Skill

How to write skills.

Core Principle

Coherent skill: the formula is specific to the domain and demonstrated throughout.

Algorithm

1. •Define — What makes this a coherence formula?
2. •Unfold — Break into sections (high alpha, high beta)
3. •Rules — Every bullet states a rule with a list of ❌/✅

1. Define

Ask: "What makes this a coherence formula?"

1.1. Identify the parts

• •What are the parts in this skill's domain?
• •❌ Skip straight to writing rules
• •✅ "Reflection has: observation, interpretation, output"

1.2. Articulate how they fit

• •Coherence = parts serve the whole
• •❌ "Coherent writing: follow best practices" (goal, not coherence)
• •✅ "Coherent writing: nothing can be removed without loss" (parts serving whole)

1.3. Name the failure mode

• •What does incoherence look like here?
• •❌ Generic: "doing it wrong"
• •✅ Specific: "Reflection fails via motivated reasoning — comfortable conclusions ignoring evidence"

2. Unfold

Break the principle into sections with high alpha and beta.

2.1. High Alpha — each bullet internally coherent

• •Rule + example in one unit
• •Reader doesn't need to look elsewhere
• •❌ "Cut filler (see appendix for examples)"
• •✅ "Cut filler: ❌ 'In order to' → ✅ 'To'"

2.2. High Beta — sections relate to whole

• •Sections build on each other
• •❌ Random ordering of tips
• •✅ Evidence → Interpretation → Conclusion (each step requires the previous)

2.3. Progression patterns

• •Small → large
• •Simple → complex
• •Gather → process → act

3. Rules

Every bullet states a rule with a list of examples:

N.N. **Imperative statement**
  - ❌ incoherent → ✅ coherent
  - ❌ incoherent → ✅ coherent

Or for longer examples:

N.N. **Imperative statement**
  - ❌ incoherent (longer example)
  - ✅ coherent (fixed)

3.1. Imperative statement

• •Start with verb: "Cut", "Name", "Check"
• •❌ "Filler phrases are bad"
• •✅ "Cut filler phrases"

3.2. One line context

• •Why this matters or when it applies
• •❌ Three sentences of background
• •✅ "Vague observations don't produce action"

3.3. ❌ shows the failure

• •Real example of incoherence
• •❌ "Don't do bad things"
• •✅ ❌ "I tried to help"

3.4. ✅ shows the fix

• •Same situation, done right
• •❌ Unrelated example
• •✅ ✅ "I sent three messages, none addressed the question"

Reference

4.1. Use numbered IDs (1.1, 2.3)

• •❌ "See above"
• •✅ "See 2.1"

4.2. Keep IDs stable

• •Add new items at end of section
• •Don't renumber on edit