remove-technical-debt
Guided journey from a large aged codebase everyone fears to touch to one that is safe to change, legible, bounded, and resilient - paid down in place without a rewrite. Orchestrates eight skills phase by phase - working-with-legacy-code, refactoring-patterns, clean-code, software-design-philosophy, clean-architecture, pragmatic-programmer, release-it, domain-driven-design - asking the user questions at every decision point and recording results in the project docs/ folder (TESTING.md, TECH-DEBT.md, REMOVE-TECHNICAL-DEBT-PLAN.md) so the journey resumes across sessions. Use when the user wants to tame a legacy codebase, pay down technical debt safely, avoid a big-bang rewrite, or says ''we are afraid to touch this code''. For a fresh vibe-coded prototype, improve-code-quality; for greenfield structure, design-code-architecture; for a product-and-UX pass, improve-app; to optimize a working codebase for speed, architecture-optimization. For one framework in isolation, invoke that skill directly.
scorecard-marketing
Build quiz and assessment funnels that generate qualified leads at 30-50% conversion. Use when the user mentions "quiz funnel", "scorecard", "lead magnet", "score-based segmentation", or "lead qualification". Also trigger when designing self-assessment tools, building calculators or graders for marketing, or creating personalized result pages that drive conversions. Covers concept hooks, question design, dynamic results by tier, and automated follow-up sequences. For landing page conversion, see cro-methodology. For full marketing plans, see one-page-marketing.
software-design-philosophy
Manage software complexity through deep modules, information hiding, and strategic programming. Use when the user mentions "module design", "API too complex", "shallow class", "complexity budget", "strategic vs tactical", "deep module", "information leakage", "pass-through method", "this code is over-engineered", or "simplify this design". Also trigger when reviewing an interface for simplicity, evaluating whether an abstraction is pulling its weight, deciding whether a comment is worth writing, or choosing between general-purpose and special-purpose approaches. Covers deep vs shallow modules, red flags for complexity, and comments as design documentation. For code quality, see clean-code. For architecture boundaries, see clean-architecture.
steve-jobs-design-review
Review designs, products, and features with Steve Jobs'' standards: ruthless simplicity, focus, and end-to-end excellence. Use when the user mentions "Steve Jobs review", "design review", "product review", "what would Steve do", "insanely great", "this feels too complicated", "too many features", "product taste", "saying no", or "is this good enough to ship". Also trigger when critiquing a UI, feature, or roadmap for focus and simplicity, cutting scope to the essential, or pressure-testing the whole experience from first run to daily use. Covers the simplicity audit, the no list, design-is-how-it-works, end-to-end ownership, demo culture, and a Jobs-style review protocol with binary verdicts. For visual design fundamentals, see refactoring-ui. For usability audits, see ux-heuristics. For detail polish, see microinteractions.
storybrand-messaging
Clarify brand messaging using narrative structure that positions the customer as hero. Use when the user mentions "brand message", "website copy", "elevator pitch", "one-liner", "brand script", "StoryBrand framework", "customer as hero", or "my messaging isnt resonating". Also trigger when rewriting homepage copy, crafting email nurture sequences, or creating consistent messaging across sales and marketing collateral. Covers landing page copy, marketing collateral, and consistent communication. For memorable messaging, see made-to-stick. For product positioning, see obviously-awesome.
system-design
Design scalable distributed systems using structured approaches for load balancing, caching, database scaling, and message queues. Use when the user mentions "system design", "scale this", "high availability", "rate limiter", "design a URL shortener", "design Twitter", "design Uber", "design a news feed", "system design interview", "capacity planning", or "distributed architecture". Also trigger when estimating infrastructure requirements, choosing between microservices and monoliths, or designing for millions of concurrent users. Covers common system designs (TinyURL, feeds, chat) and back-of-the-envelope estimation. For data fundamentals, see ddia-systems. For resilience, see release-it.
