[Day 7 of 30] When to Use a Prompt vs a Skill vs an Agent
The situation
You have a one-off question, a repeatable task, and a multi-step workflow. Using the same “chat and paste” for all three wastes time and context. The 1% upgrade is knowing when to use a quick prompt, when to encode instructions in a skill, and when to think in terms of an agent (tools + steps).
This post continues the 1% Better series. If you have not read the first four posts, you can find them here.
The 1% upgrade
Prompt: One-off or rare. You paste input, get output, done. No need to save or version. Example: “Turn these notes into bullets.”
Skill: Reusable instructions for your AI (role, goals, constraints, examples). Same task again and again. Example: “PRD Reviewer” or “Stakeholder Email Draft.” You save it, call it by name.
Workflow mapping: Before you build an agent, map what you can already do. You connected calendar, email, and meeting tracker in the past days. They are workflow building blocks. Ask: which chains can I already form? “Before a meeting: read person page, pull recent notes.” “After meetings: triage inbox, update person pages from transcripts.” You are not building an agent yet. You are seeing the workflows your tools can support.
Agent: Multi-step. The AI uses tools (read file, search, call API), decides what to do next, and runs a workflow. Example: “Capture inbox, triage, draft replies.” Needs a home (Cursor/Claude Code) and a clear workflow.
Use a prompt when it’s once. Use a skill when it’s repeatable. Map workflows before you build an agent. Use an agent when you need orchestration.
Takeaway
Prompt = one-off
Skill = repeatable, saved instructions
Workflow mapping = see what your tools can already chain into
Agent = use when the task has several steps and the AI must orchestrate them (tools, branching, what to do next)
Choose by frequency, steps, and what you already have connected.
10-minute action
Part 1. List three things you did with AI in the last week. For each of those three, decide which category it fits:
Prompt = one-off, paste and done
Skill = repeatable, saved instructions you call by name
Agent = several steps, the AI orchestrated them (used tools, decided what to do next)
For one that you do often, write one sentence: “This should be a skill because...” That’s a candidate for your first skill (we’ll build many of them soon).
Part 2. Look at what you connected so far: calendar, email, meeting tracker (Days 3, 4, 6). Write one or two workflow sketches. No need to automate yet. Just see what you can already compose. For inspiration, by role:
General (any role)
Before 1:1 with someone: get their person page, last 3 meetings, open action items.
After 1:1: update person page with feedback and notes, add action items to task list.
After meetings today: update person pages from transcripts, extract tasks to vault.
Monday morning: pull this week’s calendar, list meetings, prep person pages for attendees.
End of day: triage inbox, extract tasks, update person pages for people mentioned.
Weekly review: list all meetings from the week, extract decisions and action items.
Product Manager / Project Manager
Before standup: get yesterday’s meetings, extract blockers and updates.
Before project sync: get project page, last meeting notes, open tasks.
End of week: consolidate meeting outcomes, update project pages.
On new project: gather stakeholder list, create person pages, link to calendar.
Sales / BD
Before sales call: get lead context, last touchpoints, open questions.
Before customer call: get company page, last interactions, open issues.
New contact: create person page from email or meeting, link first interaction.
After conference: extract contacts from meetings, create person pages, link context.
Account / Customer Success
Before customer/account renewal: get account history, last N meetings, open items.
Before QBR: get account history, last quarter meetings, key outcomes, open items.
Monthly: review person pages with no recent activity, surface for outreach.
Recruiting / Hiring
Before interview: get candidate profile, role requirements, interview panel notes.
After interviews: update candidate person page, extract feedback themes.
Before debrief: pull all interviewer notes, extract themes, prepare comparison.
Leadership / Executive
Before board meeting: pull agenda, prep materials, recent decisions.
Weekly exec review: consolidate key updates from team meetings, extract decisions and blockers.
Before all-hands: gather team wins, open questions, recent decisions to communicate.
Pick one or two that fit your role, or sketch your own.
Part 3. Capturing habit (this week). We’re practicing the Capturing Skill. Whatever you classify and sketch today (prompts, skills, workflows, agents), save it in your vault so you can revisit and build on it. Don’t let useful output stay only in the chat.
What to do next
Complete Part 1: classify three tasks, pick a skill candidate.
Complete Part 2: sketch one or two workflows for your role.
Save everything to your vault (Part 3).
Reply with your role so the next post fits how you work.