seed-to-skill-converter

name	seed-to-skill-converter
description	Produces a new SKILL.md file by converting a proven Dojo Seed into a fully-structured skill with philosophy, workflow, templates, and quality checklist. Use when: "promote this seed to a skill", "convert this seed into a skill", "make this seed into a skill", "formalize this pattern", "turn this seed active".

Seed-to-Skill Converter Skill

Version: 1.0
Created: 2026-02-04
Author: Manus AI
Purpose: To provide a structured process for identifying when a Dojo Seed has become important enough to be promoted into a reusable Skill, and to guide the conversion process.

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I. The Philosophy: From Insight to Instrument

A Dojo Seed is a potent insight, a moment of clarity captured. It is a reminder of a lesson learned. A Skill is an instrument. It is that same lesson transformed into a repeatable, structured process that can be reliably executed by any agent.

The Seed-to-Skill Converter is the alchemical process that turns the passive wisdom of a Seed into the active utility of a Skill. It is the recognition that some insights are so fundamental to our practice that they deserve to be formalized, to become part of the very machinery of our workflow.

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II. When to Use This Skill

• When a Seed is referenced frequently: If you find yourself constantly referring back to the same Seed across multiple projects or sprints, it may be ready for promotion.
• When a Seed describes a multi-step process: If a Seed isn't just a simple reminder but outlines a series of actions, it is a strong candidate for a Skill.
• When a Seed represents a core part of our workflow: If a Seed is fundamental to how we build, reflect, or collaborate, it should be a Skill.
• During a Retrospective: A retrospective is a perfect time to ask, "Which of our learnings from this sprint are so important they should become a permanent Skill?"

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III. The Conversion Workflow

Step 1: Identify the Candidate Seed

Select a Dojo Seed that meets the criteria from Section II. Announce the intention to convert it into a Skill.

Example: "The Seed 'Workflow as Practice' has become so central to our collaboration that I believe it's time to elevate it into a formal Skill."

Step 2: Deconstruct the Seed's Wisdom

Analyze the Seed and break down its core components:

• The Core Insight: What is the fundamental truth or idea the Seed represents?
• The Trigger: When should this wisdom be applied?
• The Process: What are the concrete steps an agent should take to apply this wisdom?
• The Desired Outcome: What is the result of applying this wisdom correctly?

Step 3: Draft the Skill Using the Standard Template

Create a new directory in SKILLS/ and a SKILL.md file. Use the standard Skill template (see skill-creation skill) to structure the new Skill. The components deconstructed in Step 2 will form the core of the new Skill's content.

Seed Component	Skill Section
Core Insight	I. The Philosophy
Trigger	II. When to Use This Skill
Process	III. The Workflow
Desired Outcome	IV. Best Practices / V. Quality Checklist

Step 4: Define the Workflow and Templates

This is the most critical step. Transform the abstract process from the Seed into a concrete, step-by-step workflow. If the Skill involves creating a document, provide a complete markdown template.

Step 5: Commit the New Skill

Commit the new Skill to the AROMA repository and copy it to the local /home/ubuntu/skills/ directory to make it available for immediate use.

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IV. Example Conversion: 'Workflow as Practice' Seed

Let's imagine we are converting the Seed: Seed: Workflow as Practice — Why it matters: It reframes our collaboration from a means to an end to a valuable practice in itself. — Revisit trigger: When we feel rushed, frustrated, or focused only on the outcome.

Deconstruction:

• Core Insight: Our collaboration is a practice, not just a series of tasks.
• Trigger: Feeling rushed, frustrated, or overly outcome-focused.
• Process: Pause, re-read the project's PHILOSOPHY.md or STATUS.md, reflect on the how not just the what, and consciously choose to slow down to the "pace of understanding."
• Desired Outcome: A return to a more mindful, less reactive state of work.

Skill Creation:

This would likely become a Skill called mindful-workflow-check. The workflow would guide an agent to:

1. Recognize the trigger (frustration, rushing).
2. Pause current work.
3. Read the project's STATUS.md and PHILOSOPHY.md.
4. Write a brief, private reflection in thinking/ on how the current work aligns with the project's deeper purpose.
5. State a clear intention for how to proceed with the work in a more mindful way.

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V. Best Practices

• Not Every Seed Needs to Be a Skill: The beauty of Seeds is their lightness. Only promote a Seed when it has proven its value and utility over time.
• Skills Should Be Actionable: A Skill must describe a process. If a Seed is purely a philosophical reminder, it should remain a Seed.
• Skills Require Maintenance: Once a Seed becomes a Skill, it is part of our formal infrastructure and must be kept up-to-date.
• The Goal is Utility: The purpose of this conversion is to create a useful instrument. If the resulting Skill is not useful, the conversion has failed.

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Output

• A new directory at SKILLS/[skill-name]/ containing SKILL.md with all 5 standard sections (Philosophy, When to Use, Workflow, Best Practices, Quality Checklist)
• The skill committed to the AROMA repository and copied to /home/ubuntu/skills/ for immediate availability
• The original seed file updated with a note pointing to the promoted skill

Examples

Scenario 1: User says "promote the 'Dry-Run as Founding Gate' seed to a skill" → deconstructs the seed's trigger (new scripts), process (run with --dry-run first), and outcome (caught bash crashes before file corruption); writes a dry-run-gate/SKILL.md with a 4-step workflow and checklist.

Scenario 2: User says "formalize this pattern — we always read before editing, no exceptions" → identifies the pattern as a candidate, checks that it describes a multi-step process (check file exists → read → verify understanding → edit), and produces read-before-edit/SKILL.md.

Edge Cases

• If the seed is purely a philosophical reminder with no concrete steps, explain that it should remain a seed — skills must describe an actionable process, not just a mindset.
• If a skill already exists in SKILLS/ that covers the same ground as the seed, compare them and propose merging rather than creating a duplicate skill.

Anti-Patterns

• Promoting every seed to a skill — most seeds are appropriately lightweight as seeds. Only promote when the pattern has a clear multi-step workflow and is referenced frequently.
• Writing the skill without verifiable workflow steps — a skill that says "apply good judgment" is not actionable. Every step must be concrete enough to execute without ambiguity.

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Quality Checklist

Before declaring a conversion complete, verify:

• The seed met at least one promotion criterion (frequent reference, multi-step process, or core workflow status)
• Core Insight → Philosophy section is present and explains the "why," not just the "what"
• Trigger → When to Use section lists concrete, recognizable conditions
• Process → Workflow section contains discrete, executable steps (no "apply judgment" steps)
• Desired Outcome → Best Practices section addresses how to know the skill was applied well
• A Quality Checklist is present in the new skill file (skills must be self-auditable)
• The new skill directory and SKILL.md file exist at SKILLS/[skill-name]/
• The original seed file has a note pointing to the promoted skill
• The skill was committed to the AROMA repository

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Related Skills

• seed-extraction — produces the seeds that this skill promotes; run seed-extraction first, seed-to-skill-converter later
• seed-library — the library from which promotion candidates are drawn; check here for frequently-referenced seeds
• reflect-and-learn — retrospective process that surfaces which seeds are ready for promotion
• continuity-ledger — records the promotion event so future sessions know the seed has been elevated