# Skill Development Strategy: prox-setup Document Workflow **Analysis Date**: 2025-11-09 **Context**: prox-setup repository has mature worklog/documentation workflow that could be a skill **Decision**: Where should this skill be developed? ## The Workflow to Capture ### What prox-setup Has **Document Management Scripts** (`scripts/shell/`): 1. **compress_worklog.sh** - Creates compressed daily summaries with git activity 2. **archive_old_worklogs.sh** - Archives worklogs >30 days to year directories 3. **worklog_maintenance.sh** - Likely combines the above **Documentation Structure** (`docs/`): - 206 org-mode files total - **worklogs/** - Active daily logs (last 30 days) - **worklogs/compressed/daily/** - Daily summaries - **worklogs/compressed/weekly/** - Weekly rollups - **worklogs/compressed/project/** - High-level summaries - **archive/YYYY/** - Historical logs by year - **current/** - Active reference docs - **INDEX.md** - Navigation guide **Process Pattern**: 1. Create daily worklogs (org-mode format) 2. Compress to daily summaries (extract key decisions/problems) 3. Roll up to weekly summaries 4. Archive old logs (>30 days) to year directories 5. Maintain INDEX for navigation ## Option A: Build Skill Here (skills repo) ### Pros ✅ - **Centralized skill repository** - All skills in one place - **We have the expertise** - Already built worklog skill, tufte-press skill, niri-window-capture - **Established patterns** - Module structure, SKILL.md format, testing approach - **Nix flake ready** - Can package and deploy immediately - **Code review capability** - We can review our own work - **Quick turnaround** - We're already in context ### Cons ❌ - **Not their workflow** - We don't use this compression/archival pattern - **Less ownership** - They won't have built it themselves - **Transfer knowledge required** - Need to teach them how to use/modify it - **Might miss nuances** - They know their workflow better than we do - **Dependency on us** - Updates/fixes require coming back to this repo ### What We'd Build ``` skills/worklog-compression/ ├── SKILL.md # Agent instructions for compression workflow ├── README.md # User documentation ├── scripts/ │ ├── compress-daily.sh # Extract key decisions from worklogs │ ├── archive-old.sh # Move logs >30 days to archive │ ├── generate-weekly.sh # Roll up daily summaries │ └── update-index.sh # Maintain documentation INDEX ├── templates/ │ ├── daily-summary.org # Compression template │ └── weekly-rollup.org # Weekly template └── examples/ └── example-compression.org ``` ## Option B: Teach Them (prox-setup agent) ### Pros ✅ - **Ownership** - They build and maintain their own skill - **Domain expertise** - They understand the workflow intimately - **Learning opportunity** - They learn skill development patterns - **Customization** - Can iterate on their own timeline - **Independence** - Don't need to wait for us for updates - **Better fit** - Skill evolves with their actual needs ### Cons ❌ - **Learning curve** - Need to understand skills architecture - **Time investment** - Takes longer than us building it - **Documentation burden** - We need to teach the skill development process - **Quality risk** - Might not follow best practices initially - **Support required** - We'll need to answer questions during development ### What We'd Provide 1. **skills Repository as Reference** - They can see existing skills as examples 2. **AGENTS.md** - Development guidelines already written 3. **Template Skill** - `skills/template/` as starting point 4. **Nix Flake Pattern** - They can add to our flake or create their own 5. **Code Review** - We review their PRs/commits ## Option C: Hybrid Approach (Recommended) ### Phase 1: We Build MVP (1-2 hours) **Quick prototype in skills repo**: - Basic compression skill with their scripts as templates - SKILL.md with their workflow documented - README with installation instructions - Deploy to their ops-dev VM for immediate use ### Phase 2: They Take Over (ongoing) **Transfer ownership**: - Show them the skill structure - Point them to AGENTS.md and existing skills - They fork/copy to their repo or maintain here - They iterate based on real usage - We review PRs/provide guidance ### Benefits ✅ - **Immediate value** - Working skill quickly - **Learning by example** - Real skill to study and modify - **Gradual handoff** - No pressure to learn everything at once - **Shared maintenance** - They can improve, we can review - **Both gain** - We validate our skill patterns, they get working tool ## Recommendation: Option C (Hybrid) ### Rationale 1. **Time-sensitive** - They're already using worklog compression, need it now 2. **Teaching vehicle** - A real skill is better than abstract docs 3. **Risk mitigation** - If they don't have time to learn, they still have working skill 4. **Community building** - Sets precedent for collaborative skill development 5. **Pattern validation** - Tests our Nix flake module approach ### Implementation Plan **Us (Next 1-2 hours)**: 1. Create `skills/worklog-compression/` skill 2. Adapt their existing scripts (compress_worklog.sh, archive_old_worklogs.sh) 3. Write SKILL.md with their workflow 4. Add to our Nix flake packages 5. Document how to use it 6. Commit to skills repo **Them (When ready)**: 1. Point them to the skill we built 2. Show them AGENTS.md and template skill 3. They test the skill in their environment 4. They fork/modify to their needs 5. Optional: They submit improvements back **Collaboration Points**: - We review their modifications - They report bugs/feature requests - We help with Nix packaging if needed - Knowledge exchange on workflow patterns ### Next Steps 1. **Confirm with user** - Is hybrid approach acceptable? 2. **Build MVP skill** - 1-2 hour effort 3. **Deploy to ops-dev** - Use our Nix flake module 4. **Create handoff doc** - How to modify/maintain 5. **Schedule knowledge transfer** - When they're ready to take over ## Comparison: Skills Repo vs Their Repo ### If Skill Lives in skills repo (dan/skills) **Pros**: - Centralized discovery (one place to find all skills) - Our Nix flake already set up - Shared improvement (others could use it) - Consistent structure (all skills follow same pattern) **Cons**: - They need access to this repo to modify - Deployment coupling (need to pull this repo) - Version sync issues (their changes affect others) ### If Skill Lives in Their Repo (dan/prox-setup) **Pros**: - Full control (no PRs needed to modify) - Independent versioning (break things freely) - Deployment coupled to their environment - Natural fit (skill alongside the workflow it supports) **Cons**: - Not discoverable by others - Need to create their own Nix flake (or use ours via input) - Duplicate effort if others want similar ### Recommendation **Start here, migrate there**: 1. Build MVP in `dan/skills` (fast iteration, we control) 2. Once stable, they can: - Keep using from our repo (via Nix flake input) - Copy to their repo (for full control) - Maintain in both (improvements flow back) ## Questions for User 1. **Timeline**: How urgently do you need this? (affects whether we build or teach) 2. **Ownership preference**: Do you want to maintain this long-term or prefer we do? 3. **Learning goal**: Is learning skill development important, or just having working skill? 4. **Collaboration model**: Comfortable with PRs back to skills repo, or prefer isolation? 5. **Deployment**: ops-dev only, or other VMs too? ## Related Context - **Recent worklog**: 2025-11-09-ops-dev-vm-mobile-connectivity-and-skills-deployment.org - They deployed tufte-press skill to ops-dev - Used flake bundling approach (environment.etc) - Understand skills deployment pattern - Already have Forgejo repository for skills - **Their agent knows**: - How to write worklogs (206 examples) - Shell scripting patterns - Git integration patterns - Org-mode structure - **We know**: - Skill architecture - AGENTS.md guidelines - Nix flake packaging - Testing/validation patterns **Best outcome**: Combine expertise - we scaffold structure, they provide domain knowledge.