team-topologies
Organize business and technology teams for fast flow using Skelton & Pais''s "Team Topologies". Use when the user mentions "team topologies", "Conway''s law", "platform team", "stream-aligned team", "team boundaries", "cognitive load", "how should we split teams", "who owns this service", "team dependencies", or "reorg". Also trigger when reorganizing engineering teams, aligning team and service boundaries, splitting a monolith and deciding ownership, reducing cross-team handoffs, or designing an internal platform. Covers the four team types, three interaction modes, the inverse Conway maneuver, and fracture planes. For bounded contexts, see domain-driven-design. For dependency direction in code, see clean-architecture.
technical-documentation
Audit, write, and improve developer documentation using Google''s Developer Documentation Style Guide and Technical Writing courses. Use this skill for any documentation work, even when the user names no style guide: "audit our docs", "review this README", "write a README", "getting started guide", "how-to or tutorial", "API reference", "docstrings", "CLI help text", "changelog or release notes", "migration guide", or "our docs are confusing". Also use it when writing docs from code, rewriting a doc for clarity, fixing headings, procedures, or code samples, or enforcing consistent voice and terminology across a docs set — prefer it over editing documentation unaided. Covers reader and doc-type fit, second person and active voice, procedures, headings, lists and tables, code samples and placeholders, link text, notices, the word list, timeless docs, and accessibility. For code comments and naming, see clean-code. For marketing or landing-page copy, see storybrand-messaging.
top-design
Create award-winning, immersive web experiences at the level of Awwwards-featured agencies. Use when the user mentions "Awwwards quality", "make my site stunning", "scroll animations", "parallax storytelling", "cinematic web design", "portfolio site", or "brand experience". Also trigger when elevating a standard landing page into a memorable digital experience. Covers dramatic typography, purposeful motion, scroll-based composition, and performance-optimized animation. For foundational UI, see refactoring-ui. For type selection, see web-typography.
traction-eos
Implement the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) to align vision and execution across a company. Use when the user mentions "EOS", "Entrepreneurial Operating System", "V/TO", "quarterly rocks", "Level 10 meetings", "accountability chart", "IDS process", "my company feels chaotic", "we keep having the same problems", or "get the whole team aligned". Also trigger when a growing company needs meeting structure, goal-setting frameworks, or a systematic way to solve recurring organizational issues. Covers the six EOS components: Vision, People, Data, Issues, Process, Traction. For team motivation design, see drive-motivation. For lean experimentation, see lean-startup.
ux-heuristics
Evaluate and improve interface usability using heuristic analysis. Use when the user mentions "usability audit", "users are confused", "form usability", "navigation problems", "Nielsen heuristics", "cognitive walkthrough", or "is this easy to use". Also trigger when reviewing a design for usability issues, improving form-completion rates, or evaluating information architecture and navigation. Covers Krug''s laws, Nielsen''s 10 heuristics, severity ratings, dark-pattern recognition, and accessibility. For visual design fixes, see refactoring-ui. For conversion-focused audits, see cro-methodology.
web-typography
Select, pair, and implement typefaces for web projects. Use when the user mentions "font pairing", "which typeface", "line height", "responsive typography", "web font loading", "type hierarchy", "variable fonts", "FOUT/FOIT", "typographic scale", or "the text is hard to read". Also trigger when choosing between system fonts and web fonts, optimizing font-loading performance, or designing readable long-form content. Covers readability evaluation, CSS implementation, and performance optimization. For overall UI design systems, see refactoring-ui. For dramatic typographic experiences, see top-design.
working-with-legacy-code
Safely change and test untested codebases using Feathers'' "Working Effectively with Legacy Code". Use when the user mentions "legacy code", "no tests", "untested codebase", "how do I test this", "seams", "characterization tests", "golden master", "sprout method", "afraid to change this code", "monster method", "dependency breaking", or "inherited a messy codebase". Also trigger when changing code without tests safely, getting a class under test when constructors, statics, or singletons block it, adding features to tangled modules, or planning incremental test coverage for an old codebase. Covers the legacy-code change algorithm, seams, characterization tests, sprout/wrap, and dependency-breaking techniques. For refactoring code that already has tests, see refactoring-patterns. For day-to-day code quality, see clean-code.
