skill-from-notebook

Skill from Notebook

Extract actionable methodologies from learning materials (documents, articles, videos) or quality examples (blog posts, designs, code) to generate reusable Skills.

Core Philosophy: NotebookLM helps you understand. This skill helps you do.

When to Use

When users want to turn knowledge into executable skills:

• "I just read this article about code review, help me create a skill from it"
• "Here's a great technical blog post, extract the writing methodology"
• "Turn this PDF guide into a skill I can reuse"
• "Learn from this example and create a skill to produce similar output"

Supported Input Types

Type	How to Process
Local files	PDF, Word, Markdown - Read directly
Web URL	WebFetch to extract content
YouTube	Use yt-dlp for subtitles, Whisper if unavailable
NotebookLM link	Browser automation to extract notes/summaries
Example/Output	Reverse engineer the methodology

Step 0: Identify Input Type

Critical first step - Determine which processing path to use:

User Input
    │
    ├─ Has teaching intent? ("how to", "steps", "guide")
    │   └─ YES → Path A: Methodology Document
    │
    ├─ Is a finished work? (article, design, code, proposal)
    │   └─ YES → Path B: Example (Reverse Engineering)
    │
    └─ Neither? → Tell user this content is not suitable

Path A indicators (Methodology Document):

• Contains words like "how to", "steps", "method", "guide"
• Has numbered lists or step sequences
• Written with teaching intent
• Describes "what to do"

Path B indicators (Example/Output):

• Is a complete work/artifact
• No teaching intent
• Is "the thing itself" rather than "how to make the thing"
• Examples: a well-written blog post, a polished proposal, a code project

---

Path A: Extract from Methodology Document

A1: Validate Document Suitability

Check if the document is suitable for skill generation (must meet at least 2):

• Has clear goal/outcome
• Has repeatable steps/process
• Has quality criteria
• Has context/scenario description

If not suitable: Tell user honestly and explain why.

A2: Identify Skill Type

Type	Characteristics	Examples
How-to	Clear step sequence, input→output	Deploy Docker, Configure CI/CD
Decision	Conditions, trade-offs, choices	Choose database, Select framework
Framework	Mental model, analysis dimensions	SWOT, 5W1H, First Principles
Checklist	Verification list, pass/fail criteria	Code review checklist, Launch checklist

A3: Extract Structure by Type

For How-to:

• Prerequisites
• Step sequence (with expected output per step)
• Final expected result
• Common errors

For Decision:

• Decision factors
• Options with pros/cons
• Decision tree/flowchart
• Recommended default

For Framework:

• Core concepts
• Analysis dimensions
• Application method
• Limitations

For Checklist:

• Check items with criteria
• Priority levels
• Commonly missed items

A4: Generate Skill

Use this template:

## Applicable Scenarios
[When to use this skill]

## Prerequisites
- [What's needed before starting]

## Steps
1. [Step 1] - [Expected outcome]
2. [Step 2] - [Expected outcome]
...

## Quality Checkpoints
- [ ] [Checkpoint 1]
- [ ] [Checkpoint 2]

## Common Pitfalls
- [Pitfall 1]: [How to avoid]

## Source
- Document: [name/URL]
- Extracted: [timestamp]

---

Path B: Reverse Engineer from Example

When input is a finished work (not a tutorial), reverse engineer the methodology.

B1: Identify Output Type

What kind of artifact is this?

• Technical blog post
• Product proposal/PRD
• Academic paper
• Code architecture
• Design document
• Other: [specify]

B2: Analyze Structure

Break down the example:

Structure Analysis:
├── [Part 1]: [Function] - [Proportion %]
├── [Part 2]: [Function] - [Proportion %]
├── [Part 3]: [Function] - [Proportion %]
└── [Part N]: [Function] - [Proportion %]

Questions to answer:

• How many parts does it have?
• What's the function of each part?
• What's the order and proportion?

B3: Extract Quality Characteristics

What makes this example good?

Dimension	Questions
Structure	How is content organized?
Style	Tone, word choice, expression?
Technique	What methods make it effective?
Logic	How does information flow?
Details	Small but important touches?

B4: Reverse Engineer the Process

Deduce: To create this output, what steps are needed?

## Deduced Production Steps
1. [Step 1]: [What to do] - [Key point]
2. [Step 2]: [What to do] - [Key point]
...

## Key Decisions
- [Decision 1]: [Options] - [This example chose X because...]

## Reusable Techniques
- [Technique 1]: [How to apply]
- [Technique 2]: [How to apply]

B5: Generate Skill

Use this template for reverse-engineered skills:

## Output Type
[What kind of artifact this produces]

## Applicable Scenarios
[When to create this type of output]

## Structure Template
1. [Part 1]: [Function] - [~X%]
2. [Part 2]: [Function] - [~X%]
...

## Quality Characteristics (Learned from Example)
- [Characteristic 1]: [How it manifests]
- [Characteristic 2]: [How it manifests]

## Production Steps
1. [Step 1]: [What to do] - [Tips]
2. [Step 2]: [What to do] - [Tips]
...

## Checklist
- [ ] [Check item 1]
- [ ] [Check item 2]

## Reference Example
- Source: [name/URL]
- Analyzed: [timestamp]

---

Example: Path A (Methodology Document)

User: "Extract a skill from this article about writing good commit messages"

Process:

1. Read the article
2. Identify: This is a How-to type (has steps, teaching intent)
3. Extract:
   • Goal: Write clear, useful commit messages
   • Steps: Use conventional format, separate subject/body, etc.
   • Quality criteria: Subject < 50 chars, imperative mood, etc.
4. Generate skill with steps and checklist

---

Example: Path B (Reverse Engineering)

User: "Here's a great technical blog post. Learn from it and create a skill for writing similar posts."

Process:

1. Identify: This is an example (finished work, no teaching intent)
2. Analyze structure:

   ├── Hook: Real pain point (2-3 sentences)
   ├── Problem: 3 sentences on the core issue
   ├── Solution: Conclusion first, then details
   ├── Code: Each snippet < 20 lines, with comments
   ├── Pitfalls: 3 common errors
   └── Summary: One-line takeaway
   

3. Extract quality characteristics:
   • Title = specific tech + problem solved
   • One idea per paragraph
   • Code:text ratio ~40:60
   • Personal anecdotes for credibility
4. Reverse engineer steps:
   • Start with a real problem you solved
   • Write the solution first, then the setup
   • Add code samples progressively
   • etc.
5. Generate skill: "How to Write a Technical Blog Post"

---

Advanced: Multi-Example Learning

When user provides multiple examples of the same type:

Example A ──┐
Example B ──┼──> Extract commonalities ──> Core methodology
Example C ──┘           │
                        ▼
                  Analyze differences ──> Style variants / Optional techniques

This produces more robust, generalizable skills.

---

Important Notes

1. Always validate first - Not all content is suitable for skill extraction
2. Identify the path early - Methodology doc vs Example require different approaches
3. Be specific - Vague skills are useless; include concrete steps and criteria
4. Preserve the source - Always credit where the knowledge came from
5. Ask for clarification - If unsure about user intent, ask before proceeding
6. Quality over speed - Take time to truly understand the content

What This Skill is NOT

• NOT a summarizer (that's NotebookLM's job)
• NOT a document converter
• It's about extracting actionable methodology that can be repeatedly executed