Claude Innovation Skills: systematizing innovation with AI
Last month I ran a workshop for Innovationsledarna - an organization dedicated to building innovation capability in Swedish organizations. The topic: how to use AI for systematic innovation.
During that workshop, something became clear to me. The participants didn't need just another demo of AI generating ideas. They needed a structured approach - a way to ensure AI-assisted innovation followed proven methodologies rather than producing random brainstorming output.
That workshop led me to build something I've now open-sourced: the Claude Innovation Skills repository. It's a collection of AI-powered skills that guide users through systematic innovation, from understanding customers to validating solutions.
Claude Skills are reusable instruction sets that teach Claude how to perform specific tasks in a repeatable way. Think of them as specialized expertise you can load when needed. When you upload a skill, Claude automatically activates it when relevant to your task. We covered them in more detail in issue 5.
For innovation work, this solves a persistent problem. AI is excellent at generating ideas. But ideas without structure are just noise. The real value in innovation comes from following proven methodologies - and making sure AI follows them too.
The repository contains five interconnected skills designed to work as a complete innovation process:
Customer Discovery: Start here. This skill guides you through Jobs-to-be-Done analysis, persona creation (with built-in global diversity requirements), and evidence gathering. It ensures you understand the problem before jumping to solutions.
The skill operates in two modes: interactive (step-by-step guidance with checkpoints) or autonomous (complete analysis based on your initial prompt). First-timers should use interactive mode. Experienced practitioners can try autonomous mode for faster first drafts.
Solution Definition: Once you understand the customer, this skill applies Amazon's Working Backwards methodology. You'll create a Press Release and FAQ (PRFAQ) that describes your solution from the customer's perspective - written as if the product already exists and is succeeding.
The skill also incorporates the Closed World principle from Systematic Inventive Thinking: mapping what resources you already have available before seeking external additions. This combination forces clarity about both the "what" and the "how."
Ideation with SCAMPER: Now it's time to generate ideas - but systematically. The SCAMPER skill (and its seven modular sub-skills) guides you through Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify, Put to other uses, Eliminate, and Reverse/Rearrange. Each technique has its own skill file, so you can run the full framework or focus on specific techniques.
This is where AI's volume advantage shines. You can generate 30-50+ ideas across all seven techniques in a single session - something that would take days in traditional workshops.
Idea Evaluation: Volume is worthless without selection. The evaluation skill applies multi-criteria scoring across customer value, feasibility, viability, and strategic fit. It helps you identify your top 3-5 ideas for deeper exploration.
Critical Validation: Before committing resources, the validation skill uses Edward de Bono's Six Thinking Hats methodology. You systematically examine ideas through different lenses: facts, emotions, risks, benefits, creativity, and management/decisions. This surfaces blind spots that enthusiasm might otherwise hide.
The innovation methods in these skills aren't new. Jobs-to-be-Done comes from Clayton Christensen. Working Backwards is Amazon's methodology. SCAMPER was developed by Bob Eberle. Six Thinking Hats is Edward de Bono's framework.
What's new is making these methods accessible through AI. A solo founder or a small innovation team can now run a structured innovation process that previously required consultants or extensive training. A product team can generate, evaluate, and validate ideas in hours instead of weeks.
And because the skills are open-source, you can customize them. Add your industry context. Incorporate your company's evaluation criteria. Build on the foundation to create something that fits your specific needs. With this repository, Ai can truly become your team's innovation copilot.
The skills work with Claude Pro, Max, Team, or Enterprise accounts with skills enabled. You can:
Download individual skill files from the repository
Upload them in Claude Settings → Capabilities → Skills
Toggle different skills on as needed
Then simply describe the task you want to do, and Claude will automatically identify and load relevant skills.
The repository includes quick reference guides, example outputs, and detailed methodology documentation for each skill. Everything you need to start systematizing your innovation practice.
Repository: github.com/thinkbigleaders/claude-innovation-skills