learn-projects_skill

Overview

This skill teaches how Nexus projects work in a focused 8–10 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.

How this skill works

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 → IN_PROGRESS → COMPLETE → 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.

When to use it

• Before creating your first project or when asked to 'learn projects'
• When you’re unsure if a task should be a one-off project or a repeating skill
• If you describe work with a deadline, deliverable, or finite scope
• When you start creating many similar projects (anti-pattern detection)
• At the end of setup or workspace configuration as a natural next step

Best practices

• Ask: Does this work end? If yes → project; if it repeats → skill
• Keep one reusable skill for repeating work instead of many similar projects
• Use the recommended folder structure: planning, resources, working, outputs
• Move projects through PLANNING → IN_PROGRESS → COMPLETE → ARCHIVED
• Name a project by outcome, not by date or week (avoid 'weekly-report-week-1')

Example use cases

• Build client proposal for Acme Corp (project with deliverable)
• Research competitors and write an analysis report (project with end)
• Create onboarding docs for new hires (project with clear outputs)
• Generate weekly status reports (should be a reusable skill, not many projects)
• Qualify incoming leads (repeatable process — implement as a skill)