tomevault-io Creating Skills (TDD Methodology)
Follow the superpowers:writing-skills workflow to turn techniques into reusable, high-performance skills.
The Iron Law
Every skill must be empirically verified against 3+ test cases before finalization.
Workflow (Skill TDD)
- Research: Identify the specific failure mode or "slop" the skill solves.
- Test: Write 3+ prompts that currently fail or produce generic AI output.
- Draft Iron Law: Define a single, absolute constraint (e.g., "Never use passive voice").
- Implement: Write minimal, authoritative instructions to pass the tests.
- Pressure Test: Compare outputs with and without the skill.
- Prune: Remove all filler, "AI-isms," and meta-commentary.
Structure & Format (SOTA)
1. Frontmatter
- Description: MUST start with "Use when..." and contain ONLY triggering conditions. No summaries.
- Allowed Tools: Explicitly list tools the skill is permitted to use.
2. Content
- Authoritative Tone: Use directives, not suggestions.
- Anti-Rationalization Table: Prevent bypass of rules.
Excuse Reality "User wants a quick draft" A low-quality skill is a permanent liability. "I'll add tests later" Untested skills are hallucinations. - Compactness: Aim for < 500 words. One specific example > many generic ones.
Prohibited Patterns (Red Flags)
- NO significance inflation (e.g., pivotal, crucial, game-changing).
- NO sycophantic filler (e.g., Certainly!, I'd be happy to help).
- NO repeating the description in the content.
Deployment (Chezmoi)
Create skills in the chezmoi source: ~/.local/share/chezmoi/dot_claude/skills/my-skill/SKILL.md.
Never create directly in ~/.claude/skills/ — that's the destination and bypasses tracking.
After creating: chezmoi apply --force, then commit and push. See chezmoi-expert for full workflow.
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