blue-ocean-strategy
Create uncontested market space using value innovation instead of competing head-to-head. Use when the user mentions "blue ocean", "red ocean", "strategy canvas", "ERRC framework", "value innovation", "non-customers", "buyer utility map", "the market is too crowded", "how do we stand out", or "escape the price war". Also trigger when exploring a new market category, or finding underserved or non-customers. Covers the Four Actions Framework, Six Paths, buyer utility map, and value-cost trade-offs. For real strategy formulation and bad-strategy detection, see good-strategy-bad-strategy. For tech adoption strategy, see crossing-the-chasm. For product positioning, see obviously-awesome.
crossing-the-chasm
Navigate the technology adoption lifecycle from early adopters to mainstream market. Use when the user mentions "crossing the chasm", "beachhead segment", "whole product", "early adopters vs mainstream", "tech go-to-market", "bowling pin strategy", "technology adoption lifecycle", "pragmatist buyers", "growth stalled after early adopters", or "our go-to-market plan". Also trigger when planning go-to-market for a technical product. Covers the D-Day analogy, bowling-pin strategy, the tornado, and positioning against incumbents. For product positioning, see obviously-awesome. For new market creation, see blue-ocean-strategy.
blue-ocean-strategy
Create uncontested market space using value innovation instead of competing head-to-head. Use when the user mentions "blue ocean", "red ocean", "strategy canvas", "ERRC framework", "value innovation", "non-customers", "buyer utility map", "eliminate-reduce-raise-create", or "uncontested market". Also trigger when comparing pricing strategies, exploring new market categories, finding underserved customer segments, or asking how to stop competing on price. Covers the Four Actions Framework, buyer utility map, and value-cost trade-offs. For tech adoption strategy, see crossing-the-chasm. For product positioning, see obviously-awesome.
contagious
Engineer word-of-mouth and virality using the STEPPS framework (Social Currency, Triggers, Emotion, Public, Practical Value, Stories). Use when the user mentions "go viral", "word of mouth", "shareable content", "social currency", "why people share", "viral loop", "referral program", or "organic growth". Also trigger when designing shareable features, crafting social media campaigns, or building products that spread through peer recommendation. Covers environmental triggers and high-arousal emotional content. For sticky messaging, see made-to-stick. For persuasion tactics, see influence-psychology.
cro-methodology
Audit websites and landing pages for conversion issues and design evidence-based A/B tests. Use when the user mentions "landing page isnt converting", "conversion rate", "A/B test", "why visitors leave", "objection handling", "bounce rate", "split testing", or "conversion funnel". Also trigger when diagnosing why signups are low, designing experiment hypotheses, or auditing checkout flows for friction points. Covers funnel mapping, persuasion assets, and objection/counter-objection frameworks. For overall marketing strategy, see one-page-marketing. For usability issues, see ux-heuristics.
crossing-the-chasm
Navigate the technology adoption lifecycle from early adopters to mainstream market. Use when the user mentions "crossing the chasm", "beachhead segment", "whole product", "early adopters vs. mainstream", "tech go-to-market", "bowling pin strategy", "technology adoption lifecycle", or "pragmatist buyers". Also trigger when a startup has early traction but struggles to grow beyond initial users, or when planning go-to-market for technical products. Covers D-Day analogy, bowling-pin strategy, and positioning against incumbents. For product positioning, see obviously-awesome. For new market creation, see blue-ocean-strategy.
drive-motivation
Design motivation systems using Autonomy, Mastery, and Purpose (AMP) for products and teams. Use when the user mentions "intrinsic motivation", "gamification isnt working", "team incentives", "autonomy", "mastery", "purpose-driven", "employee engagement", or "reward systems". Also trigger when designing onboarding progression systems, fixing broken gamification, or building team structures that sustain high performance. Covers why carrot-and-stick fails and how to build progress systems. For habit-forming product loops, see hooked-ux. For retention behavior design, see improve-retention.
