Content Harness — From the Temple
This skill helps Thiago Temple produce high-quality content that matches his established voice, structure, and standards. It works in two modes and handles both content types (articles and newsletter issues).
First: Load the Guidelines
Before doing anything else, read the content guidelines:
Read docs/content-guidelines.md
This file is located relative to the project root (the SvelteKit site at src/thitemple.me/). It contains the voice principles, anti-patterns, structural rules, editing checklist, and newsletter-specific rules that define Thiago's writing. Everything in this skill references those guidelines. If the guidelines file is not found, ask the user where it is — the skill cannot function without it.
Determine Mode
Ask the user or infer from context:
EVALUATE mode — The user has a draft (or near-final content) and wants quality feedback.
- •Trigger phrases: "review", "check", "evaluate", "feedback", "how does this look", "is this ready"
- •Output: Structured scorecard with pass/fail rubrics, specific line-level feedback, and an overall verdict
ASSIST mode — The user has rough notes, an outline, or a partial draft and wants help shaping it into finished content.
- •Trigger phrases: "help me write", "flesh this out", "turn this into", "I have some notes", "rough draft"
- •Output: A polished draft that sounds like Thiago, with annotations explaining key choices
If unclear, ask: "Do you want me to evaluate what you have, or help you build it out?"
Determine Content Type
Identify whether this is an article or a newsletter issue:
- •Articles are long-form (typically 1000-2000+ words), single-topic deep dives
- •Newsletter issues have three sections: "What's on my mind", "Worth your time", "From me lately"
If the content type isn't obvious from context, ask.
EVALUATE Mode
Step 1: Read the Draft
Read the full draft. If it's a file path, use the Read tool. If it's pasted in the conversation, work from that.
Step 2: Run the Rubrics
Score each rubric as PASS, SOFT FAIL, or FAIL. A SOFT FAIL means the issue is present but minor — it won't tank the piece but should be fixed.
For the full rubric definitions, read: references/rubrics.md
Summary of rubrics:
Universal (R1-R7): Voice Match, Reader Test, Value Signal, No Generic Content, No Self-Indulgence, Over-Qualifying Language, Sections Earn Space
Article-specific (R8-R10): Front-Loaded Value, Traps Before Solutions, Thesis Anchor
Newsletter-specific (R11-R13): Three Sections Present, Curated Links Have Context, Scannable in 5 Minutes
Step 3: Compile the Scorecard
Present results in this format:
## Content Evaluation: [Title] Type: [Article / Newsletter Issue #X] ### Scorecard R1 Voice Match [PASS/SOFT FAIL/FAIL] — [one-line explanation] R2 Reader Test [PASS/SOFT FAIL/FAIL] — [one-line explanation] R3 Value Signal [PASS/SOFT FAIL/FAIL] — [one-line explanation] R4 No Generic Content [PASS/SOFT FAIL/FAIL] — [one-line explanation] R5 No Self-Indulgence [PASS/SOFT FAIL/FAIL] — [one-line explanation] R6 Over-Qualifying Language [PASS/SOFT FAIL/FAIL] — [one-line explanation] R7 Sections Earn Space [PASS/SOFT FAIL/FAIL] — [one-line explanation] [R8-R10 for articles / R11-R13 for newsletters] ### Line-Level Feedback [Specific passages that need attention, with suggested rewrites where helpful] ### Verdict [SHIP / REVISE / RETHINK]
Verdict definitions:
- •SHIP: All rubrics pass or soft-fail only. Minor polish needed at most.
- •REVISE: 1-2 hard fails. Fixable without major restructuring.
- •RETHINK: 3+ hard fails or a fundamental voice/value problem.
Step 4: Offer to Help Fix
After presenting the scorecard, offer: "Want me to help fix the issues I flagged? I can switch to assist mode and work through the revisions with you."
ASSIST Mode
Step 1: Understand What Exists
Ask for or read the raw material. This could be rough notes, bullet points, a partial draft, a voice memo transcript, or just a topic idea.
Step 2: Clarify the Piece
Before writing, confirm:
- •Content type: Article or newsletter issue?
- •Core lesson or insight: What's the one thing the reader should take away?
- •Personal experience: Is there a specific story or example from Thiago's experience that anchors this?
If the user doesn't have a personal story, note that the piece may need one and ask. The guidelines are clear: personal experience should serve as evidence for a transferable lesson.
Step 3: Draft or Reshape
Write the content following the guidelines. The voice calibration checklist:
- •Use contractions naturally ("I'm", "don't", "it's")
- •Short paragraphs (2-4 sentences)
- •Specific over abstract — name the tool, the project, the situation
- •Cut throat-clearing intros
- •One qualifier per paragraph max
- •Be opinionated — take a position and back it up
- •Personal stories serve the lesson, never the other way around
For detailed structural guidance per content type, read: references/structure-guide.md
Step 4: Annotate Key Choices
After presenting the draft, briefly explain 2-3 key structural or voice choices. This helps Thiago decide if the choices fit. Keep annotations to 1-2 sentences each.
Example: "I opened with the server migration story because it sets up the 'familiar vs. new' tension before the lesson. If you have a stronger personal example, swap it in."
Step 5: Self-Evaluate
Run the EVALUATE rubrics on your own draft before presenting it. If any rubric hard-fails, fix it first. Present the draft only when it would score SHIP or REVISE with soft fails only.
Note in your response: "I ran this through the evaluation rubrics — here's how it scored: [brief summary]."
Edge Cases
Content that's already good: Don't manufacture feedback. If it passes all rubrics, say so. It's okay for the scorecard to be all green.
Raw notes too thin to draft from: Don't fabricate content. Ask for the missing pieces: "I need a bit more to work with. What's the specific experience or lesson you want to anchor this around?"
Breaking from usual structure: The guidelines say structure should evolve. Evaluate against voice and value rubrics but be flexible on structural ones. Note in the scorecard why the deviation works.
Topic outside usual expertise: Flag it: "This topic is outside your usual territory. The piece will need stronger evidence or a clearer 'I'm learning this too' framing to maintain credibility."