AI Skills for Real Engineers
A practical skill system for engineers who want to use AI without giving up their standards. Install the ones you want, then type a slash command.
- GitHub stars
- 198,838
- Total skill installs
GitHub
Learn how I actually engineer with these
A free email course on the practices these skills came out of.
Works with any agent
Claude Code · Cursor · Codex · Copilot · 21 skills · MIT
Skills
Grouped by when you reach for them. Most people start with the main flow.
- /grill-with-docsThe /grill-with-docs Skill
- /to-specThe /to-spec SkillA guide to the to-prd skill for creating a PRD from current conversation and codebase context.
- /to-ticketsThe /to-tickets SkillA guide to the to-issues skill for turning plans and PRDs into tracer-bullet implementation issues.
- /implementThe /implement Skill
- /tddThe /tdd SkillA guide to Matt Pocock's tdd skill for implementing features one behavior at a time.
- /code-reviewThe /code-review Skill
Shaping
Explore an open question and produce a decision/answer that feeds the flow.
Start with /wayfinder
Upkeep
Keep the codebase and issue list healthy; generates work for the flow.
Start with /improve-codebase-architecture
- /grill-meThe /grill-me SkillA guide to Matt Pocock's grill-me skill for resolving design decisions before implementation.
- /handoffThe /handoff SkillA guide to the handoff skill for compacting context so another agent or session can continue cleanly.
- /teachThe /teach Skill
- /writing-great-skillsThe /writing-great-skills Skill
What is a skill?
Skills are small, sharp instructions you hand your coding agent so it works the way a senior engineer would. Install the ones you want, type a slash command, and the agent follows a process you actually trust.
The problem
An agent is only as good as the process you give it. Left to guess, it writes plausible code that quietly rots the codebase.
The fix
A skill encodes one good habit (grilling a plan, writing a spec, reviewing a diff), so the agent runs it the same way every time.
Why it compounds
Skills form a chain. Each one's output is the next one's input, so the whole workflow gets better as you tune single steps.
Works in whatever agent you already use
Skills are plain files, not a lock-in platform.
- Claude Code
- Cursor
- Codex
- Amp
- Copilot
Changelog
What changed recently
- v1.1Jul 8, 2026
/wayfinder, /to-spec, /to-tickets, /grilling improvements, and much more
Skills v1.1 released: Learn new agent skills for AI coding including Wayfinder for planning, spec improvements, and TDD refactoring.
- v1Jun 18, 2026
63% Token Reduction, /ask-matt, /writing-great-skills
Skills v1.0 update: 63% token reduction, new routing skills, domain modeling & codebase design. Install with npx now.
- May 11, 2026
Skills Changelog: /handoff, /prototype, /review and /writing
Two new AI agent skills: /handoff for passing context between agents, and /prototype for building throwaway prototypes to test design decisions.
- Apr 30, 2026
Skills Changelog: Ubiquitous Language -> /grill-with-docs
Skills repo changelog: /grill-with-docs, ADRs, improved architecture language, multi-tracker support & new debugging skills. Updates inside.
Install the skills and get to work
Install the skills you want into the agents you use. Everything is MIT licensed and lives in one repo.
198,838mattpocock/skillsView on GitHub →Works with any agent
Claude Code · Cursor · Codex · Copilot · 21 skills · MIT
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