# Main Components of the pm-skills Project: A Complete Guide to the AI Product Management Marketplace > Explore the nine specialized plugins of the pm-skills project, an AI-native marketplace enabling LLMs to manage product development end-to-end offline. - Repository: [Pawel Huryn/pm-skills](https://github.com/phuryn/pm-skills) - Tags: deep-dive - Published: 2026-07-08 --- **The pm-skills project is an AI-native marketplace consisting of nine specialized plugins, each packaging self-contained markdown skills and slash-command orchestrators that enable Claude and other LLMs to execute end-to-end product management workflows offline.** The **pm-skills** repository (phuryn/pm-skills) operates as a comprehensive "product-management operating system" designed for AI assistants. Understanding the **main components of the pm-skills project** reveals how they cover the full product lifecycle—from ideation and strategy to execution and shipping—through a modular architecture that prioritizes privacy and cross-platform compatibility. ## Core Architectural Components The marketplace architecture rests on three interconnected component types: JSON manifests that register plugins, markdown skill files that encode domain knowledge, and orchestration commands that chain skills into workflows. ### Plugin Manifests ([`.claude-plugin/plugin.json`](https://github.com/phuryn/pm-skills/blob/main/.claude-plugin/plugin.json)) Each plugin is registered through a JSON manifest file located at [`.claude-plugin/plugin.json`](https://github.com/phuryn/pm-skills/blob/main/.claude-plugin/plugin.json) within the plugin directory. For example, the `pm-toolkit` plugin declares its metadata in [`pm-toolkit/.claude-plugin/plugin.json`](https://github.com/phuryn/pm-skills/blob/main/pm-toolkit/.claude-plugin/plugin.json), specifying the plugin name, version, and available capabilities for the Claude ecosystem. This manifest system enables the marketplace to automatically discover and load new plugins that follow the standardized directory layout. ### Self-Contained Skills (`/skills/`) **Skills** are domain-specific knowledge fragments encoded as markdown files stored in `/skills/`. The `pm-toolkit` plugin includes skills like `review-resume`, defined in [`pm-toolkit/skills/review-resume/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/phuryn/pm-skills/blob/main/pm-toolkit/skills/review-resume/SKILL.md), which encapsulates proven frameworks such as the XYZ+S resume formula. These files follow a universal markdown schema that makes them reusable across different AI assistants including Gemini and Cursor without modification. ### Workflow Commands (`/commands/`) **Commands** are orchestration scripts that chain multiple skills into step-by-step workflows. Stored as markdown files in `/commands/`, these define the slash-commands users invoke. For instance, [`pm-execution/commands/write-prd.md`](https://github.com/phuryn/pm-skills/blob/main/pm-execution/commands/write-prd.md) implements the `/write-prd` command, which loads the **create-prd** skill and guides the user through an 8-section PRD template. ## The Nine Plugin Categories Covering the PM Lifecycle The repository ships nine distinct plugins, each targeting a specific phase of product management: - **pm-toolkit**: General PM utilities (4 skills, 5 commands) including resume review and legal document generation. - **pm-product-discovery**: Ideation and validation (13 skills, 5 commands) featuring assumption mapping and experiment design. - **pm-product-strategy**: Vision and business modeling (12 skills, 5 commands) including SWOT analysis and lean canvas frameworks. - **pm-execution**: Development and delivery (16 skills, 11 commands) covering PRDs, OKRs, roadmaps, and retrospectives. - **pm-market-research**: User understanding (7 skills, 3 commands) with personas and journey mapping. - **pm-data-analytics**: Quantitative analysis (3 skills, 3 commands) including SQL generation and cohort analysis. - **pm-go-to-market**: Launch strategy (6 skills, 3 commands) covering ICP definition and growth loops. - **pm-marketing-growth**: Positioning and metrics (5 skills, 2 commands). - **pm-ai-shipping**: Documentation and audit for AI-generated codebases (2 skills, 5 commands). ## Practical Usage: How Components Interact When a user invokes a slash-command, the system dynamically loads the relevant skills from the markdown files. This architecture enables complex workflows without external dependencies. Execute