# Jake Castillo - CalAI Skills

A practical skill set for building, monetizing, designing, and distributing consumer apps.

This collection is based on the public posts supplied in the request by Jake Castillo (`@jakecastilloooo`) about Cal AI, consumer-app growth, influencer programs, paywalls, onboarding, Apple Search Ads, and operating speed. It is a synthesis, not an official Cal AI or Jake Castillo publication.

## Skill sequence

Use the skills in this order when taking a consumer app from idea to scale:

1. `viral-consumer-app` — reduce the product to one obvious outcome and a demonstrable magic moment.
2. `consumer-app-distribution` — choose a niche and acquisition mix with distribution built in.
3. `influencer-niche-fit` — decide whether influencer marketing fits before spending.
4. `influencer-20-second-test` — qualify creators using views, comments, and relationship quality.
5. `influencer-operations` — turn creator partnerships into a repeatable operating system.
6. `conversion-funnel-paywall` — build and diagnose onboarding and paywall conversion.
7. `trial-offer-architecture` — choose access model, trial length, and offer based on activation and retention.
8. `app-design-trust` — install a small, enforceable design system that signals trust.
9. `apple-search-ads` — capture high-intent App Store demand and connect it to the funnel.
10. `operator-speed-systems` — make decisions quickly, own outcomes, and automate bottlenecks.

Each skill is standalone. The sequence is a default, not a requirement: load only the skill needed for the current decision.

## Shared operating rules

- Treat the numbers in the source posts as directional benchmarks, not universal laws. Validate against the app, market, cohort, and acquisition source.
- Optimize for retained profitable subscribers, not downloads, views, or trial-to-paid conversion in isolation.
- Test one structural variable at a time when learning matters.
- Keep acquisition source attached to every cohort and use revenue, payback, renewal, and LTV to make scale decisions.
- Prefer small, fast, reversible bets. Never let one experiment threaten the business.
- Preserve platform, legal, privacy, disclosure, and accessibility requirements. Native-feeling marketing never justifies deceptive claims.

## Attribution

Source URLs and the topics they informed are mapped in [`references/source-map.md`](references/source-map.md).