How do I install the Short Form Listicle skill?

Run npx skillmds@latest add r-bart/short-form-listicle 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 Short Form Listicle 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 Short Form Listicle?

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 Short Form Listicle free to use?

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

Who published Short Form Listicle?

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

Short Form Listicle by r-bart — Agent Skill

Name: Short Form Listicle
Author: r-bart

Short Form Listicle

Short-form numbered list post for X / LinkedIn / Threads. "X things I learned doing Y", "X mistakes that cost me Z", "X principles for Z". Use when the user has a small set (3–10) of crisp, parallel points worth shipping as a standalone short-form piece — or when distilling a how-to / launch-retro long-form into a list.

r-bart b624705 2.6 KB Updated Sep 17, 2026

File contents

Metadata

inherits: ../short-form-voice-adjustments/SKILL.md
formats: X thread, LinkedIn, Threads

short-form-listicle

Numbered list with a strong hook. Each item must earn its place — no padding.

Structure (LinkedIn)

[Hook: number + outcome + qualifier.
  Examples:
  - "5 things I'd tell my 2024 self about launching solo."
  - "7 mistakes that cost me my first €10k."
  - "3 tools that replaced 9 SaaS subscriptions."]

[Optional 1-line context: "After [X experience], here's what I learned."]

1. [Item — one declarative line]
   [1-2 lines of explanation, with a specific example or number where possible.]

2. [Item]
   [Explanation.]

...

[Closer: the meta-lesson connecting them, or a CTA tied to the topic.]

Structure (X thread)

Each item is its own tweet. Hook tweet + N items + closer tweet.

1/ [Hook tweet — number + promise]

2/ [Item 1 — declarative line]
[Optional: 1 short example.]

3/ [Item 2 — same]

...

N/ [Closer — meta-lesson + soft CTA to long-form if it's a derivative]

Rules

Numbers in the hook are non-negotiable. "Some things I learned" doesn't earn the scroll.
Items must be parallel in shape. All verbs, or all nouns, or all "Stop X / Start Y" — pick one.
Each item must be specific. "Start before you're ready" — banned. Replace with: "Stop reading launch guides and ship a landing page in 48h."
3-7 items. Below 3 = not a list. Above 7 = nobody finishes.
Order matters. Strongest item first OR last. Put the weakest in the middle, never at the edges.

Anti-patterns

Listicle of clichés. If 4 of 5 items are common knowledge in your niche, kill the post.
"These will blow your mind" / "You won't believe #4" — banned.
Items that overlap (#3 is just #1 reworded). Cut.
Inconsistent grammar (mix of imperatives and nouns).

Example shapes

The goal is a hook of the form <number> + <outcome> + <qualifier>. Two illustrative shapes (replace with examples in your own niche):

"5 things I do every Sunday to set up the week."
"3 habits that grew my [audience metric] to [number]."

If your writing-style/SKILL.md lists author/post references for listicle hooks you admire, those override these defaults.

---name: short-form-listicledescription: Short-form numbered list post for X / LinkedIn / Threads. "X things I learned doing Y", "X mistakes that cost me Z", "X principles for Z". Use when the user has a small set (3–10) of crisp, parallel points worth shipping as a standalone short-form piece — or when distilling a how-to / launch-retro long-form into a list.---## Metadata- **inherits**: `../short-form-voice-adjustments/SKILL.md`- **formats**: X thread, LinkedIn, Threads# short-form-listicleNumbered list with a strong hook. Each item must earn its place — no padding.## Structure (LinkedIn)```[Hook: number + outcome + qualifier. Examples: - "5 things I'd tell my 2024 self about launching solo." - "7 mistakes that cost me my first €10k." - "3 tools that replaced 9 SaaS subscriptions."][Optional 1-line context: "After [X experience], here's what I learned."]1. [Item — one declarative line] [1-2 lines of explanation, with a specific example or number where possible.]2. [Item] [Explanation.]...[Closer: the meta-lesson connecting them, or a CTA tied to the topic.]```## Structure (X thread)Each item is its own tweet. Hook tweet + N items + closer tweet.```1/ [Hook tweet — number + promise]2/ [Item 1 — declarative line][Optional: 1 short example.]3/ [Item 2 — same]...N/ [Closer — meta-lesson + soft CTA to long-form if it's a derivative]```## Rules- **Numbers in the hook are non-negotiable.** "Some things I learned" doesn't earn the scroll.- **Items must be parallel in shape.** All verbs, or all nouns, or all "Stop X / Start Y" — pick one.- **Each item must be specific.** "Start before you're ready" — banned. Replace with: "Stop reading launch guides and ship a landing page in 48h."- **3-7 items.** Below 3 = not a list. Above 7 = nobody finishes.- **Order matters.** Strongest item first OR last. Put the weakest in the middle, never at the edges.## Anti-patterns- Listicle of clichés. If 4 of 5 items are common knowledge in your niche, kill the post.- "These will blow your mind" / "You won't believe #4" — banned.- Items that overlap (#3 is just #1 reworded). Cut.- Inconsistent grammar (mix of imperatives and nouns).## Example shapesThe goal is a hook of the form `<number> + <outcome> + <qualifier>`. Two illustrative shapes (replace with examples in your own niche):- `"5 things I do every Sunday to set up the week."`- `"3 habits that grew my [audience metric] to [number]."`If your `writing-style/SKILL.md` lists author/post references for listicle hooks you admire, those override these defaults.

Frequently asked questions