softaworks

ship-learn-next

330
14
# Install this skill:
npx skills add softaworks/agent-toolkit --skill "ship-learn-next"

Install specific skill from multi-skill repository

# Description

Transform learning content (like YouTube transcripts, articles, tutorials) into actionable implementation plans using the Ship-Learn-Next framework. Use when user wants to turn advice, lessons, or educational content into concrete action steps, reps, or a learning quest.

# SKILL.md


name: ship-learn-next
description: Transform learning content (like YouTube transcripts, articles, tutorials) into actionable implementation plans using the Ship-Learn-Next framework. Use when user wants to turn advice, lessons, or educational content into concrete action steps, reps, or a learning quest.
allowed-tools:
- Read
- Write


Ship-Learn-Next Action Planner

This skill helps transform passive learning content into actionable Ship-Learn-Next cycles - turning advice and lessons into concrete, shippable iterations.

When to Use This Skill

Activate when the user:
- Has a transcript/article/tutorial and wants to "implement the advice"
- Asks to "turn this into a plan" or "make this actionable"
- Wants to extract implementation steps from educational content
- Needs help breaking down big ideas into small, shippable reps
- Says things like "I watched/read X, now what should I do?"

Core Framework: Ship-Learn-Next

Every learning quest follows three repeating phases:

  1. SHIP - Create something real (code, content, product, demonstration)
  2. LEARN - Honest reflection on what happened
  3. NEXT - Plan the next iteration based on learnings

Key principle: 100 reps beats 100 hours of study. Learning = doing better, not knowing more.

How This Skill Works

Step 1: Read the Content

Read the file the user provides (transcript, article, notes):

# User provides path to file
FILE_PATH="/path/to/content.txt"

Use the Read tool to analyze the content.

Step 2: Extract Core Lessons

Identify from the content:
- Main advice/lessons: What are the key takeaways?
- Actionable principles: What can actually be practiced?
- Skills being taught: What would someone learn by doing this?
- Examples/case studies: Real implementations mentioned

Do NOT:
- Summarize everything (focus on actionable parts)
- List theory without application
- Include "nice to know" vs "need to practice"

Step 3: Define the Quest

Help the user frame their learning goal:

Ask:
1. "Based on this content, what do you want to achieve in 4-8 weeks?"
2. "What would success look like? (Be specific)"
3. "What's something concrete you could build/create/ship?"

Example good quest: "Ship 10 cold outreach messages and get 2 responses"
Example bad quest: "Learn about sales" (too vague)

Step 4: Design Rep 1 (The First Iteration)

Break down the quest into the smallest shippable version:

Ask:
- "What's the smallest version you could ship THIS WEEK?"
- "What do you need to learn JUST to do that?" (not everything)
- "What would 'done' look like for rep 1?"

Make it:
- Concrete and specific
- Completable in 1-7 days
- Produces real evidence/artifact
- Small enough to not be intimidating
- Big enough to learn something meaningful

Step 5: Create the Rep Plan

Structure each rep with:

## Rep 1: [Specific Goal]

**Ship Goal**: [What you'll create/do]
**Success Criteria**: [How you'll know it's done]
**What You'll Learn**: [Specific skills/insights]
**Resources Needed**: [Minimal - just what's needed for THIS rep]
**Timeline**: [Specific deadline]

**Action Steps**:
1. [Concrete step 1]
2. [Concrete step 2]
3. [Concrete step 3]
...

**After Shipping - Reflection Questions**:
- What actually happened? (Be specific)
- What worked? What didn't?
- What surprised you?
- On a scale of 1-10, how did this rep go?
- What would you do differently next time?

Step 6: Map Future Reps (2-5)

Based on the content, suggest a progression:

## Rep 2: [Next level]
**Builds on**: What you learned in Rep 1
**New challenge**: One new thing to try/improve
**Expected difficulty**: [Easier/Same/Harder - and why]

## Rep 3: [Continue progression]
...

Progression principles:
- Each rep adds ONE new element
- Increase difficulty based on success
- Reference specific lessons from the content
- Keep reps shippable (not theoretical)

Step 7: Connect to Content

For each rep, reference the source material:

  • "This implements the [concept] from minute X"
  • "You're practicing the [technique] mentioned in the video"
  • "This tests the advice about [topic]"

But: Always emphasize DOING over studying. Point to resources only when needed for the specific rep.

Conversation Style

Direct but supportive:
- No fluff, but encouraging
- "Ship it, then we'll improve it"
- "What's the smallest version you could do this week?"