hundred-million-offers
Create irresistible offers using the Value Equation, bonus stacking, risk-reversing guarantees, and ethical scarcity. Use when the user mentions "pricing strategy", "irresistible offer", "bonuses and guarantees", "value-to-price ratio", "offer naming", "grand slam offer", "guarantee strategy", or "premium pricing justification". Also trigger when packaging products for higher perceived value, designing money-back guarantees, or structuring pricing tiers to maximize conversions. Covers the MAGIC naming formula and starving-crowd targeting. For product positioning, see obviously-awesome. For outbound sales, see predictable-revenue.
influence-psychology
Apply the six principles of ethical persuasion (reciprocity, commitment, social proof, authority, liking, scarcity) to product design, copy, and sales. Use when the user mentions "social proof", "persuasive copy", "why users dont convert", "ethical persuasion", "reciprocity", "scarcity tactics", or "commitment and consistency". Also trigger when designing testimonial sections, crafting urgency messaging, or improving trust signals on landing pages. For deal negotiation tactics, see negotiation. For viral word-of-mouth, see contagious.
jobs-to-be-done
Discover what customers truly need by analyzing the "job" they hire your product to do. Use when the user mentions "customer discovery", "why customers churn", "what job does this solve", "competing against luck", "product-market fit", "switching behavior", "milkshake moment", or "functional vs emotional jobs". Also trigger when investigating why users choose competitors, designing features around real customer needs, or reframing product value propositions. Covers JTBD interviews, competition analysis, and jobs-oriented roadmaps. For product positioning, see obviously-awesome. For rapid validation, see design-sprint.
made-to-stick
Craft messages that are understood, remembered, and drive action using the SUCCESs checklist (Simple, Unexpected, Concrete, Credible, Emotional, Stories). Use when the user mentions "make it memorable", "sticky messaging", "tagline", "value proposition", "why the message isnt landing", "knowledge curse", "surprise gap", or "concrete language". Also trigger when writing pitch decks, simplifying complex product explanations, or making presentations more compelling and memorable. For narrative brand frameworks, see storybrand-messaging. For viral sharing, see contagious.
negotiation
Prepare and execute negotiations using tactical empathy, calibrated questions, and the Ackerman method. Use when the user mentions "salary negotiation", "contract terms", "handling objections", "mirroring and labeling", "difficult conversation", "deal terms", "BATNA", or "anchoring". Also trigger when preparing for vendor negotiations, resolving pricing disputes, or navigating high-stakes conversations where both parties need to feel heard. Covers accusation audits, Black Swan discovery, and the "Thats Right" technique. For persuasion in product/marketing, see influence-psychology.
obviously-awesome
Define product positioning by mapping competitive alternatives, unique attributes, and best-fit customers to the right market category. Use when the user mentions "positioning", "competitive alternatives", "how to position", "market category", "why customers dont get it", "positioning canvas", "repositioning", or "category creation". Also trigger when launching a new product, entering a crowded market, or diagnosing why prospects dont understand the products value. Covers positioning canvas and team workshops. For customer jobs analysis, see jobs-to-be-done. For go-to-market, see crossing-the-chasm.
one-page-marketing
Build a complete marketing plan covering the full customer journey from stranger to raving fan. Use when the user mentions "marketing plan", "target market", "USP", "lead nurture", "customer lifetime value", "referral program", "marketing strategy", or "PVP Index". Also trigger when building a marketing plan from scratch, choosing acquisition channels, or designing end-to-end customer lifecycle campaigns. Covers the PVP Index, channel selection, and advocacy systems. For brand messaging, see storybrand-messaging. For conversion optimization, see cro-methodology.
predictable-revenue
Build a scalable outbound B2B sales process with specialized roles (SDR, AE, CSM). Use when the user mentions "outbound sales", "Cold Calling 2.0", "prospecting emails", "sales pipeline", "SDR process", "B2B SaaS sales", "sales development", or "pipeline velocity". Also trigger when setting up a sales team from scratch, designing cold email sequences, or building qualification frameworks to improve close rates. Covers lead generation, qualification frameworks, and separating prospecting from closing. For offer design, see hundred-million-offers. For persuasion science, see influence-psychology.
