# How the PM Skills Marketplace Encodes Product Management Frameworks like Teresa Torres and Marty Cagan > Discover how the PM Skills Marketplace encodes product management frameworks like Teresa Torres and Marty Cagan into AI-ready markdown skills for structured workflows and actionable insights. - Repository: [Pawel Huryn/pm-skills](https://github.com/phuryn/pm-skills) - Tags: deep-dive - Published: 2026-06-21 --- **The PM Skills Marketplace transforms product management frameworks into executable markdown skills, embedding Teresa Torres' Continuous Discovery Habits and Marty Cagan's INSPIRED methodology directly into AI-ready SKILL.md files with structured front-matter and step-by-step workflows.** The **phuryn/pm-skills** repository provides a structured approach to encoding product management frameworks as machine-readable instructions. By packaging expert methodologies into self-contained markdown units, the marketplace enables AI assistants to execute complex product discovery and strategy workflows without requiring external lookups. ## What Is a Skill in the PM Skills Marketplace? Each **skill** is a self-contained knowledge unit implemented as a markdown file named [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/phuryn/pm-skills/blob/main/SKILL.md). These files live within plugin directories (such as `pm-product-discovery` or `pm-product-strategy`) and contain three critical components: 1. **Front-matter** with a concise name and description that explicitly cites the source framework 2. **Detailed instructions** that guide the assistant through the steps, terminology, and decision-rules defined by that methodology 3. **References** including links, tables, and formulas that let the model surface original concepts When a user query matches a skill's trigger phrase (for example, "Help me build an Opportunity Solution Tree"), Claude automatically loads the corresponding [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/phuryn/pm-skills/blob/main/SKILL.md) file and follows its embedded workflow. ## How Teresa Torres' Continuous Discovery Habits Is Encoded The repository implements Torres' methodology through a dedicated skill file that translates her book into an executable decision tree. ### File Structure and Front-Matter In [`pm-product-discovery/skills/opportunity-solution-tree/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/phuryn/pm-skills/blob/main/pm-product-discovery/skills/opportunity-solution-tree/SKILL.md), the skill description begins with an explicit citation: "Build an Opportunity Solution Tree (OST)... Based on Teresa Torres' *Continuous Discovery Habits*." The front-matter establishes the framework's authority while the body encodes Torres' specific principles, including "One outcome at a time" and the distinction between "Opportunities, not features." ### The Opportunity Solution Tree Implementation The skill defines the four-level OST hierarchy that mirrors Torres' methodology: - **Outcome** – The single measurable business result to improve - **Opportunities** – 3-5 user needs or pain points derived from research - **Solutions** – Multiple product ideas generated through product-trio brainstorming - **Experiments** – Fast validation tests for the top solutions ### Example Usage When a user requests continuous discovery, the assistant loads the skill and executes the encoded workflow: ```markdown User: "We want to improve onboarding retention for our SaaS product. Build an Opportunity Solution Tree." Assistant (Claude) – loads opportunity-solution-tree skill: 1. Define the desired outcome – "Increase 7-day retention to 40%" 2. Map 3-5 opportunities from user research 3. Generate ≥3 solutions per opportunity (product-trio brainstorming) 4. Propose fast experiments for the top solutions ``` ## How Marty Cagan's INSPIRED Framework Is Encoded Marty Cagan's product strategy methodology from *INSPIRED* and *TRANSFORMED* is embedded through citation in documentation and implementation in the strategy plugin. ### Framework Citation in Documentation The [`README.md`](https://github.com/phuryn/pm-skills/blob/main/README.md) file lists "Marty Cagan – *INSPIRED* and *TRANSFORMED*" as a core source framework, establishing the intellectual foundation for the marketplace's approach to product strategy. ### The Product Strategy Skill Structure In [`pm-product-strategy/skills/product-strategy/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/phuryn/pm-skills/blob/main/pm-product-strategy/skills/product-strategy/SKILL.md), the skill implements a step-by-step canvas that mirrors Cagan's prescribed flow: 1. **Inspire** – Describe the problem and opportunity 2. **Target** – Define the ideal customer segment (ICP) 3. **Rationale** – Articulate market timing and strategic fit 4. **Idea** – Outline the solution concept 5. **Solution** – Detail MVP features and scope 6. **Validate** – Suggest early validation experiments ### Example Usage The skill