How do I install the Project Bootstrap skill?

Run npx skillmds@latest add ryan-brosas/project-bootstrap 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 Project Bootstrap 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 Project Bootstrap?

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 Project Bootstrap free to use?

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

Who published Project Bootstrap?

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

Project Bootstrap by ryan-brosas — Agent Skill

Name: Project Bootstrap
Author: ryan-brosas

File contents

Enter a project

Orient just enough to do the requested work. For an existing repository, local instructions, dirty state, entrypoints, manifests, tests and CI usually answer what it is, where to change it and how to verify. A complete inventory or an onboarding report is not a prerequisite for implementation. Distinguish commands found in source from commands actually run; do not run every build merely to learn the repository.

If reference/ or reference/web/ exists, a top-level listing can reveal useful prior art without ingesting it. Reach for graph tools or the cold ../skill-catalog/SKILL.md discovery path only when they close a knowledge gap.

Persistent setup, when requested

Reconcile existing instructions rather than replacing them. Use ../../templates/agents.md for non-obvious project invariants, traps and useful verification commands. Run a command before recommending it as a verified gate. A separate context file (../../templates/project-context.md) earns its place only for durable intent or decisions expensive to recover from source. Do not create a default host-state pack, roadmap, personal profile or manifest cache. Runtime state belongs to the host; personal data does not belong in project Git.

For a greenfield project, clarify only unresolved requirements, then scaffold with the stack's native tooling. GitHub, CI and release setup are separate scope:

A scratch/local project does not authorize remote setup.
An explicitly requested standard or production/OSS baseline can use ../github-repo-setup/SKILL.md and ../github-actions-engineering/SKILL.md. Preserve the user's choices of ownership, visibility and license.
Unclear product direction may benefit from ../brainstorming/SKILL.md; a durable recovery or coordination need may benefit from ../goal-setup/SKILL.md. Neither is an automatic phase.

Finish the requested task, or give a short orientation if that was the task. Report actual checks and unresolved setup gaps without creating work records merely to prove onboarding happened.

If setup or refresh fails, diagnose the failure before retrying or claiming completion; ../debugging-and-error-recovery/SKILL.md can help.

---name: project-bootstrapdescription: Use when entering a new or unfamiliar repository, initializing a greenfield project workspace, or intentionally establishing lightweight persistent project-level agent context.---# Enter a projectOrient just enough to do the requested work. For an existing repository, localinstructions, dirty state, entrypoints, manifests, tests and CI usually answerwhat it is, where to change it and how to verify. A complete inventory or anonboarding report is not a prerequisite for implementation. Distinguish commandsfound in source from commands actually run; do not run every build merely tolearn the repository.If `reference/` or `reference/web/` exists, a top-level listing can reveal usefulprior art without ingesting it. Reach for graph tools or the cold`../skill-catalog/SKILL.md` discovery path only when they close a knowledge gap.## Persistent setup, when requestedReconcile existing instructions rather than replacing them. Use`../../templates/agents.md` for non-obvious project invariants, traps and usefulverification commands. Run a command before recommending it as a verified gate.A separate context file (`../../templates/project-context.md`) earns its placeonly for durable intent or decisions expensive to recover from source. Do notcreate a default host-state pack, roadmap, personal profile or manifest cache.Runtime state belongs to the host; personal data does not belong in project Git.For a greenfield project, clarify only unresolved requirements, then scaffoldwith the stack's native tooling. GitHub, CI and release setup are separate scope:- A scratch/local project does not authorize remote setup.- An explicitly requested standard or production/OSS baseline can use `../github-repo-setup/SKILL.md` and `../github-actions-engineering/SKILL.md`. Preserve the user's choices of ownership, visibility and license.- Unclear product direction may benefit from `../brainstorming/SKILL.md`; a durable recovery or coordination need may benefit from `../goal-setup/SKILL.md`. Neither is an automatic phase.Finish the requested task, or give a short orientation if that was the task.Report actual checks and unresolved setup gaps without creating work recordsmerely to prove onboarding happened.If setup or refresh fails, diagnose the failure before retrying or claimingcompletion; `../debugging-and-error-recovery/SKILL.md` can help.

Frequently asked questions

Project Bootstrap