scorecard-marketing
Build quiz and assessment funnels that generate qualified leads at 30-50% conversion. Use when the user mentions "lead magnet", "quiz funnel", "assessment tool", "lead generation", "score-based segmentation", "interactive content", "lead qualification", or "quiz marketing". Also trigger when designing self-assessment tools, building calculators or graders for marketing, or creating personalized result pages that drive conversions. Covers question design, dynamic results by tier, and automated follow-up sequences. For landing page conversion, see cro-methodology. For full marketing plans, see one-page-marketing.
storybrand-messaging
Clarify brand messaging using narrative structure that positions the customer as hero. Use when the user mentions "brand message", "website copy", "elevator pitch", "one-liner", "messaging isnt resonating", "brand script", "StoryBrand framework", or "customer as hero". Also trigger when rewriting homepage copy, crafting email nurture sequences, or creating consistent messaging across sales collateral and marketing materials. Covers landing page copy, marketing collateral, and consistent communication. For memorable messaging, see made-to-stick. For product positioning, see obviously-awesome.
traction-eos
Implement the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) to align vision and execution across a company. Use when the user mentions "EOS", "V/TO", "quarterly rocks", "Level 10 meetings", "accountability chart", "IDS process", "Entrepreneurial Operating System", or "business operating system". Also trigger when a growing company needs meeting structure, goal-setting frameworks, or a systematic approach to solving recurring organizational issues. Covers the six EOS components: Vision, People, Data, Issues, Process, Traction. For team motivation design, see drive-motivation. For lean experimentation, see lean-startup.
design-everyday-things
Apply foundational design principles: affordances, signifiers, constraints, feedback, and conceptual models. Use when the user mentions "why is this confusing", "affordance", "error prevention", "discoverability", "human-centered design", "fault tolerance", "mental model", "mapping", or "seven stages of action". Also trigger when diagnosing why users make mistakes, reducing product complexity, or improving error messages and feedback systems. Covers the gulfs of execution and evaluation. For usability scoring, see ux-heuristics. For iOS-specific patterns, see ios-hig-design.
hooked-ux
Design habit-forming product loops using the Hook Model (Trigger, Action, Variable Reward, Investment). Use when the user mentions "users arent coming back", "engagement loops", "habit formation", "push notifications", "variable rewards", "daily active users", "habit zone", or "user retention loops". Also trigger when designing notification strategies, building streaks or progress systems, or analyzing why users stop using a product after initial signup. Covers ethics evaluation and onboarding for habits. For friction reduction and B=MAP, see improve-retention. For viral sharing, see contagious.
ios-hig-design
Design native iOS interfaces following Apple Human Interface Guidelines. Use when the user mentions "iPhone app", "iPad layout", "SwiftUI", "UIKit", "Dynamic Island", "safe areas", "HIG compliance", "SF Symbols", "haptic feedback", or "iOS accessibility". Also trigger when building tab bars, navigation stacks, sheets, or modals for iOS, implementing dark mode, or adapting layouts for different screen sizes. Covers navigation patterns, accessibility, SF Symbols, and platform conventions. For general UI polish, see refactoring-ui. For affordance design, see design-everyday-things.
refactoring-ui
Audit and fix visual hierarchy, spacing, color, and depth in web UIs. Use when the user mentions "my UI looks off", "fix the design", "Tailwind styling", "color palette", "visual hierarchy", "design system", "spacing scale", or "component styling". Also trigger when building consistent design tokens, creating dark mode themes, improving data visualization clarity, or polishing UI details before launch. Covers grayscale-first workflow, constrained design scales, shadows, and component styling. For typeface selection, see web-typography. For usability audits, see ux-heuristics.
top-design
Create award-winning, immersive web experiences at the level of Awwwards-featured agencies. Use when the user mentions "premium website", "portfolio site", "scroll animations", "Awwwards quality", "brand experience", "cinematic web design", "parallax storytelling", or "agency-quality site". Also trigger when building landing pages that need to impress, designing creative portfolios, or elevating a standard website to a memorable digital experience. Covers dramatic typography, purposeful motion, scroll-based composition, and performance-optimized animation. For foundational UI, see refactoring-ui. For type selection, see web-typography.
