---
title: "FAQ"
description: "What are skills, what is SKILL.md, and how do curated business books become context for Claude Code, Cursor, and ChatGPT?"
url: "https://builderbooks.dev/faq"
type: "faq"
site: "BuilderBooks.dev"
question_count: 8
---

# Frequently Asked Questions

## What is a skill?

A skill is a markdown file you load into your AI agent. It gives the agent context about a framework, workflow, or taste, so it can apply that knowledge without you retelling it every time.

## Did you invent SKILL.md?

No. SKILL.md was introduced by Anthropic in October 2025 as the standard way to teach Claude Code about a project or workflow. In December 2025 Anthropic published it as an open, cross-platform standard at agentskills.io. Cursor, ChatGPT, and other agents have adopted the same convention. We package curated books as SKILL.md files.

## Do I need to have read the book?

No. A skill applies the framework directly. But every skill credits its source and links to the book, so if the framework helps you, the book is worth your money too.

## Which agents are supported?

Skills work with Claude Code, Claude Projects, Cursor, ChatGPT, and any other agent that reads markdown instructions. The install page has step-by-step guides for each tool.

## Is this a subscription?

No. You buy a skill once and keep it. Bundle pricing makes it cheaper the more skills you add to your cart.

## Why not just buy the ebook and give it to my agent?

You can try, but most books are not a clean PDF. They ship as EPUB, Kindle or DRM locked files that agents cannot read reliably. Even with a clean file, a book is 60,000 words of story, anecdotes and repetition: the agent has to guess what matters and your context window fills up with noise. A skill is the framework only, a few hundred lines written as rules, steps and edge cases, so the agent acts instead of paraphrasing. It is one markdown file that behaves the same in Claude Code, Cursor, Codex and ChatGPT, with no re-upload per chat.

## Am I buying the book?

No. You are buying the framework, packaged as a skill your agent can apply. We do not resell the book. Every skill credits its source and links to it, so if the framework helps you, buy the book too.

## Can I write my own skills?

Absolutely. The format is open. We curate and package books as skills so you do not have to start from a blank page.