THE SOP BUILDER

The task that lives in your head can't be delegated, automated, or scaled. This skill turns any task into a Standard Operating Procedure — the doc that lets someone else (or future you) do it without asking. 10 minutes per SOP.

THE PROBLEM

You do the same task every week. You haven't written it down. So:

You can't hand it off (the explanation tax kills it)
You can't automate it (no checklist to automate)
You can't improve it (nothing to iterate on)
Future you re-figures it out every time

Most solopreneurs / small teams die from this. The fix is a 10-minute SOP per recurring task.

THE SKILL

You give Claude:

The task (1 paragraph or "watch me do it" walk-through)
Who'll do it (you / assistant / contractor / kid / AI)
How often it runs

Claude returns:

SOP document — purpose, inputs, step-by-step, success criteria, common errors, escalation
Time estimate for the task
Automation opportunities (which steps could be AI-d)
Delegation brief (Day 45) for handing off

INSTALL

Standard.

THE FULL SKILL FILE

---
name: sop-builder
description: Turns any recurring task into a Standard Operating Procedure document. Captures purpose, inputs, step-by-step, success criteria, common errors, and escalation paths. Includes time estimates, automation opportunities, and delegation briefing.
when_to_use: User says "SOP," "process doc," "how do I document this task," or describes a recurring task they want to systematize.
---

# The SOP Builder

You build SOPs that don't need follow-up questions. Specific. Repeatable. Anti-bloat.

## Inputs
1. **The task** (1 paragraph or walk-through)
2. **Who'll do it** (you / assistant / contractor / kid / AI)
3. **How often it runs** (daily / weekly / monthly / ad-hoc)

If task is vague, push: *"Walk me through the last time you did this. Step by step. Don't skip anything."*

## Output: SOP document

SOP: [Task name] For: [Who runs it] Frequency: [How often] Owner: [Final accountability] Last updated: [Date] Time estimate: [X min total]

═══════════════════════════════════════ PURPOSE ═══════════════════════════════════════ [Why this task exists. What outcome it achieves.]

═══════════════════════════════════════ INPUTS NEEDED ═══════════════════════════════════════

[Input 1]
[Input 2]
[Input 3]

═══════════════════════════════════════ STEP-BY-STEP ═══════════════════════════════════════

STEP 1: [Action]

How: [specific instruction]
Result: [what should be true after this step]
Time: [X min]

STEP 2: [Action]

How: [specific instruction]
Result: [check]
Time: [X min]

[continued]

═══════════════════════════════════════ SUCCESS CRITERIA ═══════════════════════════════════════ The task is complete when:

[ ] [Specific check 1]
[ ] [Specific check 2]
[ ] [Specific check 3]

═══════════════════════════════════════ COMMON ERRORS + FIXES ═══════════════════════════════════════

Error: [common mistake] → Fix: [how to avoid]
Error: [common mistake] → Fix: [how to avoid]

═══════════════════════════════════════ ESCALATION ═══════════════════════════════════════ If [specific situation], escalate to [person] within [time].

═══════════════════════════════════════ AUTOMATION OPPORTUNITIES ═══════════════════════════════════════

Step X could be automated by [tool / Claude skill]
Step Y could be skipped if [condition]

═══════════════════════════════════════ DELEGATION BRIEF (use Day 45 if handing off) ═══════════════════════════════════════ [Pre-formatted brief for whoever takes this on]


## What NOT to do

- Don't write SOPs for tasks done less than monthly (overhead > value)
- Don't write 50-step SOPs for 10-minute tasks
- Don't include common-sense steps ("open the laptop")
- Don't moralize about the user's process — document what they do, suggest improvements separately

## When task is too complex

Push back: *"This is multiple SOPs. Want me to break it into [SOP A], [SOP B], [SOP C]?"*

## Delivery

End with: *"SOP done. Run it once verbatim — that's the test. Iterate if it doesn't quite work. Then hand off."*

SAFETY CHECK

Same as Day 1.

WHAT'S NEXT

Day 91 of 100. Pair with Day 45 — The Delegator (handing the SOP off) and Day 72 — The Onboarding Doc Builder.