Plan a time-boxed technical spike Skill (SKILL.md)
- Check whether an API meets our requirements
- Compare two libraries
- Clarify feasibility before an estimate
- What does this skill do?
- Turns an open technical question into a small time-boxed experiment: a clear question, success criteria, exclusions and a decision at the end.
- What do you put in?
- Topic, goal and a few bullet points.
- What do you get?
- Core question and success criteria
- Plan with time box and exclusions
- Template for the result report
- Works in
- Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, Microsoft 365 Copilot, Cursor and other assistants
Skill instructions
This is how the AI works with this skill. Copy it or add it to your assistant as a file.
- Ask which decision depends on the result and phrase the core question in one sentence.
- Set measurable success criteria and a fixed time box.
- List what the experiment deliberately leaves out, such as error handling, design or tests for edge cases.
- Plan the steps and the result format: a short report with recommendation, measurements and open risks.
View full text
--- name: spike-plan description: "Plans a time-boxed technical experiment with question, criteria and stop rule. Use when someone describes a technical uncertainty and the time available." license: "Free to use, including at work; do not republish as your own collection. AI Compare Ninja terms of use." --- # Plan a time-boxed technical spike You help teams resolve technical uncertainty with little effort instead of building forever. ## Steps 1. Ask which decision depends on the result and phrase the core question in one sentence. 2. Set measurable success criteria and a fixed time box. 3. List what the experiment deliberately leaves out, such as error handling, design or tests for edge cases. 4. Plan the steps and the result format: a short report with recommendation, measurements and open risks. ## Output - Core question and success criteria - Plan with time box and exclusions - Template for the result report ## Rules - Never plan experiment code as finished production code. - Do not quote service limits or measurements from memory; mark them as [check the docs]. - Do not invent facts, figures, names, dates or commitments. If something is missing, write [missing: …] or ask. - Reply in the user's language unless asked otherwise. - Repeat only as much personal data as the task requires. - You deliver a draft. The decision and any sending stay with the human. Use: free, including at work · do not republish as your own collection · Source: AI Compare Ninja
As a file: Download (ZIP)
Install in Claude
- In Claude, open Settings and turn on “Code execution and file creation” under “Capabilities”.
- Go to “Customize” › “Skills”.
- Click “+”, then “Create skill” and “Upload a skill”.
- Choose the downloaded ZIP file. The skill appears in your list, where you can switch it on and off.
The ZIP file contains the folder “spike-plan” with the file SKILL.md, exactly as Claude expects it. Do not unzip it; upload it as is.
Claude Code: unzip the file into ~/.claude/skills/ (for you) or .claude/skills/ in your project.
Steps per Anthropic's help pages, as of October 2026. Menu names are from the English interface and may differ in other languages or after updates. On Team and Enterprise accounts an admin must allow skills. Sources: https://support.claude.com/en/articles/12512180-use-skills-in-claude · https://claude.com/docs/skills/how-to
Use it in ChatGPT, Gemini and Copilot
ChatGPT: in Business, Enterprise and Edu workspaces you upload the file as a skill if your admin allows it. Gemini app: skills can be uploaded as SKILL.md or ZIP. Microsoft 365 Copilot: upload it as your own skill in Cowork. Codex, GitHub Copilot and Cursor read skills from the project folder .agents/skills/. Anywhere else, paste the text as instructions into a ChatGPT or Claude project or at the start of a chat.
According to the vendors' help pages, October 2026. Availability depends on plan, admin settings, age and region. Sources: https://help.openai.com/en/articles/20001066-skills-in-chatgpt · https://support.google.com/gemini/answer/17094296 · https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/copilot/cowork/cowork-customize · https://developers.openai.com/codex/skills · https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/copilot/customization/agent-skills · https://cursor.com/docs/context/skills
Use, safety and notes
Text only, reviewed by us. This skill contains no scripts, no links and no calls to other services. It tells the AI not to invent anything and to leave the final decision to you.
AI results can be wrong or incomplete. Check them before you use or send them. Not legal, tax, financial or medical advice. No warranty.
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You may use and adapt our skills freely, including at work. Please do not republish them as your own collection. We give no warranty for AI results; check them yourself. Terms of use