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Skills vs Projects Decision Framework
A framework for deciding when to use Claude Skills versus Claude Projects based on time horizon and context specificity
How It Works
Skills are for ongoing, repeatable operations while projects are for time-bounded, context-specific work with beginning, middle, and end dates
Components
Identify if the task has a clear beginning, middle, and end (use project)
Determine if the task needs to work regardless of current campaign or context (use skill)
Assess if you need consistent output across different time periods (use skill)
Consider if the task is part of day-to-day operations (use skill)
When to Use
When deciding how to structure AI assistance for business operations or specific campaigns
When Not to Use
When the distinction between ongoing vs time-bounded work is unclear or when you only need basic AI assistance
Anti-Patterns to Avoid
Example
“A design agency needs copywriting reviews for apps. This is an ongoing operation that should work the same whether reviewing Christmas campaigns or Valentine's Day campaigns, so it should be a skill. However, creating a specific Christmas campaign strategy would be a project.”