AI Skills Playbook

Guides for using AI tools like a pro.

Pick the right tool stack, install reusable AI skills, and turn random prompts into repeatable workflows that actually ship results.

Install skills View stacks

Code Video Design Voice Text Productivity

Quick start

Use the task-first rule

Need code?

Use Claude Code or OpenAI Codex first. Add Cursor as the IDE layer.

Need video?

Use Runway, Kling, Luma, Opus Clip.

Need visuals?

Use Midjourney, Krea, Photoroom.

Need voice?

Use ElevenLabs, Suno, Udio.

Best skill stacks

Pick tools by job, not hype.

Open AI catalog

CODE STACK

Build real software

Use Claude or Codex for hard repo work, Cursor as the IDE layer, and v0/Bolt for fast UI starts.

Claude CodeOpenAI CodexCursorv0Bolt.new

VIDEO STACK

Make scroll-stopping clips

Generate cinematic shots first, then turn long content into shorts with captions and hooks.

RunwayKling AILumaOpus Clip

DESIGN STACK

Create polished visuals

Start with concept art, refine in a real-time canvas, then clean assets for ecommerce or ads.

MidjourneyKrea AIPhotoroomLeonardo AI

VOICE STACK

Build audio identity

Clone voices, generate music beds, and pair audio with avatar or explainer video workflows.

ElevenLabsSunoUdioHeyGen

Current coding leaders

For code, lead with Claude and Codex.

Cursor is great, but it is mainly the IDE/workspace layer. For hard coding intelligence, the guide should point users toward Claude/Claude Code and OpenAI Codex first, then use Cursor, v0, and Bolt as workflow tools around them.

Source notes

Anthropic positions Claude Sonnet 4.5 as a top coding and agent model, with SWE-bench Verified results and long-horizon coding claims.

OpenAI positions Codex as a coding agent for building and shipping with AI. Cursor positions itself as an AI coding agent/IDE with model choice and codebase understanding.

Claude / Claude Code

Best for complex code

Strong choice for multi-file refactors, long-context reasoning, debugging, architecture, and careful code review.

OpenAI Codex

Best coding agent workflow

Good fit when you want an agent to inspect a repo, edit files, run terminal commands, test, and report what changed.

Cursor

Best everyday IDE layer

Use it as the place where models, codebase indexing, autocomplete, agents, review, and local project context come together.

v0 / Bolt.new

Best for fast prototypes

Use these when the job is turning an idea into a landing page, React UI, or MVP shell quickly.

Deep-dive guides

Separate playbooks for each AI category.

Each section tells you what to use, when to use it, what workflow to follow, and what kind of skill is worth creating for that category.

Code guide

Code & app building

Best for

Landing pages, SaaS MVPs, bug fixing, refactors, dashboards.

Skill idea

Create a `local-build-fixer` skill that runs build, reads TypeScript errors, fixes only safe type issues, then verifies localhost.

Tools to try

Claude CodeOpenAI CodexCursorv0 by VercelBolt.newGitHub Copilot

Workflow

Use Claude or Codex for hard repo tasks: debugging, refactors, architecture, tests, and multi-file changes.

Use Cursor as the daily IDE layer when you want codebase search, autocomplete, model switching, and fast iteration.

Use v0 or Bolt.new when you need to generate the first UI/MVP shell quickly.

Always require a verification loop: build, tests, browser check, and a short change report.

Avoid

Do not treat Cursor, Claude, Codex, v0, and Bolt as the same thing. Some are agents/models, some are IDEs, some are UI generators.

Video guide

Video & animation

Best for

Ads, reels, product demos, cinematic shots, avatar explainers.

Skill idea

Create a `video-prompt-builder` skill that turns a rough idea into shot list, camera motion, style, negative prompts, and export checklist.

Tools to try

RunwayKling AILuma Dream MachinePikaOpus ClipHeyGen

Workflow

Use Kling or Runway for realistic motion and stronger scene quality.

Use Luma when you want cinematic camera motion and stylized scenes.

Use HeyGen for presenter/avatar videos, not physics-heavy cinema.

Use Opus Clip after generation to cut long videos into shorts.

Avoid

Do not compare video generators with coding tools. Compare motion quality, prompt control, scene coherence, and export limits.

Design guide

Design & product visuals

Best for

Thumbnails, ecommerce photos, moodboards, ad creatives, UI concepts.

Skill idea

Create a `brand-visual-brief` skill that converts a product idea into style direction, palette, image prompts, and asset checklist.

