Wanbinyu Skill vs MCP Choice
Overview
Choose skill, MCP, both, or plain code for a capability.
Quick rules
| Need | Prefer |
|---|---|
| Procedure / checklist / domain workflow in markdown | Skill |
| Live data, external API, stateful side effects | MCP (or native tools) |
| Both procedure + live calls | Skill + MCP |
| One-off script never reused | Neither - just code |
Steps
- Restate capability.
- Ask: does it need runtime I/O beyond the repo?
- Ask: is the value how to think/work vs what to call?
- Recommend: skill | mcp | both | code-only.
- If both: skill owns workflow; MCP owns tools; skill tells when to call which tool.
Exit criteria
- Capability stated
- I/O vs procedure analyzed
- Clear recommendation
- If both: ownership split written
Anti-patterns
- MCP for pure markdown procedures
- Skill that pretends to call APIs without tools
- Building MCP because it is trendy
Output template
## Choice
- Capability: ...
- Recommendation: skill | mcp | both | code-only
- Why: ...
- Split (if both): ...