Make Playbook

Community

tamdogood

make-playbook

Indie maker playbook for bootstrapped apps inspired by Pieter Levels' MAKE: The Indie Maker Blueprint. Use when a user is starting or sizing an app idea, choosing what to build next, building a minimal product, preparing a launch, diagnosing stalled growth, deciding pricing or monetization, automating operations, maintaining a per-app MAKE.md tracker, or evaluating whether to sell a product.

Overview

Publisher	tamdogood
Repository	`builder-essential-skills`
Skill name	`make-playbook`
Stars	225
Forks	8
Bundled files	10
License	MIT
Links	Skill source Repository Homepage

Markdown instructions
A SKILL.md file the model loads on demand, so it only costs tokens when a request actually matches.
Works with any LLM
AI skills are plain Markdown, not provider-specific code, so this works with GPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, or a local model.
10 bundled files
Scripts, templates, and references the model can read while it works. Files are read-only and never executed.
Open source
Published by tamdogood on GitHub. Read the source before you install it.

Installation

Install the Make Playbook AI skill in TypingMind to use it with any LLM, or drop it into another agent that reads SKILL.md.

Install in TypingMind

TypingMind installs a skill straight from its GitHub folder — it reads SKILL.md, bundles the resource files, and stores the result locally.

Open the app and go to Plugins → Skills.
Choose "Install from GitHub".
Paste the skill folder URL below and confirm.
https://github.com/tamdogood/builder-essential-skills/tree/main/skills/make-playbook
Enable the skill in any chat where you want it available.

Plugins → Skills → Add skill → From GitHub URL, then paste the folder URL and press Continue.

Install in another agent

Any agent that reads the Agent Skills format can use this skill — copy the folder into that agent's skills directory.

Claude Code — .claude/skills

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/tamdogood/builder-essential-skills.git /tmp/builder-essential-skills
mkdir -p .claude/skills
cp -r /tmp/builder-essential-skills/skills/make-playbook .claude/skills/make-playbook

Restart Claude Code after copying so it picks up the new skill.

Use it in TypingMind

Enable Make Playbook in any TypingMind chat and the model takes it from there. Its name and description sit in the system prompt, and the moment a request matches, the model loads the full instructions itself — you never invoke it by hand, and it costs no tokens until it is actually used.

The model loads Make Playbook on its own as soon as a request matches it.

Works with any AI model

AI skills are plain Markdown instructions rather than provider-specific code, so Make Playbook is not tied to the model it was written for. Install it once in TypingMind and use it with GPT-5, Claude, Gemini, Grok, DeepSeek, Mistral, Llama, or a local model you run yourself — all on your own API keys.

Loaded only when it is needed
The system prompt carries just the name and description. The instructions are fetched on the first matching request, so an idle skill costs nothing.
Switch models mid-chat
Because the skill is instructions rather than code, changing model does not break it — the next model reads the same SKILL.md.

Skill instructions

This is the SKILL.md content the model loads. Read it before installing — a skill is instructions your model will follow.

MAKE Playbook

Use this skill as a stage-specific operating system for solo and bootstrapped software products. It is an original checklist and diagnostic system inspired by Pieter Levels' MAKE: The Indie Maker Blueprint; it is not a substitute for the book. Keep attribution intact when reusing the references.

Stage Model

Idea -> Build -> Launch -> Grow -> Monetize -> Automate -> Exit

Always treat references/ethos.md as the standing frame for bootstrapping, persistence, and ethical constraints. Load it once per session when it has not already been read. Its constraints override stage tactics: no fake engagement, fake reviews, dishonest growth hacks, user-hostile monetization, or selling user data.