a full discovery workflow: ```text /discover AI-powered meeting summarizer for remote teams ``` This command chains skills from `pm-product-discovery`, sequentially loading **brainstorm-ideas-new**, **identify-assumptions-new**, **prioritize-assumptions**, and **brainstorm-experiments-new** as defined in the plugin's README. Generate a Product Requirements Document: ```text /write-prd Smart notification system that reduces alert fatigue ``` The command file [`pm-execution/commands/write-prd.md`](https://github.com/phuryn/pm-skills/blob/main/pm-execution/commands/write-prd.md) orchestrates the **create-prd** skill, producing an 8-section PRD template and suggesting subsequent steps like sprint planning. Draft legal documentation: ```text /privacy-policy Draft a privacy policy for a health-tech SaaS handling PHI ``` This invokes the **privacy-policy** skill from [`pm-toolkit/skills/privacy-policy/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/phuryn/pm-skills/blob/main/pm-toolkit/skills/privacy-policy/SKILL.md), outputting a compliant policy skeleton suitable for HIPAA-regulated environments. ## Cross-Platform Compatibility and Extensibility While designed for Claude, the **skill-first design** uses universal markdown formats compatible with other LLM environments. The same skill files can be dropped into Gemini's `.gemini/skills/` directory or OpenCode's `.opencode/skills/` folder without modification. New plugins follow a strict directory convention: ```text / ├── .claude-plugin/ │ └── plugin.json ├── skills/ │ └── / │ └── SKILL.md └── commands/ └── .md ``` This extensible structure allows the marketplace to automatically discover new plugins that adhere to the schema, making the ecosystem truly modular. ## Summary - The **pm-skills** architecture centers on three core components: JSON plugin manifests ([`.claude-plugin/plugin.json`](https://github.com/phuryn/pm-skills/blob/main/.claude-plugin/plugin.json)), markdown skill files (`/skills/`), and orchestration command scripts (`/commands/`). - Nine specialized plugins cover the complete product management lifecycle from discovery through AI shipping audits. - All components operate offline through markdown-based knowledge fragments, ensuring privacy and cross-assistant compatibility with Claude, Gemini, and Cursor. - The slash-command interface (e.g., `/discover`, `/write-prd`) dynamically chains skills into end-to-end workflows without requiring external API calls. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is the file structure of a pm-skills plugin? Each plugin follows a standardized layout with a [`.claude-plugin/plugin.json`](https://github.com/phuryn/pm-skills/blob/main/.claude-plugin/plugin.json) manifest at the root, a `skills/` directory containing subdirectories with [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/phuryn/pm-skills/blob/main/SKILL.md) files, and a `commands/` directory holding markdown orchestration scripts. For example, [`pm-toolkit/skills/review-resume/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/phuryn/pm-skills/blob/main/pm-toolkit/skills/review-resume/SKILL.md) contains the resume review logic, while [`pm-execution/commands/write-prd.md`](https://github.com/phuryn/pm-skills/blob/main/pm-execution/commands/write-prd.md) defines the PRD generation workflow. ### How do skills differ from commands in the pm-skills project? **Skills** are self-contained knowledge fragments encoded in markdown that teach the AI specific frameworks (like Opportunity Solution Trees or XYZ+S resume formulas). **Commands** are workflow files that chain multiple skills together, providing step-by-step guidance when users invoke slash-commands like `/strategy` or `/plan-launch`. ### Can pm-skills plugins work with LLMs other than Claude? Yes. While the canonical implementation targets Claude Code and Cowork, the markdown skill files follow a universal format compatible with Gemini's `.gemini/skills/`, OpenCode's `.opencode/skills/`, and other LLM-friendly environments. The repository's README documents specific integration paths for these alternative assistants. ### How many skills and commands are included in the pm-skills marketplace? The marketplace contains nine plugins totaling 68 skills and 42 commands. The largest plugin is **pm-execution** with 16 skills and 11 commands covering PRDs, OKRs, and sprint planning, while **pm-data-analytics** is the most focused with 3 skills and 3 commands for SQL generation and statistical analysis.