diff --git a/.github/workflows/claude-model-check.yml b/.github/workflows/claude-model-check.yml
index f2cd50a..b349f7c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/claude-model-check.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/claude-model-check.yml
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           uv run python scripts/check_models.py --github-output
       
+      # Only run Claude validation for repo members (API costs)
       - name: Claude Model Validation
         if: |
           github.event.pull_request.author_association == 'MEMBER' ||
diff --git a/.github/workflows/notebook-quality.yml b/.github/workflows/notebook-quality.yml
index 99a2199..735a761 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/notebook-quality.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/notebook-quality.yml
@@ -42,13 +42,10 @@ jobs:
           uv run nbstripout --verify skills/**/*.ipynb || \
             (echo "❌ Notebooks contain outputs. Run 'nbstripout skills/**/*.ipynb' locally" && exit 1)
       
-      - name: Lint with Ruff via nbQA
+      - name: Lint with Ruff
         run: |
-          # Check for issues
-          uv run nbqa ruff skills/ --show-fixes
-          
-          # Check formatting
-          uv run nbqa ruff skills/ --check --select=I,F
+          uv run ruff check skills/ --show-fixes
+          uv run ruff format skills/ --check
       
       - name: Validate notebook structure
         run: |
@@ -58,7 +55,7 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           uv run python scripts/check_models.py
       
-      # Only run API tests on main branch or for maintainers
+      # Only run API tests on main branch or for maintainers (costs money)
       - name: Execute notebooks (API Testing)
         if: |
           github.event_name == 'push' || 
@@ -67,17 +64,14 @@ jobs:
         env:
           ANTHROPIC_API_KEY: ${{ secrets.ANTHROPIC_API_KEY }}
         run: |
-          mkdir -p test_outputs
-          
           for notebook in skills/*/guide.ipynb; do
             echo "📓 Testing: $notebook"
-            uv run papermill "$notebook" \
-              "test_outputs/$(basename $notebook)" \
-              --kernel python3 \
-              -p test_mode true \
-              -p model "claude-3-5-haiku-latest" \
-              -p max_tokens 10 \
-              --log-level ERROR \
+            # Use nbconvert to execute notebooks
+            uv run jupyter nbconvert --to notebook \
+              --execute "$notebook" \
+              --ExecutePreprocessor.kernel_name=python3 \
+              --ExecutePreprocessor.timeout=120 \
+              --stdout > /dev/null \
               || echo "⚠️  Failed: $notebook"
           done
       
diff --git a/.github/workflows/security-scan.yml b/.github/workflows/security-scan.yml
index 88f791f..6f1dcbb 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/security-scan.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/security-scan.yml
@@ -25,10 +25,8 @@ jobs:
       
       - name: Check for hardcoded secrets in notebooks
         run: |
-          # Check for potential API keys
           ! grep -r "sk-ant-" skills/ --include="*.ipynb" || \
             (echo "❌ Found potential API key in notebook" && exit 1)
           
-          # Check for environment variable usage
           grep -r "os.environ\|getenv" skills/ --include="*.ipynb" || \
             echo "⚠️  No environment variable usage found - ensure API keys are not hardcoded"
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/.pre-commit-config.yaml b/.pre-commit-config.yaml
index 0b76290..a11d55d 100644
--- a/.pre-commit-config.yaml
+++ b/.pre-commit-config.yaml
@@ -1,28 +1,19 @@
 repos:
-  # Strip notebook outputs first
   - repo: https://github.com/kynan/nbstripout
     rev: 0.7.1
     hooks:
       - id: nbstripout
-        args: ['--extra-keys', 'metadata.widgets metadata.vscode']
+        args: ['--extra-keys', 'metadata.widgets metadata.vscode cell.metadata.execution']
 
-  # Ruff for notebooks via nbQA
-  - repo: https://github.com/nbQA-dev/nbQA
-    rev: 1.9.1
-    hooks:
-      - id: nbqa-ruff
-        args: ['--fix']
-        additional_dependencies: [ruff>=0.8.0]
-
-  # Ruff for Python files
   - repo: https://github.com/astral-sh/ruff-pre-commit
-    rev: v0.8.0
+    rev: v0.12.12
     hooks:
       - id: ruff
+        types_or: [python, pyi, jupyter]
         args: ['--fix']
       - id: ruff-format
+        types_or: [python, pyi, jupyter]
 