ux-heuristics
Evaluate and improve interface usability using heuristic analysis. Use when the user mentions "usability audit", "UX review", "users are confused", "heuristic evaluation", "form usability", "navigation problems", "Nielsen heuristics", "cognitive walkthrough", or "usability testing". Also trigger when reviewing a design for usability issues, improving form completion rates, or evaluating information architecture and navigation. Covers Nielsens 10 heuristics, severity ratings, and information architecture. For visual design fixes, see refactoring-ui. For conversion-focused audits, see cro-methodology.
web-typography
Select, pair, and implement typefaces for web projects. Use when the user mentions "font pairing", "which typeface", "line height", "responsive typography", "web font loading", "type hierarchy", "variable fonts", "FOUT/FOIT", or "typographic scale". Also trigger when choosing between system fonts and web fonts, optimizing font loading performance, or designing readable long-form content layouts. Covers readability evaluation, CSS implementation, and performance optimization. For overall UI design systems, see refactoring-ui. For dramatic typographic experiences, see top-design.
design-sprint
Run a structured 5-day process to prototype, test, and validate product ideas with real users. Use when the user mentions "design sprint", "validate in a week", "rapid prototype", "test with users", "de-risk before building", "GV sprint", "prototype testing", or "design workshop". Also trigger when a team needs to make a critical product decision quickly, resolve stakeholder disagreements, or test risky ideas before investing in development. Covers mapping, sketching, deciding, prototyping, and testing. For ongoing experimentation, see lean-startup. For customer job analysis, see jobs-to-be-done.
lean-startup
Design MVPs, validated learning experiments, and pivot-or-persevere decisions using Build-Measure-Learn. Use when the user mentions "MVP scope", "validated learning", "pivot or persevere", "vanity metrics", "test assumptions", "innovation accounting", "build-measure-learn", or "minimum viable experiment". Also trigger when deciding what to include in a first version, measuring startup progress, or evaluating whether to change direction on a product bet. Covers innovation accounting and actionable metrics. For 5-day prototype testing, see design-sprint. For customer motivation analysis, see jobs-to-be-done.
negotiation
Tactical negotiation framework based on Chris Voss's "Never Split the Difference." Use when preparing for negotiations, during live negotiation scenarios, analyzing counterpart behavior, crafting responses to difficult conversations, handling objections, salary/contract negotiations, or when asked about negotiation techniques like mirroring, labeling, calibrated questions, or the Ackerman method.
ux-heuristics
Evaluate and improve interface usability using heuristic analysis. Use when the user mentions "usability audit", "UX review", "users are confused", "heuristic evaluation", "form usability", "navigation problems", "Nielsen heuristics", "cognitive walkthrough", or "usability testing". Also trigger when reviewing a design for usability issues, improving form completion rates, or evaluating information architecture and navigation. Covers Nielsens 10 heuristics, severity ratings, and information architecture. For visual design fixes, see refactoring-ui. For conversion-focused audits, see cro-methodology.
negotiation
Tactical negotiation framework based on Chris Voss's "Never Split the Difference." Use when preparing for negotiations, during live negotiation scenarios, analyzing counterpart behavior, crafting responses to difficult conversations, handling objections, salary/contract negotiations, or when asked about negotiation techniques like mirroring, labeling, calibrated questions, or the Ackerman method.
ux-heuristics
Evaluate and improve interface usability using heuristic analysis. Use when the user mentions "usability audit", "UX review", "users are confused", "heuristic evaluation", "form usability", "navigation problems", "Nielsen heuristics", "cognitive walkthrough", or "usability testing". Also trigger when reviewing a design for usability issues, improving form completion rates, or evaluating information architecture and navigation. Covers Nielsens 10 heuristics, severity ratings, and information architecture. For visual design fixes, see refactoring-ui. For conversion-focused audits, see cro-methodology.
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