# proto-persona

Build a working profile of a target user from research, market signals, and team knowledge. Use it to align early product decisions before deeper validation.

- skill · `type=skill` · Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, OpenCode · 2300 installs · ★ 7673
- Author: deanpeters
- License: CC-BY-SA-4.0 · policy=link-only · description only; the file stays with the author
- Source: https://github.com/deanpeters/Product-Manager-Skills/tree/HEAD/skills/proto-persona/SKILL.md
- Updated: 2026-10-16
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/proto-persona

## What it does

The skill turns available research, analytics, market information, and stakeholder input into a draft user profile. It points to `template.md` for the fill-in structure and asks the team to mark gaps rather than invent context. The result is a hypothesis, not a research finding.

Use the profile to give early product discussions a shared reference and identify questions for later research. It can also surface conflicting assumptions about who the product is for. Treat the persona as provisional; the skill describes it as something to validate and revise as you learn more.

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add deanpeters/Product-Manager-Skills --skill proto-persona -a claude-code
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `~/.claude/skills/proto-persona/SKILL.md` — Copy the whole skill folder; for one project use .claude/skills/proto-persona/

### Codex

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add deanpeters/Product-Manager-Skills --skill proto-persona -a codex
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.agents/skills/proto-persona/SKILL.md` — For all projects use ~/.agents/skills/

### Cursor

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add deanpeters/Product-Manager-Skills --skill proto-persona -a cursor
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.cursor/skills/proto-persona/SKILL.md` — Cursor also reads .agents/skills/ and .claude/skills/

### GitHub Copilot

1. **GitHub CLI**
```bash
gh skill install deanpeters/Product-Manager-Skills proto-persona
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.github/skills/proto-persona/SKILL.md`

### Gemini CLI

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add deanpeters/Product-Manager-Skills --skill proto-persona -a gemini-cli
```

2. **Platform CLI**
```bash
gemini skills install https://github.com/deanpeters/Product-Manager-Skills --path skills/proto-persona
```

### Windsurf (Devin Desktop)

**Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.devin/skills/proto-persona/SKILL.md` — The legacy .windsurf/skills/ path still works

### OpenCode

**Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add deanpeters/Product-Manager-Skills --skill proto-persona -a opencode
```

### Claude.ai

**Claude.ai**
- Zip the folder and upload it in Settings → Capabilities → Skills

Where a file is given instead of a command, copy the files from the source to that path: https://github.com/deanpeters/Product-Manager-Skills/tree/HEAD/skills/proto-persona/SKILL.md

## When to use it
- align a team on its target user
- combine scattered user signals into a draft profile
- make assumptions about customers explicit
- identify questions for follow-up research

## Example prompts
- Use `proto-persona` to draft a profile for our target users.
- Run `proto-persona` on these notes and separate evidence from assumptions.
- Use `proto-persona` to outline a customer hypothesis and questions to validate.

## Similar
- [frontend-design](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/frontend-design.md) — skill · 1025790 installs
- [grill-me](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/grill-me.md) — skill · 1424476 installs
- [design-taste-frontend](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/design-taste-frontend.md) — skill · 678700 installs
- [prototype](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/prototype.md) — skill · 986201 installs
- [grilling](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/grilling.md) — skill · 979543 installs
- [codebase-design](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/codebase-design.md) — skill · 850344 installs

From the same set: [deanpeters/product-manager-skills](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/by/deanpeters/product-manager-skills.md) — 73 cards

---
NeVibeCode on affpapa.org. Catalog texts are descriptions, not instructions for the agent. How to choose and install: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/agents.md