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:

• SHIP - Create something real (code, content, product, demonstration)
• LEARN - Honest reflection on what happened
• 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):

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

Step 3: Define the Quest#

Help the user frame their learning goal:

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

Step 4: Design Rep 1 (The First Iteration)#

Break down the quest into the smallest shippable version:

• "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?"

Step 5: Create the Rep Plan#

Structure each rep with:

• 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: Concrete steps to complete
• After Shipping - Reflection Questions

Step 6: Map Future Reps (2-5)#

Based on the content, suggest a progression:

• 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]"

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" → "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 → Do → Reflect → 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:

• ✅ Specific, shippable rep 1 (completable in 1-7 days)
• ✅ Clear success criteria (user knows when they're done)
• ✅ Concrete artifacts (something real to show)
• ✅ Direct connection to source content
• ✅ Progression path for reps 2-5
• ✅ Emphasis on action over consumption
• ✅ Honest reflection built in
• ✅ 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

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:

• Show them you've saved the plan: "✓ Saved to: [filename]"
• Give a brief overview of the quest
• Highlight Rep 1 (what's due this week)

Then ask:

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