I've been exploring one of the most significant developments in AI assistance technology, and I need to share this with my network. Anthropic has introduced Skills in Claude a modular system that transforms a general-purpose AI into a specialized expert on demand. Think of it as giving your AI assistant the ability to load exactly the right expertise, workflows, and tools for any specific task. Why This Changes Everything: Traditional AI assistants are generalists. They know a bit about everything, but lack the procedural depth for specialized work. Skills solve this elegantly by providing Claude with: → Specialized workflows for multi-step domain-specific processes → Tool integrations for specific file formats, APIs, and systems → Domain expertise including company-specific knowledge and business logic → Bundled resources like scripts, templates, and reference materials What's Available Out of the Box: The current skill library is impressive. Professional document creation (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, PDF), production-grade frontend design that avoids generic "AI slop" aesthetics, algorithmic art generation, MCP server building, and sophisticated theme systems—all with best practices built in. The Real Game-Changer: Custom Skills Here's where it gets exciting for businesses. You can create your own skills that encode your company's brand guidelines, internal processes, database schemas, and proprietary workflows. I've implemented custom skills for Plexaris that automatically apply our brand identity—colors, typography, visual standards—to any deliverable Claude creates. Imagine asking Claude to create a pitch deck, and it automatically knows your exact brand colors, your preferred fonts , and your glass morphism card styling. That's not a template that's institutional knowledge embedded in your AI assistant. The Technical Elegance: What impressed me most is the progressive disclosure architecture. Skills use a three-level loading system: metadata always present (~100 words), the skill body loaded only when triggered (<5k words), and bundled resources pulled only as needed. This means efficiency without sacrificing capability.

We just crossed 400 members, and I want to take a moment to say thank you to everyone who’s joined AI Bits & Pieces and helped shape what this space is becoming.🎉 This community was built on a simple idea: ✨AI is now a life skill. The goal here isn’t to chase tools or trends. It’s to build real understanding and practical fluency. So AI can be applied thoughtfully in everyday life, work, and business. As the community continues to grow, you’ll see more relevant content as we learn more about member preferences. That said, content is only one part of what makes this community work. 🤝 Just as important are the contributors who consistently show up and share real work — including open build journeys like @Holger Peschke 30-day RAG build, and @Matthew Sutherland, who consistently adds deeper insight and context to our content. @Muskan Ahlawat and @Judith Vanegas also deserve recognition for their consistent encouragement and thoughtful engagement. 🏆 Community Leaderboard To recognize members who have made meaningful contributions through participation, learning, and engagement — thank you for showing up. 1. @Frank van Bokhorst 2. @Holger Peschke 3. @Muskan Ahlawat 4. @Matthew Sutherland 5. @Dena Dion 6. @Judith Vanegas 7. @Jason Hagen 8. @Dorota Mleczko 9. @Usman Mohammed 10. @Roger Richards And new contributors: @Glenn Marcus and @Reynoso Anubis for their in-depth posts and videos that inspire and encourage us pursue new AI goals and applications.

Just started using Claude Cowork this evening, and I'm genuinely blown away. For those of us paying for Claude Max, Anthropic just handed us what might be the most significant AI productivity leap of 2025. What is Cowork? Think of it as Claude Code's power but for everyone. No terminal. No coding knowledge required. Just point Claude at a folder on your Mac, describe what you need, and watch it work. Here's what makes it remarkable: The AI doesn't just chat anymore. It operates. It reads your files, creates new ones, reorganizes your chaos, and builds actual outputs all autonomously. I've already tested it on: → Turning scattered meeting notes into structured reports → Organizing a messy downloads folder by content type → Converting receipt screenshots into expense spreadsheets And Claude did it like a capable colleague working in the background while I focused on other things. The meta moment nobody's talking about: Anthropic built Cowork in just 10 days. Using Claude Code. The AI built its own non-technical sibling product. We're watching recursive improvement happen in real-time. Currently available: ✅ Claude Max subscribers ($100-$200/month) ✅ macOS desktop app ⏳ Windows support coming soon ⏳ Waitlist for Pro/Team/Enterprise users This isn't a chatbot upgrade. This is AI becoming an operational partner. If you're running a business and doing repetitive file work, document prep, or data organization — this is the tool you didn't know you needed. The future of work isn't AI answering questions. It's AI doing the work. Welcome to the age of agentic AI. 🔥

This week, Amsterdam becomes the epicenter of food & hospitality innovation. Horecava 2026 is here — and I couldn't be more energized. Together with the City Sales team, we've built something special at Hall 8, Booth 180. What's waiting for you? 7 food companies bringing bold new flavors and products to the market. 3 tech solutions reshaping how the industry operates — from AI-powered product development to customer engagement platforms. One booth. Ten reasons to stop by. Whether you're hunting for the next trending product, exploring smarter ways to run your business, or simply curious about what's shaping the future of food & beverage — we've got you covered. 📍 RAI Amsterdam — Hall 8, Booth 180 📅 January 12-16 If you're in the neighborhood, come say hello. Grab a sample. Start a conversation. See what's possible. Who's attending Horecava this week? Drop a 👋 below I'd love to connect in person.

Slash commands are Claude Code's secret weapon. But here's what most developers miss: you can create your own. Let me show you both sides of this productivity powerhouse. ⚡ 5 BUILT-IN COMMANDS YOU NEED TO KNOW /compact — Summarize your conversation to free up context tokens without losing progress. /init — Generate a CLAUDE.md file that teaches Claude your entire project structure. /memory — Edit persistent project knowledge that Claude remembers across sessions. /review — Get instant professional code review on your staged changes. /model — Switch between Sonnet (speed) and Opus (power) mid-conversation. 🛠️ 5 CUSTOM COMMANDS YOU SHOULD BUILD Create these in .claude/commands/ as markdown files: 1️⃣ /project:deploy markdown<!-- deploy.md --> Run our deployment checklist: 1. Run all tests 2. Check for console.logs 3. Verify environment variables 4. Build production bundle 5. Generate deployment summary Why: One command, zero forgotten steps. 2️⃣ /project:component markdown<!-- component.md --> Create a new React component with: - TypeScript interface - Styled-components file - Unit test file - Storybook story Follow our naming conventions in CLAUDE.md Why: Consistent scaffolding every single time. 3️⃣ /project:security markdown<!-- security.md --> Audit this code for: - SQL injection vulnerabilities - XSS risks - Exposed secrets - Insecure dependencies - Authentication gaps Provide severity ratings and fixes. Why: Your personal security consultant on demand. 4️⃣ /project:document markdown<!-- document.md --> Generate documentation for $ARGUMENTS: - JSDoc comments - README section - API endpoint description - Usage examples Match our documentation style guide. Why: Documentation that actually gets written. 5️⃣ /project:hotfix markdown<!-- hotfix.md --> Emergency fix protocol: 1. Identify root cause 2. Implement minimal fix 3. Add regression test 4. Create detailed commit message 5. List potential side effects Keep changes surgical and reversible. ``` *Why:* Stay calm under pressure with a structured approach.