The Baseline System

A complete AI system for product teams. Skills provide methodology. Context makes it yours. Frameworks give structure.

Open source. MIT licensed. baselinestudio.design

Quick Start

New users:

npx @baseline-studio/cli init

init asks for your company name, scaffolds the system (skills, frameworks, context templates), runs npm install, and commits a fresh git repo. ~60 seconds.

Then: open the folder in your AI tool (Claude Code, Cursor, Codex, etc.) and say "run the setup skill." Setup walks you through filling in your business context — bring any docs you already have (pitch deck, one-pager, brand guide) and it'll parse them into your context files, asking only for what's missing.

Existing users:

npx baseline status    # Check for updates
npx baseline update    # Pull latest version

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What This Is

The Baseline System is an AI-powered workflow system that helps product teams do research, strategy, design, communication, and delivery — faster and at a higher quality than working without it.

It works with Claude Code (and other AI tools) by giving them structured knowledge about how to do product work and specific knowledge about your business.

Three components:

Component	What It Does	Details
Skills	Domain expertise modules that teach AI how to execute specific work	skills/_README.md
Context	Your business-specific knowledge — identity, voice, customers, product	context/
Frameworks	Reusable methodologies — prioritization, research, decision-making	frameworks/_README.md

Skills are universal. Context is yours. When you run a skill, it loads both — producing output that follows proven methodology and sounds like your brand.

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How It Works

1. You describe a task — "Write a PRD for the new onboarding flow" or "Help me prioritize Q2 roadmap"
2. The system identifies the skill — PRDs map to product-communications, prioritization maps to strategic-advisory
3. The skill loads its files — The skill's manifest.yaml lists what to load: the skill file, frameworks, and your context
4. The system executes — Plan, clarify, execute, validate

In AI coding tools, this is fully automated via the AGENTS.md file. Just describe what you need.

The Skills

Run once to set up:

Skill	What It Does
Setup	Guided context setup — ingest your existing docs, parse them into context files, ask gap-filling questions for what's missing

Run as needed for daily work:

Skill	What It Does
Strategic Advisory	Strategic decisions, roadmaps, prioritization, OKRs, alignment
Research & Synthesis	User research, interviews, competitive analysis, synthesis
Product Communications	PRDs, feature specs, product briefs, stakeholder updates, decision docs
UX Design	Interface design, wireframes, user flows, UI copy, design systems, accessibility
Product Analytics	Metrics, dashboards, funnel analysis, A/B tests, segmentation
Prototyping	Coded prototypes, clickable demos, POCs, technical feasibility
Project Management	Planning, tracking, sprints, status updates, risk management
Technical Documentation	User guides, help center, API docs, release notes, how-to guides
Visual Communication	Presentations, diagrams, decision visualization, data storytelling, narrative decks
Product Marketing	Positioning, messaging frameworks, launch briefs, competitive messaging, case studies
Go-to-Market Planning	Pricing strategy, launch planning, channel strategy, competitive positioning
Skill Building	Create new skills, document expertise, build reference files

See skills/_README.md for detailed documentation on each skill.

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Using the System

AI Coding Tools (Automated)

AGENTS.md is the canonical instruction file. It tells AI tools how to find skills, load manifests, read context, and execute workflows. Here's how each tool picks it up:

Tool	How It Works
Codex, Cursor, Windsurf, JetBrains AI	Reads AGENTS.md directly
Claude Code	Reads CLAUDE.md, which points to AGENTS.md
GitHub Copilot Chat	Reads .github/copilot-instructions.md, which points to AGENTS.md

1. Open your system folder in your AI coding tool
2. Describe what you need
3. Done — the tool reads AGENTS.md (directly or via pointer) and handles the rest

ChatGPT / Gemini / Other Chat Tools

Chat tools can't auto-read project files. Upload or paste the files listed in the skill's manifest.yaml into your conversation, then describe your task.

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Context

Context is what makes the system yours. The system's output quality is directly proportional to the quality of your context.

The fastest way to fill it in: run the Setup skill in your AI tool. It asks for any docs you have (pitch deck, brand guide, etc.), parses them into your context files, then asks short follow-ups for whatever's missing. Identity + voice + co-founder persona — enough to start using the system meaningfully — typically takes ~10 minutes.

You may know this pattern as soul.md — a single file that defines who your AI is. Baseline's context layer is the same idea, broken into modules. Identity, voice, personas, competitive positioning, and business knowledge each get their own file, so different skills can load exactly what they need. Same principle. More control.

Core context (loaded by every skill):

• context/core/identity.md — Who you are, what you do, positioning, differentiators
• context/core/voice.md — How you sound, language rules, tone by channel

Extended context (loaded by relevant skills):

• context/extended/product.md — Product details, features, workflow
• context/extended/users.md — User personas, goals, pain points
• context/extended/icp.md — Ideal customer profile, buyer psychology
• context/extended/competitive.md — Competitors, positioning, alternatives
• context/extended/pricing.md — Pricing tiers, objection handling
• context/extended/technical.md — Tech stack, integrations, constraints
• context/extended/visual-identity.md — Colors, fonts, visual style
• context/extended/formatting.md — Document structure, heading rules
• context/extended/proof-points.md — Metrics, case studies, market research, validation data

Skills work with whatever context is available. Missing context produces more generic output, but nothing breaks — fill what matters most first.

Prefer the terminal? Run npx baseline context for a guided CLI questionnaire (alternative to the Setup skill). Use npx baseline context add <name> to create a new context file.

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CLI Reference

See cli/README.md for the full CLI documentation.

Command	What It Does
npx @baseline-studio/cli init	Create a new Baseline System
npx baseline status	Show current version, check for updates
npx baseline update	Pull latest skills, frameworks, and CLI
npx baseline context	Terminal questionnaire for filling context (alternative to the Setup skill)
npx baseline context add <name>	Create a new context file and wire it to skills

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File Structure

your-system/
├── AGENTS.md                    # AI instructions for all coding tools (don't edit)
├── CLAUDE.md                    # Claude Code pointer to AGENTS.md
├── .github/
│   └── copilot-instructions.md  # GitHub Copilot pointer to AGENTS.md
├── baseline.config.json         # Version tracking and config
├── skills/                      # 13 domain expertise modules (Setup + 12 daily-work skills)
├── context/                     # YOUR business knowledge (you own this)
│   ├── core/                    # Identity and voice (loaded by every skill)
│   └── extended/                # Product, users, pricing, etc.
├── frameworks/                  # Reusable methodologies
└── cli/                         # Bundled CLI for daily use

You own context/. Everything else is managed by the system and updated via npx baseline update.

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FAQ

Can I edit skill files? You can, but changes are overwritten on baseline update. Put custom behavior in context files instead.

What if I don't have all the context files filled out? Skills work with whatever context is available. Missing context means more generic output, but nothing breaks.

Can I add my own context files? Yes. Run npx baseline context add <name> to create a new file and wire it to skills.

What AI tools does this work with? Any AI tool. The AGENTS.md file is automatically read by Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Windsurf, GitHub Copilot, JetBrains AI, and others. Chat tools like ChatGPT work when you upload skill and context files.

How do I contribute? See CONTRIBUTING.md. Open an issue first, then submit a PR.

How do I get help? Open an issue or email trent@baselinestudio.design.

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Baseline Studio researches how product teams can work better with AI. Built by Trent.