triggers when users reference Cagan's framework: ```markdown User: "Create a product strategy for a new AI-writing assistant, using the INSPIRED framework." Assistant – loads product-strategy skill: 1. Inspire – Describe the problem: "Writers struggle with consistency" 2. Target – Define ICP: "Content marketers at B2B SaaS companies" 3. Rationale – "AI capability maturation meets remote work content demands" 4. Idea – "AI co-pilot that learns brand voice" 5. Solution – "Browser extension with style-matching algorithms" 6. Validate – "Landing page tests with 10 pilot customers" ``` ## The Technical Mechanism: From Markdown to AI Execution The encoding system relies on **commands** that chain multiple skills into end-to-end flows. For example, the `/discover` command in the `pm-product-discovery` plugin chains the `opportunity-solution-tree` skill with other discovery skills, delivering a full continuous-discovery process built on Torres' methodology. Because the source framework is baked directly into the markdown, the assistant can: - Cite original authors without external searches - Apply framework-specific heuristics (e.g., "One outcome at a time") - Maintain consistency with the original authors' intent The repository's structure ensures that [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/phuryn/pm-skills/blob/main/SKILL.md) files serve as the single source of truth, with the [`README.md`](https://github.com/phuryn/pm-skills/blob/main/README.md) files in each plugin directory ([`pm-product-discovery/README.md`](https://github.com/phuryn/pm-skills/blob/main/pm-product-discovery/README.md) and [`pm-product-strategy/README.md`](https://github.com/phuryn/pm-skills/blob/main/pm-product-strategy/README.md)) explaining how skills group into commands. ## Summary - **Skills are markdown files** named [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/phuryn/pm-skills/blob/main/SKILL.md) that package frameworks into executable instructions with front-matter citations. - **Teresa Torres' OST** lives in [`pm-product-discovery/skills/opportunity-solution-tree/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/phuryn/pm-skills/blob/main/pm-product-discovery/skills/opportunity-solution-tree/SKILL.md) and encodes the four-level tree (outcome → opportunities → solutions → experiments). - **Marty Cagan's INSPIRED** methodology is cited in the root [`README.md`](https://github.com/phuryn/pm-skills/blob/main/README.md) and implemented in [`pm-product-strategy/skills/product-strategy/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/phuryn/pm-skills/blob/main/pm-product-strategy/skills/product-strategy/SKILL.md) as a six-step canvas. - **Commands chain skills** into workflows, allowing the `/discover` command to execute Torres' continuous discovery process end-to-end. - **Self-contained citations** ensure AI assistants reference original sources without runtime web searches. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What file format does PM Skills Marketplace use to encode frameworks? The repository uses markdown files named [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/phuryn/pm-skills/blob/main/SKILL.md) to encode each framework. These files contain YAML front-matter for metadata and structured instructions that guide AI assistants through the specific methodology, eliminating the need for external API calls during execution. ### How does the Opportunity Solution Tree skill implement Teresa Torres' methodology? The skill file at [`pm-product-discovery/skills/opportunity-solution-tree/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/phuryn/pm-skills/blob/main/pm-product-discovery/skills/opportunity-solution-tree/SKILL.md) explicitly cites Torres' *Continuous Discovery Habits* in its description. It encodes her four-level OST structure and embeds her core principles, such as focusing on "one outcome at a time" and distinguishing opportunities from features, directly into the instruction set. ### Can I combine multiple framework skills into a single workflow? Yes. The marketplace uses **commands** to chain skills into integrated workflows. For example, the `/discover` command combines the `opportunity-solution-tree` skill with other discovery skills, allowing an AI assistant to execute a complete continuous-discovery process that adheres to Torres' methodology while potentially incorporating other complementary frameworks. ### Where are the source citations for frameworks like Marty Cagan's INSPIRED located? Citations appear in two locations: the root [`README.md`](https://github.com/phuryn/pm-skills/blob/main/README.md) lists Cagan's *INSPIRED* and *TRANSFORMED* books as core sources, while the individual [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/phuryn/pm-skills/blob/main/SKILL.md) files in the `pm-product-strategy` plugin contain the detailed implementation steps and specific references to Cagan's product-strategy canvas methodology.