Tools to try

MidjourneyKrea AILeonardo AIStable DiffusionPhotoroom

Workflow

Start in Midjourney for premium concepts and style exploration.

Use Krea AI when you need real-time steering or upscale workflows.

Use Photoroom for clean ecommerce assets and background removal.

Keep prompts tied to commercial output: product shot, banner, icon, hero image.

Avoid

Do not chase pretty images with no use case. Decide format, aspect ratio, audience, and placement before generating.

Voice guide

Voice, music & audio

Best for

Voiceovers, dubbing, podcasts, music beds, branded audio.

Skill idea

Create a `voiceover-director` skill that rewrites a script for pacing, emotion, pronunciation notes, and ElevenLabs-ready delivery.

Tools to try

ElevenLabsSunoUdioHeyGen

Workflow

Use ElevenLabs for voice cloning, narration, dubbing, and polished TTS.

Use Suno or Udio for music concepts, jingles, background tracks, and hooks.

Pair voice with HeyGen when you need a talking avatar or sales explainer.

Write the script first, then generate voice. Bad scripts stay bad in better audio.

Avoid

Do not publish cloned voices without permission. Keep brand voice, rights, and disclosure clean.

Text guide

Text, SEO & research

Best for

Articles, landing copy, research summaries, prompts, emails, docs.

Skill idea

Create a `seo-brief-writer` skill that outputs keyword intent, outline, title options, FAQs, and internal-link ideas.

Tools to try

ChatGPTClaudePerplexityWritesonicJasper AINotion AI

Workflow

Use Perplexity when sources and fresh research matter.

Use Claude for long docs, careful writing, strategy, and complex reasoning.

Use ChatGPT for flexible brainstorming, rewriting, prompts, and daily content.

Use Jasper or Writesonic when the output is marketing-heavy and SEO-focused.

Avoid

Do not copy AI text straight to production. Add examples, proof, sources, and your own opinion.

Productivity guide

Productivity & automation

Best for

Workflows, research ops, notes, scraping, CRM tasks, repetitive admin.

Skill idea

Create an `automation-planner` skill that maps trigger, inputs, tools, error cases, and final output before building the workflow.

Tools to try

MakeNotion AIChatGPTClaudeBrowser extensions

Workflow

Start with a manual checklist before automating anything.

Use Make for repeatable app-to-app workflows and API integrations.

Use Notion AI for notes, summaries, and team knowledge cleanup.

Use ChatGPT or Claude to design the workflow before connecting tools.

Avoid

Do not automate chaos. If the manual process is unclear, automation will just make unclear work faster.

Install skills

Make repeatable workflows.

A skill is a small instruction pack for one workflow. The best ones are boring: they tell the AI when to use them, what to inspect, what to change, and how to verify the result.

---
name: local-ui-qa
description: Use when checking if a local web page looks broken, misaligned, or unstyled.
---

# Local UI QA

1. Open the target localhost page.
2. Check if CSS is loaded and layout matches the design.
3. Inspect console/server errors.
4. Fix the smallest cause.
5. Run build and reload the page.
6. Report what changed and what was verified.

Create a skill folder

Keep every skill isolated so it has one job: browser QA, landing-page copy, video research, code review, and so on.

.codex/skills/my-skill/SKILL.md

Write a clear trigger

The first lines should say exactly when the AI must use this skill. No vague magic, no giant universal prompts.

Use when the task involves visual QA of a local Next.js page.

Add a repeatable checklist

Turn your best workflow into steps. Good skills make the AI inspect, act, verify, and report.

Inspect -> Fix -> Build -> Browser check -> Report

Test on one real task

Run the skill on a small job first. If it asks dumb questions or skips verification, tighten the instructions.

npm run build + open localhost

Pro tips

Rules that save money.

The fastest way to waste credits is using a great tool for the wrong job. Keep the workflow narrow, compare similar tools, and verify output before scaling.

Do not compare tools from different jobs as if they solve the same problem. Compare code tools with code tools, video tools with video tools.

Build stacks around outcomes: launch a landing page, make a product demo, write SEO content, automate lead capture.

Keep skill instructions short and operational. A checklist beats a wall of theory.

Use verified tools first when clicks, payments, or client work are involved.

Save repeatable prompts as skills only after they worked at least twice.

Next move

Build your stack, then compare it.

Open the catalog, pick two tools from the same job category, and use the power showcase to decide which one deserves the click.

Compare tools

Keep it simple: one skill, one job, one verification loop.