Guide · Agent skill
How to use the Value Proposition Designer agent skill
Updated · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data
The value-proposition skill is a set of instructions that teaches an AI agent to build a value proposition with a six-part template: Who, Why, What before, How, What after, and Alternatives. It is written for product managers, founders and marketers who need a clear statement of who a product is for and why it wins. After this guide you will know what the skill does, how to install it, how to ask for it in plain language, and where it fits compared with other frameworks.
Value Proposition Designerphuryn/pm-skills · MIT Download the skill Quick start
- 1Download the ZIP. Download the value-proposition ZIP file from this page.
- 2Unzip into a skills folder. Unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use, or into a project's .claude/skills/ folder.
- 3Or upload in the Claude apps. In the Claude apps, open Settings, then Capabilities, then Skills, and upload the ZIP.
- 4Describe your product and customer. Write a short description of the product, the target segment, and the problems they face.
- 5Ask for a value proposition. Use a natural request containing a trigger phrase such as value proposition or value prop.
- 6Review the six parts. Check that Who, Why, What before, How, What after and Alternatives are specific and accurate.
- 7Test with real customers. Use the one-to-two sentence statement and positioning statement as drafts to test with real customers before final use.
What is an agent skill and what does this one do?
An agent skill is a folder containing a SKILL.md file of instructions that an AI agent loads when a task matches the skill's description. This one is a thinking framework delivered as instructions. It does not connect to any service and does not run code.
Once active, the agent works through the six parts in order. It describes the customer segment, the problem and job they are trying to get done, how they handle it today and the friction in that approach, how your product solves it, the improved outcome, and the alternatives they would otherwise choose. It then produces a short value proposition statement of one to two sentences and a positioning statement for marketing use.
- Who: the target customer segment and its constraints
- Why: the core problem, the Job to Be Done and desired outcomes
- What before: the current situation and pain in today's approach
- How: how your product solves the problem and why it is better
- What after: the improved future state for the customer
- Alternatives: what else customers could use, why you win and the switching friction
How do you install the value-proposition skill?
Download the ZIP file from this page. Unzip it into your personal skills folder, ~/.claude/skills/, or into a project's .claude/skills/ folder if you want the skill available only in that project.
You can also upload the skill in the Claude apps. Go to Settings, then Capabilities, then Skills, and upload the ZIP there.
- Personal use: unzip into ~/.claude/skills/
- Single project: unzip into the project's .claude/skills/ folder
- Claude apps: Settings → Capabilities → Skills, then upload the ZIP
How do you trigger the skill with a natural request?
You do not need a special command. The skill is matched by its description, which covers creating a value proposition, analysing customer value delivery, and articulating why customers should choose your product. Describe your product and customer in ordinary words and ask for a value proposition.
The skill's metadata also lists trigger phrases: value proposition, value prop, customer value, JTBD value and value map. Including one of these in your request makes the intent clear.
- "Write a value proposition for a note-taking app for graduate students."
- "Help me with a value prop for our new invoicing feature for freelancers."
- "Map the customer value of our onboarding tool using JTBD."
What information should you give the agent?
The skill lists four kinds of input. The better these are, the sharper the output. Give a product description and its key features, the target customer segment and the problems they face, the competing options and current solutions, and any customer insights or market data you have.
The source expects you to focus on one customer segment per pass. If you have several segments, run the skill once for each, since value propositions are segment-specific.
- Product description and features
- Target customer segment and their problems
- Competitive alternatives and current solutions
- Customer insights or market data
Example: how the six parts fit together
The skill includes a worked example for Canva. Its Who is non-designers who need marketing graphics. Its Why is that they need professional designs but cannot hire designers or use complex tools. Its What before is PowerPoint, Photoshop, or paid designers. Its How is drag-and-drop templates and built-in design elements. Its What after is professional designs made in minutes. Its Alternatives are Photoshop, freelance marketplaces and weaker design tools.
Use the same structure for your own product. Keep each part specific to one segment so the final statement is easy to reuse.
Safety notes: scripts and network access
According to the listing, this skill runs no scripts and uses no network access, and it lists no required dependencies. It only provides instructions to the agent. Your product details are handled by the agent in the conversation you are having.
The skill's own guidance is that value propositions should be tested with real customers before you finalise them. Treat the agent's output as a draft for that testing, not as proof.
- Runs scripts: no
- Uses network: no
- Requires: nothing listed
Tips for better value propositions
Start with the customer and the problem, not your feature list. The skill is built to move from Who and Why toward the solution, so give it the customer context first. Be concrete about the current alternative, because Section 6 depends on naming what customers use today.
If your product is a mature one with complex needs, the skill itself suggests Strategyzer's Value Proposition Canvas, which breaks down pains and gains in more detail. The skill also recommends a Value Curve from Blue Ocean Strategy to compare your offering against competitors on key factors.
- Give one segment per run
- Name real alternatives in the What before and Alternatives parts
- Test the final statement with real customers
- Use the Value Curve to compare factors visually
What people use it for
- Preparing a pitch for a new product feature by checking who it serves and why it beats current options
- Clarifying for a startup who the product is for and why customers should choose it
- Producing a short, reusable positioning statement for marketing, sales and onboarding
- Comparing your offering with alternatives by naming what customers would use instead
Frequently asked questions
How do I install the value-proposition agent skill?
Download the ZIP from this page and unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use, or into a project's .claude/skills/ folder. You can also upload the ZIP in the Claude apps under Settings, then Capabilities, then Skills.
Does the value-proposition skill require anything else to run?
The listing states that it requires nothing, runs no scripts and uses no network access. It is a set of instructions that guides the agent through a template.
Is the value-proposition skill free to use?
The skill is published under the MIT licence, as stated on this page. The source does not mention pricing, so check the licence text for the terms that apply to your use.
What is the difference between this skill and Strategyzer's Value Proposition Canvas?
The skill uses a six-part Jobs to Be Done template that starts with the customer, covers one segment at a time, and produces a reusable statement. The skill suggests the Value Proposition Canvas when you need a detailed pains and gains breakdown for a mature product with complex customer needs.
Why does the agent not give me a finished value proposition I can publish?
The skill says value propositions should be tested with real customers before they are finalised. Its output is a draft built from the information you provide, so the quality depends on your customer insight.
Can I use the skill for several customer segments at once?
The skill is designed for one segment per pass, because mapping several segments together dilutes focus. Run it separately for each segment, since each may need its own value proposition.
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Our verdict
This skill suits product managers, founders and marketers who want a clear, reusable value proposition and positioning statement built from a customer-first template. It does not suit teams who need a detailed pains and gains breakdown for a mature product, where the skill itself points to Strategyzer's Value Proposition Canvas, or anyone making final positioning decisions without customer research.
Download the skill