# README Conversion Audit

**Initiative:** INITIATIVE-014A.2 — Phase 1  
**Date:** 2026-06-24  
**Auditor:** Graph Architect  
**Objective:** Measure conversion friction before Show HN launch

---

## 1. Above-the-Fold CTA Visibility

### What a visitor sees in the first viewport (GitHub desktop)

```
[Logo]
# Skills Tree
## 📆 This Week's Highlights — June 22, 2026
> No skill changes this week. Open a PR to get started!
### The AI Agent Skill OS — Build Smarter Agents, Faster
> 367 skills across 17 categories...
[8 badge rows]
[6-link nav row]
[Tweet share link]
[10 i18n language links]
```

### Assessment

| Signal | Status | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Primary CTA visible without scroll | ⚠️ Buried below highlights + badges | 4/10 |
| Live demo link in top 3 lines | ❌ Not present — Explorer link is in nav row (line 6+) | 2/10 |
| Value proposition clarity | ✅ Present: "Build Smarter Agents, Faster" | 8/10 |
| Star request visible above fold | ❌ Stars badge exists but no explicit ask | 3/10 |
| Install command visible above fold | ⚠️ Exists but below fold for most screens | 5/10 |

### Critical Issue

The **"This Week's Highlights"** block with `> No skill changes this week. Open a PR to get started!` is the **second visible element** after the logo. On a launch day this broadcasts emptiness and is the first thing every Show HN visitor reads. This is a P0 conversion killer.

---

## 2. Demo Visibility

| Demo Surface | Location | Clicks to Reach |
|---|---|---|
| Live Explorer (GitHub Pages) | Nav row item 3 | 1 click |
| Blueprint Generator | Not explicitly linked above fold | 2+ clicks |
| CLI demo (code block) | ~500px below fold | Scroll required |
| GIF / Screenshot | ❌ None | Never |

### Gap
No animated GIF, screenshot, or embedded demo exists anywhere in the README. HN voters cannot evaluate the product without clicking away. The Explorer — the primary wow surface — has no visual preview.

**Recommendation:** Add a 400×280px GIF of the Explorer graph rendering above the Quick Install section. Even a static screenshot of the graph with 368 nodes adds substantial social proof.

---

## 3. Social Proof Visibility

| Proof Type | Present | Above Fold |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub star count badge | ✅ | ✅ (badge row) |
| PyPI download count badge | ✅ | ✅ (badge row) |
| Contributor count badge | ✅ | ✅ (badge row) |
| User testimonials | ❌ | ❌ |
| Press / blog mentions | ❌ | ❌ |
| "Used by" companies | ❌ | ❌ |
| Show HN / HN comment references | ❌ | ❌ |

### Gap
Star count and downloads are present but will show low numbers at launch. No human testimonials or usage proof exist. The comparison table (§ Comparison vs Alternatives) is strong social proof but lives ~1500px below fold.

---

## 4. Contributor Onboarding Friction

| Step | Status |
|---|---|
| Clone command in README | ✅ Present |
| Template copy command | ✅ `cp meta/skill-template.md ...` |
| CONTRIBUTING.md exists | ✅ 8.8KB, comprehensive |
| Codespaces / devcontainer | ✅ `.devcontainer` present |
| First contribution under 5 minutes | ⚠️ Possible but template not shown inline |
| "Good first issue" label usage | ❓ Unverified |

### Gap
Onboarding is reasonably good but the contribution section is ~2200px below fold. New contributors from HN won't scroll that far — they need a prominent "Add a Skill in 10 Minutes" quick-path in the first 800px.

---

## 5. Star Request Visibility

| Element | Present | Prominence |
|---|---|---|
| Star badge | ✅ | Low (badge row) |
| Explicit star ask (prose) | ❌ | N/A |
| Star ask at document close | ✅ `[⭐ Star this repo]` in footer | Low |
| Inline ask mid-document | ❌ | N/A |

### Gap
The only explicit star request is in the very last line of the README. HN readers who decide to star after reading the intro never reach it. An explicit, friendly ask should appear in the first 300px.

---

## 6. Priority Fixes Before Show HN

| Priority | Fix | Effort | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| P0 | Remove / relocate "No skill changes this week" highlights block | 5 min | Critical |
| P0 | Add Explorer GIF or screenshot in first 600px | 30 min | Critical |
| P1 | Explicit ⭐ star ask in first 300px | 5 min | High |
| P1 | Direct Explorer link as primary CTA above fold | 10 min | High |
| P2 | Add a 2-sentence human testimonial or usage quote | 15 min | Medium |
| P2 | Add "Contribute in 10 minutes" quick-path in first 800px | 15 min | Medium |
| P3 | Move comparison table closer to top | 10 min | Medium |

---

## Overall Conversion Score

**README Conversion Readiness: 54/100**

The content is excellent and comprehensive. The sequencing is the problem — the most conversion-relevant content (demo, CTA, social proof) is buried below administrative blocks.
