKILL.md before installing.

Which AI agents work with Recommendation Canvas?

This skill is tagged as working with Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex. SKILL.md is an open format, so most agents that read a skills directory can load it too.

Is Recommendation Canvas free to use?

Yes. Installing skills from SkillMD is free, and the skill stays under its author's original license.

Who published Recommendation Canvas?

nandanosql (@nandanosql) published this skill. Their other Agent Skills are listed on their SkillMD profile.

Recommendation Canvas by nandanosql

Name: Recommendation Canvas
Author: nandanosql

File contents

Purpose

Structure product recommendations into a one-page decision document that captures problem, proposed solution, expected impact, risks, and decision criteria — making it easy for stakeholders to say yes, no, or "tell me more."

Application

Recommendation Canvas Template

# Recommendation Canvas: [Initiative Name]

**Author:** [PM Name] | **Date:** [Date] | **Decision needed by:** [Date]

---

## 1. The Problem (Why)
[2-3 sentences: What user/business problem are we solving? Include data.]

## 2. The Recommendation (What)
[2-3 sentences: What do we propose doing? Be specific about scope.]

## 3. Expected Impact (How Much)
| Metric | Current | Expected | Timeline |
|--------|---------|----------|----------|
| [Primary] | [Baseline] | [Target] | [Weeks] |
| [Secondary] | [Baseline] | [Target] | [Weeks] |

## 4. Alternatives Considered
| Option | Pros | Cons | Why Not |
|--------|------|------|---------|
| [Alt 1] | [+] | [-] | [Reason] |
| [Alt 2] | [+] | [-] | [Reason] |

## 5. Investment Required
- **Engineering:** [X sprints / Y engineers]
- **Design:** [Effort level]
- **Other:** [Marketing, ops, etc.]

## 6. Key Risks
| Risk | Probability | Mitigation |
|------|-----------|-----------|
| [Risk 1] | [H/M/L] | [Plan] |

## 7. Decision Requested
- [ ] ✅ Approve — proceed to development
- [ ] 🔄 Approve with modifications: ___
- [ ] ❌ Reject — reason: ___
- [ ] ❓ Need more information: ___

Quality Rubric

Dimension	0	1	2
Problem	Not stated	Stated	Quantified with evidence
Alternatives	Only the proposed option	1 alternative	2+ alternatives with tradeoffs
Impact	Qualitative only	Some metrics	Baseline + target + timeline
Risks	Not addressed	Listed	Probabili + mitigation
Decision clarity	Ambiguous ask	"Should we do this?"	Clear options with checkboxes

Common Pitfalls

Pitfall 1: Burying the Recommendation

Fix: State your recommendation in section 2, not at the end. Stakeholders want to know your position upfront.

Pitfall 2: No Alternatives

Fix: Always present at least 2 alternatives (including "do nothing"). Shows you've thought broadly.

References

Related Skills

skills/discovery/problem-statement/SKILL.md — Problem section input
skills/planning/decision-log/SKILL.md — Log the decision after
skills/communication/executive-presentation/SKILL.md — Present the recommendation

Skill type: Component Domain: Specification & Design

---name: recommendation-canvasdescription: Structure product recommendations using a one-page canvas that captures the problem, proposed solution, expected impact, risks, and go/no-go decision criteria in a stakeholder-ready format.---## PurposeStructure product recommendations into a **one-page decision document** that captures problem, proposed solution, expected impact, risks, and decision criteria — making it easy for stakeholders to say yes, no, or "tell me more."---## Application### Recommendation Canvas Template```markdown# Recommendation Canvas: [Initiative Name]**Author:** [PM Name] | **Date:** [Date] | **Decision needed by:** [Date]---## 1. The Problem (Why)[2-3 sentences: What user/business problem are we solving? Include data.]## 2. The Recommendation (What)[2-3 sentences: What do we propose doing? Be specific about scope.]## 3. Expected Impact (How Much)| Metric | Current | Expected | Timeline ||--------|---------|----------|----------|| [Primary] | [Baseline] | [Target] | [Weeks] || [Secondary] | [Baseline] | [Target] | [Weeks] |## 4. Alternatives Considered| Option | Pros | Cons | Why Not ||--------|------|------|---------|| [Alt 1] | [+] | [-] | [Reason] || [Alt 2] | [+] | [-] | [Reason] |## 5. Investment Required- **Engineering:** [X sprints / Y engineers]- **Design:** [Effort level]- **Other:** [Marketing, ops, etc.]## 6. Key Risks| Risk | Probability | Mitigation ||------|-----------|-----------|| [Risk 1] | [H/M/L] | [Plan] |## 7. Decision Requested- [ ] ✅ Approve — proceed to development- [ ] 🔄 Approve with modifications: ___- [ ] ❌ Reject — reason: ___- [ ] ❓ Need more information: ___```---## Quality Rubric| Dimension | 0 | 1 | 2 ||-----------|---|---|---|| **Problem** | Not stated | Stated | Quantified with evidence || **Alternatives** | Only the proposed option | 1 alternative | 2+ alternatives with tradeoffs || **Impact** | Qualitative only | Some metrics | Baseline + target + timeline || **Risks** | Not addressed | Listed | Probabili + mitigation || **Decision clarity** | Ambiguous ask | "Should we do this?" | Clear options with checkboxes |---## Common Pitfalls### Pitfall 1: Burying the Recommendation**Fix:** State your recommendation in section 2, not at the end. Stakeholders want to know your position upfront.### Pitfall 2: No Alternatives**Fix:** Always present at least 2 alternatives (including "do nothing"). Shows you've thought broadly.---## References### Related Skills- `skills/discovery/problem-statement/SKILL.md` — Problem section input- `skills/planning/decision-log/SKILL.md` — Log the decision after- `skills/communication/executive-presentation/SKILL.md` — Present the recommendation---**Skill type:** Component**Domain:** Specification & Design

Frequently asked questions

Recommendation Canvas