-  # Custom validations
   - repo: local
     hooks:
       - id: check-models
diff --git a/CONTRIBUTING.md b/CONTRIBUTING.md
index d985b0e..9e32151 100644
--- a/CONTRIBUTING.md
+++ b/CONTRIBUTING.md
@@ -55,9 +55,8 @@ This repository uses automated tools to maintain code quality:
 ### The Notebook Validation Stack
 
 - **[papermill](https://papermill.readthedocs.io/)**: Parameterized notebook execution for testing
-- **[nbqa](https://nbqa.readthedocs.io/)**: Applies Python quality tools to notebooks
+- **[ruff](https://docs.astral.sh/ruff/)**: Fast Python linter and formatter with native Jupyter support
 - **[nbstripout](https://github.com/kynan/nbstripout)**: Keeps notebooks clean in git (removes outputs)
-- **[ruff](https://docs.astral.sh/ruff/)**: Fast Python linter and formatter
 
 ### Before Committing
 
@@ -68,13 +67,10 @@ This repository uses automated tools to maintain code quality:
 
 2. **Run quality checks**:
    ```bash
-   # Lint and format
-   uv run nbqa ruff skills/ --fix
+   uv run ruff check skills/ --fix
+   uv run ruff format skills/
    
-   # Validate notebook structure
    uv run python scripts/validate_notebooks.py
-   
-   # Check model usage
    uv run python scripts/check_models.py
    ```
 
diff --git a/anthropic_cookbook/__init__.py b/anthropic_cookbook/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e69de29
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 59cbc66..de3571f 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 [project]
 name = "anthropic-cookbook"
 version = "0.1.0"
-requires-python = ">=3.11"
+requires-python = ">=3.11,<3.13"
 dependencies = [
     "anthropic>=0.39.0",
     "jupyter>=1.1.1",
@@ -13,13 +13,12 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [project.optional-dependencies]
 dev = [
-    "papermill>=2.6.0",
-    "nbqa>=1.8.0",  # Compatible with Python 3.11
     "nbstripout>=0.7.1",
-    "ruff>=0.7.0",  # Compatible with Python 3.11
+    "ruff>=0.7.0",
     "pytest>=8.3.3",
     "nbval>=0.11.0",
     "pre-commit>=3.8.0",
+    "nbconvert>=7.16.0",  # For executing notebooks in CI
 ]
 
 [tool.uv.sources]
@@ -28,18 +27,24 @@ dev = [
 requires = ["hatchling"]
 build-backend = "hatchling.build"
 
+[tool.hatch.build.targets.wheel]
+packages = ["anthropic_cookbook"]  # Dummy package for build system
+
 [tool.ruff]
 line-length = 100
 target-version = "py311"
+extend-include = ["*.ipynb"]  # Ruff v0.6.0+ includes notebooks by default, but explicit is better
 select = ["E", "F", "I", "W", "UP", "S", "B"]
-ignore = ["E501", "S101"]  # E501: line too long, S101: assert in tests
+ignore = ["E501", "S101"]  # E501: line too long, S101: assert used (ok in tests)
 
 [tool.ruff.per-file-ignores]
-"skills/**/*.ipynb" = ["S105", "S106"]  # Allow hardcoded passwords in example notebooks
+# Notebooks have different conventions than regular Python files
+"*.ipynb" = ["E402", "E501", "F401", "F811"]  # Allow: imports mid-file, long lines, unused imports, redefinitions
 
 [tool.nbstripout]
 extra_keys = [
     "cell.metadata.execution",
     "cell.metadata.pycharm",
-    "metadata.widgets"
+    "metadata.widgets",
+    "metadata.vscode"
 ]
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/requirements-dev.txt b/requirements-dev.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..372fd5e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/requirements-dev.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+papermill>=2.6.0
+nbstripout>=0.7.1
+ruff>=0.12.0
+pytest>=8.3.3
+nbval>=0.11.0
+pre-commit>=3.8.0
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/requirements.txt b/requirements.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0b4a813
--- /dev/null
+++ b/requirements.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+anthropic>=0.39.0
+jupyter>=1.1.1
+ipykernel>=6.29.5
+notebook>=7.2.2
+numpy>=1.26.4
+pandas>=2.2.3
\ No newline at end of file