Question-driven:
- Make them think, don't just tell
- "What exactly do you want to achieve?" not "Here's what you should do"

Specific, not generic:
- "By Friday, ship one landing page" not "Learn web development"
- Push for concrete commitments

Action-oriented:
- Always end with "what's next?"
- Focus on the next rep, not the whole journey

What NOT to Do

  • ❌ Don't create a study plan (create a SHIP plan)
  • ❌ Don't list all resources to read/watch (pick minimal resources for current rep)
  • ❌ Don't make perfect the enemy of shipped
  • ❌ Don't let them plan forever without starting
  • ❌ Don't accept vague goals ("learn X" β†’ "ship Y by Z date")
  • ❌ Don't overwhelm with the full journey (focus on rep 1)

Key Phrases to Use

  • "What's the smallest version you could ship this week?"
  • "What do you need to learn JUST to do that?"
  • "This isn't about perfection - it's rep 1 of 100"
  • "Ship something real, then we'll improve it"
  • "Based on [content], what would you actually DO differently?"
  • "Learning = doing better, not knowing more"

Example Output Structure

# Your Ship-Learn-Next Quest: [Title]

## Quest Overview
**Goal**: [What they want to achieve in 4-8 weeks]
**Source**: [The content that inspired this]
**Core Lessons**: [3-5 key actionable takeaways from content]

---

## Rep 1: [Specific, Shippable Goal]

**Ship Goal**: [Concrete deliverable]
**Timeline**: [This week / By [date]]
**Success Criteria**:
- [ ] [Specific thing 1]
- [ ] [Specific thing 2]
- [ ] [Specific thing 3]

**What You'll Practice** (from the content):
- [Skill/concept 1 from source material]
- [Skill/concept 2 from source material]

**Action Steps**:
1. [Concrete step]
2. [Concrete step]
3. [Concrete step]
4. Ship it (publish/deploy/share/demonstrate)

**Minimal Resources** (only for this rep):
- [Link or reference - if truly needed]

**After Shipping - Reflection**:
Answer these questions:
- What actually happened?
- What worked? What didn't?
- What surprised you?
- Rate this rep: _/10
- What's one thing to try differently next time?

---

## Rep 2: [Next Iteration]

**Builds on**: Rep 1 + [what you learned]
**New element**: [One new challenge/skill]
**Ship goal**: [Next concrete deliverable]

[Similar structure...]

---

## Rep 3-5: Future Path

**Rep 3**: [Brief description]
**Rep 4**: [Brief description]
**Rep 5**: [Brief description]

*(Details will evolve based on what you learn in Reps 1-2)*

---

## Remember

- This is about DOING, not studying
- Aim for 100 reps over time (not perfection on rep 1)
- Each rep = Plan β†’ Do β†’ Reflect β†’ Next
- You learn by shipping, not by consuming

**Ready to ship Rep 1?**

Processing Different Content Types

YouTube Transcripts

  • Focus on advice, not stories
  • Extract concrete techniques mentioned
  • Identify case studies/examples to replicate
  • Note timestamps for reference later (but don't require watching again)

Articles/Tutorials

  • Identify the "now do this" parts vs theory
  • Extract the specific workflow/process
  • Find the minimal example to start with

Course Notes

  • What's the smallest project from the course?
  • Which modules are needed for rep 1? (ignore the rest for now)
  • What can be practiced immediately?

Success Metrics

A good Ship-Learn-Next plan has:
- βœ… Specific, shippable rep 1 (completable in 1-7 days)
- βœ… Clear success criteria (user knows when they're done)
- βœ… Concrete artifacts (something real to show)
- βœ… Direct connection to source content
- βœ… Progression path for reps 2-5
- βœ… Emphasis on action over consumption
- βœ… Honest reflection built in
- βœ… Small enough to start today, big enough to learn

Saving the Plan

IMPORTANT: Always save the plan to a file for the user.

Filename Convention

Always use the format:
- Ship-Learn-Next Plan - [Brief Quest Title].md

Examples:
- Ship-Learn-Next Plan - Build in Proven Markets.md
- Ship-Learn-Next Plan - Learn React.md
- Ship-Learn-Next Plan - Cold Email Outreach.md

Quest title should be:
- Brief (3-6 words)
- Descriptive of the main goal
- Based on the content's core lesson/theme

What to Save

Complete plan including:
- Quest overview with goal and source
- All reps (1-5) with full details
- Action steps and reflection questions
- Timeline commitments
- Reference to source material

Format: Always save as Markdown (.md) for readability

After Creating the Plan

Display to user:
1. Show them you've saved the plan: "βœ“ Saved to: [filename]"
2. Give a brief overview of the quest
3. Highlight Rep 1 (what's due this week)

Then ask:
1. "When will you ship Rep 1?"
2. "What's the one thing that might stop you? How will you handle it?"
3. "Come back after you ship and we'll reflect + plan Rep 2"

Remember: You're not creating a curriculum. You're helping them ship something real, learn from it, and ship the next thing.

Let's help them ship.

# Supported AI Coding Agents

This skill is compatible with the SKILL.md standard and works with all major AI coding agents:

Learn more about the SKILL.md standard and how to use these skills with your preferred AI coding agent.