Instead of merely 'sprinkling' AI into existing systems for marginal gains, the transformative approach is to build an AI co-pilot that anticipates and automates a user's entire workflow. This turns the individual, not the software, into the platform, fundamentally changing their operational capacity.

Agent Skills and the Model Context Protocol (MCP) are complementary, not redundant. Skills package internal, repeatable workflows for 'doing the thing,' while MCP provides the open standard for connecting to external systems like databases and APIs for 'reaching the thing.'

Instead of complex SDKs or custom code, users can extend tools like Cowork by writing simple Markdown files called "Skills." These files guide the AI's behavior, making customization accessible to a broader audience and proving highly effective with powerful models.

People struggle with AI prompts because the model lacks background on their goals and progress. The solution is 'Context Engineering': creating an environment where the AI continuously accumulates user-specific information, materials, and intent, reducing the need for constant prompt tweaking.

The challenge in using AI effectively is often prompt engineering, not model capability. A potential solution is a social platform where users can follow experts, discover their prompts, and be 'catalyzed' by others' creativity. This democratizes access to AI's full potential beyond one's own ingenuity.

Users get frustrated when AI doesn't meet expectations. The correct mental model is to treat AI as a junior teammate requiring explicit instructions, defined tools, and context provided incrementally. This approach, which Claude Skills facilitate, prevents overwhelm and leads to better outcomes.

Instead of pre-engineering tool integrations, Block lets its AI agent Goose learn by doing. Successful user-driven workflows can be saved as shareable "recipes," allowing emergent capabilities to be captured and scaled. They found the agent is more capable this way than if they tried to make tools "Goose-friendly."

When an AI tool automatically gathers rich, timely context from external sources, user prompts can be remarkably short and simple. The tool handles the heavy lifting of providing background information, allowing the user to make direct, concise requests without extensive prompt engineering.

The perceived limits of today's AI are not inherent to the models themselves but to our failure to build the right "agentic scaffold" around them. There's a "model capability overhang" where much more potential can be unlocked with better prompting, context engineering, and tool integrations.