Time to level up: Ongoing (this is a destination, not a waypoint)
User: "Implement these 4 independent features"
AI: *dispatches 4 parallel agents*
*each uses appropriate skills*
*aggregates results*
"Done. All features implemented, tested, verified."
User: "I keep doing the same API endpoint scaffolding.
Use writing-skills to create a reusable skill."
AI: *invokes writing-skills*
*creates planet-api-scaffold skill*
*includes validation, error handling, tests*
*documents usage*
"Created skill 'planet-api-scaffold'.
Now anyone can invoke it to get a complete,
standards-compliant API endpoint in one turn."
[Later, another team member]
User: "Create a new endpoint for merchant settings"
AI: *invokes planet-api-scaffold*
"Done. Endpoint created with all Planet standards."
writing-skillsUse when you want to automate a repeating pattern.
Creates reusable skills that can be invoked by anyone.
"Use writing-skills to create a skill for [workflow]"
The only new skill at this level. Everything else is about pattern recognition and teaching.
Track your repeated workflows for two weeks.
Every time you:
Write it down:
Date: [date]
Pattern: [what you repeated]
Frequency: [how often]
Time cost: [how long it takes]
Team impact: [do others do this too?]
Goal: Identify 5+ patterns worth automating.
Examples of patterns to spot:
Create a skill for your most-repeated pattern.
Steps:
writing-skills to create it"I always create API endpoints the same way:
- Controller with input validation
- Service with business logic
- Repository for data access
- Tests for each layer
- OpenAPI documentation
Use writing-skills to create a skill that does this automatically."
Have someone else use your skill.
Steps:
What to look for:
Help an L1 or L2 engineer level up.
Commit to:
Teaching is learning. You'll deepen your own understanding by explaining it.
Conversation starters:
Create 3+ skills that others actively use.
Quality criteria for each skill:
Track adoption:
You've reached L5 when:
| Metric | L4 | L5 Target |
|---|---|---|
| Personal turns per task | 1-2 | <1 (skills handle it) |
| Skills created | 0 | 2+ used by others |
| Team members mentored | 0 | 2+ leveled up |
| Team efficiency impact | None | Measurable improvement |
The clearest sign: Other people come to you for AI workflow advice, and they're using skills you created.
❌ Creates clever skill that solves no real problem ✅ Creates skill for actual repeated workflow with real users
Start with the problem (repeated manual work), not the solution (cool skill idea).
❌ Skill handles 47 edge cases and has 12 parameters ✅ Skill does one thing well, handles 80% case
Simple skills get used. Complex skills get ignored.
❌ Creates skill, posts in Slack, never mentions again ✅ Creates skill, teaches team, gathers feedback, iterates
A skill is only valuable if people use it. Adoption requires effort.
❌ "I'm the AI expert, come to me for everything" ✅ "Let me show you how to do this yourself"
Your goal is to make yourself obsolete as the bottleneck.
┌────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ 1. IDENTIFY PATTERN │
│ What do you repeat? What do others? │
├────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ 2. DOCUMENT WORKFLOW │
│ Exact steps, inputs, outputs, edge cases│
├────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ 3. CREATE SKILL │
│ Use writing-skills │
├────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ 4. TEST ON REAL WORK │
│ Not toy examples—actual tasks │
├────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ 5. SHARE + GATHER FEEDBACK │
│ Have others use it, watch what breaks │
├────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ 6. ITERATE │
│ Improve based on feedback │
├────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ 7. MAINTAIN │
│ Keep it working as things change │
└────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Your efficiency: High
Team efficiency: Unchanged
Impact: 1x (yourself)
Your efficiency: Very High
Team efficiency: Higher
Impact: Nx (everyone using your skills)
The math:
This is the multiplier effect. This is L5.
L5 doesn't have a "next level." It's ongoing mastery.
Your continued growth:
The question is no longer "How do I level up?" but "How do I help everyone level up?"
"The best engineers don't just write code. They build systems that make everyone better."
The same applies to AI fluency. The best AI users don't just use AI well. They create skills, mentor others, and multiply the team's effectiveness.
That's L5. That's what you're building toward.
Remember: L4 → L5 isn't about becoming faster yourself. You're already fast. It's about making everyone around you faster too.