Write howto.md template #3

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opened 2026-06-30 15:24:19 +00:00 by jared · 1 comment

jared commented

2026-06-30 15:24:19 +00:00

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What to build

Apply the template-design process (from the memory-template skill) to produce ~/Documents/SecondBrain/_templates/howto.md. This template must come first because the template-design flow dogfoods it — the howto template is used to verify the process works before applying it to other types.

Template sections per the plan:

Opening — what this solves; who should read it
Prerequisites — checkbox list
Steps — numbered; each step: context → action → expected result
Verification — how to confirm success
Gotchas — known failure modes and recovery
Related — companion notes

Dogfood exemplar: howto/airtable-mcp-setup.md. Fill the completed template with this note; cut any empty or padded sections; tighten ambiguous instructions.

Flag as update_note: experience-driven when steps involve UIs or APIs that change frequently.

Acceptance criteria

Template file exists at ~/Documents/SecondBrain/_templates/howto.md
Template uses the authoritative frontmatter schema from vault-conventions.md
Each section header includes a one-line inline instruction
Template dogfooded with howto/airtable-mcp-setup.md — no empty sections, no padding
Sections that didn't survive the injection-economics filter are removed (not just commented out)

Blocked by

Issue #2 (memory-template skill must exist before applying its process)

## What to build Apply the template-design process (from the memory-template skill) to produce `~/Documents/SecondBrain/_templates/howto.md`. This template must come first because the template-design flow dogfoods it — the howto template is used to verify the process works before applying it to other types. Template sections per the plan: 1. Opening — what this solves; who should read it 2. Prerequisites — checkbox list 3. Steps — numbered; each step: context → action → expected result 4. Verification — how to confirm success 5. Gotchas — known failure modes and recovery 6. Related — companion notes Dogfood exemplar: `howto/airtable-mcp-setup.md`. Fill the completed template with this note; cut any empty or padded sections; tighten ambiguous instructions. Flag as `update_note: experience-driven` when steps involve UIs or APIs that change frequently. ## Acceptance criteria - [ ] Template file exists at `~/Documents/SecondBrain/_templates/howto.md` - [ ] Template uses the authoritative frontmatter schema from `vault-conventions.md` - [ ] Each section header includes a one-line inline instruction - [ ] Template dogfooded with `howto/airtable-mcp-setup.md` — no empty sections, no padding - [ ] Sections that didn't survive the injection-economics filter are removed (not just commented out) ## Blocked by - Issue #2 (memory-template skill must exist before applying its process)