Workflow

Identify the app and current stage. If the user has not named the app or the current situation, ask one concise question. If a MAKE.md file exists in the project root, read it first because it may already contain this state.
Load the current stage reference. Load one adjacent stage when the question is on a boundary, such as build/launch for "is this ready to launch" or grow/monetize for "traffic but no revenue."
Apply the reference to the user's specific app. Use the diagnostic questions at the end of each reference to get missing facts, then convert the checklist into a concrete action list for this product and this week.
Push toward shipping. When the user is stuck in abstraction, give the smallest next action that creates market evidence.
Offer to create or update a tracker. For a new app, copy templates/make-tracker.md to the project root as MAKE.md and fill in what is known. For an existing MAKE.md, update the relevant section as decisions are made.
End with action, not advice. Close every response with a short, time-boxed next step unless the user explicitly requested only analysis.

Reference Routing

User situation	Load
"I do not know what to build", idea feels broad, niche is unclear	`references/idea.md`
Stuck choosing stack, overbuilding, outsourcing before proof	`references/build.md`
Built something but nobody knows, launch plan is vague	`references/launch.md`
Traffic plateaued, retention unclear, growth depends on paid ads	`references/grow.md`
Users but no revenue, pricing/model is unclear	`references/monetize.md`
Revenue exists but founder is the bottleneck	`references/automate.md`
Acquisition offer, sale timing, valuation, or diligence questions	`references/exit.md`

Tracker Handling

Prefer MAKE.md in the project root for per-app state.
Preserve user-written sections and update only the stage details relevant to the conversation.
Keep the tracker factual: current stage, niche, decisions, launch dates, pricing, repeat tasks, and post-mortem notes.
When copying the template, replace obvious placeholders rather than leaving a blank scaffold if the conversation already contains the answers.

Response Shape

For most requests, return:

Stage diagnosis in one or two sentences.
The key constraints or evidence gaps.
A numbered plan of concrete actions.
Tracker updates made or recommended.
The next action to take today or this week.

Bundled files

The model reads these on demand while the skill is loaded. They are exposed as readable files and are never executed.

Frequently asked questions

What does the Make Playbook AI skill do?

Why use Make Playbook on TypingMind?

Because you install it once and use it with any model. Make Playbook is plain Markdown rather than provider-specific code, so the same skill runs on GPT-5, Claude, Gemini, Grok, or a local model — and you can switch model mid-chat without it breaking. TypingMind runs on your own API keys, so you pay providers directly instead of a per-seat subscription, and your skills and chats stay in your own storage.

How do I install Make Playbook in TypingMind?

Open Plugins → Skills → Install from GitHub in TypingMind and paste https://github.com/tamdogood/builder-essential-skills/tree/main/skills/make-playbook. TypingMind reads its SKILL.md and bundles its files and installs it as a skill you can enable per chat.

Which AI models can use Make Playbook?

Any model you connect in TypingMind. AI skills are plain Markdown instructions rather than provider-specific code, so GPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, and local models can all load this skill when a request matches it.

How many AI models can I use with Make Playbook?

As many as you like. As long as a model supports skills, you can use Make Playbook with it — GPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, DeepSeek, Mistral, Llama and more — all on TypingMind with your own API keys.

Is the Make Playbook AI skill free?

Yes. It is published on GitHub by tamdogood under the MIT license. You only pay your own AI provider for the tokens you use.

What are AI skills?

An AI skill is a reusable instruction bundle that teaches an AI model how to do one specific task. It follows the open Agent Skills format: a SKILL.md file with a name and description, plus any scripts, templates or reference files the model may need. The model reads the instructions only when your request matches the skill, so an installed skill costs nothing until it is used.

How are AI skills different from plugins or MCP servers?

A plugin or MCP server gives a model new tools to call — code that runs somewhere and returns a result. An AI skill gives the model knowledge and process instead: how to approach a task, which steps to follow, what good output looks like. Skills are plain Markdown, so they need no server, no API key and no runtime, and they work with any model.

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Overview

Installation

Install in TypingMind

Install in another agent

Use it in TypingMind

Works with any AI model

Skill instructions

MAKE Playbook

Stage Model

Workflow

Reference Routing

Tracker Handling

Response Shape

Bundled files

Frequently asked questions

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