home / skills / abdullahbeam / nexus-design-abdullah / learn-projects
This skill helps you understand how Nexus projects work, including when to use projects versus skills and their lifecycle.
npx playbooks add skill abdullahbeam/nexus-design-abdullah --skill learn-projectsReview the files below or copy the command above to add this skill to your agents.
---
name: learn-projects
description: "Learn how Nexus projects work. Load when user mentions: learn projects, how do projects work, projects vs skills, project tutorial, what is a project, project structure, project lifecycle, understand projects, explain projects. 8-10 min."
onboarding: true
priority: high
---
## π― AI Proactive Triggering (ONBOARDING SKILL)
**This is an ONBOARDING skill with HIGH PRIORITY for proactive suggestion.**
### When to Proactively Suggest (AI MUST check user-config.yaml)
Check `learning_tracker.completed.learn_projects` in user-config.yaml. If `false`:
**PROACTIVELY SUGGEST when user:**
1. Says "create project" for the FIRST TIME (suggest learning before creating)
2. Describes work that sounds like a project (deliverable, deadline, finite work)
3. Asks about organizing work, tracking progress, or managing tasks
4. Expresses confusion about projects vs skills
5. Starts creating multiple similar "projects" (anti-pattern detection)
6. At the END of setup-goals or setup-workspace (natural next step)
7. When displaying the Nexus menu and `total_projects = 0`
**Suggestion Pattern:**
```
π‘ Before creating your first project, would you like a quick 8-minute tutorial
on how Nexus projects work? It covers:
- When to use projects vs skills
- Project structure and lifecycle
- How to track progress effectively
Say 'learn projects' to start, or 'skip' to create your project directly.
```
**DO NOT suggest if:**
- `learning_tracker.completed.learn_projects: true`
- User explicitly says "just create the project" or "skip tutorial"
- User has already created projects successfully
---
# Learn Projects
Teach how Nexus projects work through examples and decision framework.
## Purpose
Help user understand when to create projects vs skills, how projects are structured, and the project lifecycle. Uses concrete examples before abstract concepts.
**Time Estimate**: 8-10 minutes
---
## Workflow
### Step 1: Concrete Examples
Show what IS and ISN'T a project:
```
β
PROJECTS:
- Build client proposal for Acme Corp
- Research competitors and write analysis
- Create onboarding docs for new hires
β NOT PROJECTS (these are skills):
- Generate weekly status reports (repeating)
- Qualify incoming leads (repeating)
- Format documents (repeating)
Pattern: Projects END. Skills REPEAT.
```
**Ask**: "What work are YOU planning? Let's classify it."
---
### Step 2: Decision Framework
```
Question 1: Direction or Work?
β’ Direction = Goal (goals.md)
β’ Work = Project or Skill
Question 2: Does it repeat?
β’ NO β PROJECT (has endpoint)
β’ YES β SKILL (reusable)
ANTI-PATTERN:
β "weekly-report-week-1", "weekly-report-week-2"...
β
ONE "weekly-report" SKILL used every week
```
---
### Step 3: Project Structure
```
π 02-projects/05-client-proposal/
βββ 01-planning/
β βββ overview.md # What & why
β βββ plan.md # How
β βββ steps.md # Tasks (checkboxes)
βββ 02-resources/ # Reference materials
βββ 03-working/ # Work in progress
βββ 04-outputs/ # Final deliverables
```
---
### Step 4: Lifecycle
```
PLANNING β IN_PROGRESS β COMPLETE β ARCHIVED
```
Explain each state briefly.
---
### Step 5: Practice
**Ask**: "Tell me 3 things you're planning to work on."
For each: apply decision framework together, explain reasoning.
---
### Step 6: How to Create
```
To create a project, say:
β’ "create project for [description]"
β’ "new project: [name]"
Ready? Say "create project" to start one!
```
---
### Step 7: Finalize
**Actions** (MUST complete all):
1. **Mark skill complete** in user-config.yaml:
```yaml
learning_tracker:
completed:
learn_projects: true # ADD THIS LINE
```
2. **Display completion**:
```
β
Learn Projects Complete!
You now understand:
β’ Projects vs Skills (projects END, skills REPEAT)
β’ Decision framework (Direction β Work β Repeat?)
β’ Project structure (planning β resources β working β outputs)
β’ Lifecycle states (PLANNING β IN_PROGRESS β COMPLETE)
Next steps:
β’ 'create project' - Start your first project
β’ 'learn skills' - Learn about reusable workflows
β’ 'learn nexus' - System mastery
```
3. **Prompt close-session**:
```
π‘ When you're done working, say "done" to save progress.
```
---
## Success Criteria
- [ ] User understands project vs skill distinction
- [ ] User can apply decision framework
- [ ] User knows project folder structure
- [ ] User understands lifecycle states
- [ ] `learning_tracker.completed.learn_projects: true` in user-config.yaml
This skill teaches how Nexus projects work in a focused 8β10 minute tutorial. It explains when to create a project versus a reusable skill, shows a practical project folder structure, and walks through the project lifecycle. The goal is that you can classify work, create a project correctly, and track progress.
The tutorial uses concrete examples first, then introduces a simple decision framework to classify work as a project or a skill. It outlines a recommended project directory layout and the four lifecycle states (PLANNING β IN_PROGRESS β COMPLETE β ARCHIVED). Finally, it practices classification with your own planned work and provides exact phrases to create a project and mark the lesson complete in your learning tracker.
How do I decide between a direction, project, or skill?
First decide if itβs a direction (a goal). If itβs work, ask if it repeats. Non-repeating work is a project; repeating work is a skill.
What folder structure should I use for a project?
Use 01-planning (overview, plan, steps), 02-resources, 03-working, and 04-outputs for final deliverables.
How do I mark the tutorial as complete?
Add learning_tracker.completed.learn_projects: true to your user-config.yaml and follow the completion prompt to finalize.