Question 1

What is Techne Skills?

Accepted Answer

Techne Skills is a curated, paid marketplace for AI agent skills compatible with Claude Code, Cursor, Windsurf, and other agents using the open SKILL.md standard. Creators package their workflows into reusable skills and earn money each time someone installs them. Buyers get professional-grade skills from vetted creators with one-command installation. Techne is currently in private beta with the Founding Creator Program open to 100 creators.

Question 2

How is Techne different from free skill directories?

Accepted Answer

Free directories like SkillsMP, claudeskills.info, and LobeHub auto-scrape public GitHub repositories. They list over a million skills but none are curated, paid, or earn anything for creators. Techne is structurally different: creators are vetted through an application process before they can sell, every skill is paid (creators set their own price), and creators earn 85% of net revenue — 90% for founding creators. Techne is built for professional indie operators and AI-native developers who want quality and creators who want to be paid for their work.

Question 3

Is Techne affiliated with Anthropic or OpenAI?

Accepted Answer

No. Techne Skills is an independent commercial marketplace. It uses the open SKILL.md format defined by Anthropic and adopted by OpenAI for Codex CLI, but it is not endorsed by, affiliated with, or operated by Anthropic or OpenAI.

Question 4

Who can sell skills on Techne?

Accepted Answer

During the private beta phase, sellers must apply through the Founding Creator Program at techneskills.ai/apply. The program is limited to 100 founding creators, with applications reviewed within 48 hours. After the public launch, the marketplace will open to all approved creators.

Question 5

What does Techne charge creators?

Accepted Answer

Standard creators keep 85% of net revenue (gross sale minus Stripe fees and currency conversion). Founding creators keep 90% — a permanent uplift that applies for as long as their Founding Creator status is active. Techne retains the remainder to fund hosting, payment processing, support, and platform development. There are no listing fees or monthly subscriptions for creators. Apply to be a founding creator at techneskills.ai/apply.

Question 6

How does Techne curate its marketplace?

Accepted Answer

Curation happens at the creator level, not skill-by-skill. Creators are vetted through a detailed application process before they can list anything for sale — we look at their existing work, their proposed listings, and their professional background. Once a creator is approved, their listings go through a check for accurate description and policy compliance before publication. The bar is who we let in, not testing every product end-to-end. Skills that consistently underdeliver can be removed from the marketplace.

Question 7

How do creators get paid?

Accepted Answer

Creators connect their bank account via Stripe Connect during onboarding. Payouts are processed weekly after a 30-day clearing period from each purchase, which protects against chargebacks. Creators can see real-time earnings and projected payouts in their dashboard.

Question 8

What is the Founding Creator Program?

Accepted Answer

The Founding Creator Program is the first wave of approved sellers, limited to 100 places. Founding creators keep 90% of net revenue (vs 85% standard), receive a 'Founding Creator' badge on their profile and listings, get featured placement on the marketplace, and have a direct line to the marketplace operator for support and feedback. Founding Creator status is granted indefinitely once approved. Apply at techneskills.ai/apply.

Question 9

How do I install a Techne skill?

Accepted Answer

After purchase, you receive a license key by email and in your buyer dashboard. Install using the Techne CLI: npx techne install <license-key>. The CLI validates your license, downloads the skill, and places it in the correct directory for your agent (Claude Code, Cursor, Windsurf, or Cline).

Question 10

Which AI agents are supported?

Accepted Answer

Techne skills work with any agent that supports the open SKILL.md format, including Claude Code, Cursor, Windsurf, Cline, OpenAI Codex CLI, and others adopting the standard. Each skill listing displays its compatible agents on the detail page.

Question 11

What happens if a skill doesn't work?

Accepted Answer

Contact the creator first through their profile — most issues are resolved this way. If you can't reach a resolution, email hello@techneskills.ai and we'll look at it. Skills that consistently fail to deliver what their listing promises may be removed from the marketplace, and in cases of material defect we may consider a refund or credit at our discretion (see refund policy below).

Question 12

Can I get a refund?

Accepted Answer

Skills are digital content delivered immediately on purchase, so under UK Consumer Contracts Regulations you waive your right to cancel at checkout. Once a skill has been downloaded, the purchase is final. We will, at our discretion, consider a refund, replacement, or credit where a skill is materially broken (doesn't install or run as described), materially misrepresented (the listing doesn't match what you bought), or removed from the marketplace shortly after your purchase for policy reasons. We won't refund a change of mind or finding a similar skill elsewhere. Email hello@techneskills.ai within a reasonable time of purchase. Full policy at techneskills.ai/legal/terms.

Question 13

Are skills updated over time?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Creators can publish new versions of their skills. Buyers see version history on the skill detail page and can reinstall the latest version through the CLI at no additional cost.

Question 14

What payment methods are accepted?

Accepted Answer

All major credit and debit cards via Stripe Checkout. Stripe handles currency conversion automatically for buyers paying in non-GBP currencies.

Question 15

What currency are skills priced in?

Accepted Answer

All skills are listed and priced in GBP (British pounds). Your card will be charged in your local currency at Stripe's prevailing exchange rate plus any conversion fee from your bank.

Question 16

Is my payment information secure?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Techne never sees or stores your card details. All payments are processed by Stripe, which is PCI-DSS Level 1 certified — the highest level of payment security certification.

Question 17

Why are skills paid when GitHub has free ones?

Accepted Answer

Free GitHub skills are often experimental, abandoned, or unmaintained. They come with no quality guarantee, no support, and no creator accountability. Paid skills on Techne are professionally maintained, human-reviewed for quality, come with creator support, and are eligible for refunds. You're paying for trust and reliability — not just the code.

Question 18

How are skill prices set?

Accepted Answer

Creators set their own prices, typically £5 to £100 per skill depending on complexity, scope, and tier (Tier 1 single-purpose, Tier 2 multi-purpose, Tier 3 workflow systems). We provide a pricing guide for creators at techneskills.ai/creators/pricing-guide.

Question 19

How does Techne handle copyright and intellectual property?

Accepted Answer

Creators retain ownership of their intellectual property. By listing a skill, creators grant Techne a non-exclusive licence to host, display, and distribute it to buyers under the licence terms they choose. Creators warrant they have the right to license the work. Full IP terms are at techneskills.ai/legal/terms.

Question 20

Can I resell or redistribute a skill I bought?

Accepted Answer

No. Skills are licensed for personal or organizational use under the buyer's licence tier. Reselling, redistributing, or republishing purchased skills violates the marketplace terms and constitutes copyright infringement. Each skill includes watermarked licence metadata to enable enforcement.

Frequently Asked Questions

About Techne Skills

For Creators

For Buyers

Payments and Currency

Pricing and Value

Trust and Safety