/problem-solving-pro

name: problem-solving-pro
description: |
  Systematic problem-solving toolkit for business, product, process and personal problems: root cause analysis, hypothesis testing, critical thinking frameworks. Use when user says "solve",
  "analyze", "diagnose", "figure out", "what's wrong", "root cause",
  "why is this happening", "I'm stuck", "break down", "decompose",
  or describes a problem that needs structured decomposition.
  Do NOT use for bugs, errors or other changes to a codebase (use code-solving) or for
  choosing between known options (use make-decision).

Goal

Help users solve complex problems systematically using proven frameworks — turning vague issues into structured analyses with actionable recommendations.

problem-solving-pro

Comprehensive structured problem-solving framework for tackling any complex challenge. Contains a 7-step methodology, 18 decomposition frameworks, 8 prioritization techniques, 15 analysis tools, 12 cognitive biases with debiasing strategies, 10 communication patterns, 13 mental models, and 10 team dynamics patterns. Searchable database with reasoning-based recommendations that adapts to your specific problem type.

Prerequisites

**IMPORTANT: Detect the correct Python command first.** Some systems use `python3`, others use `python`. Run:

python3 --version 2>/dev/null || python --version

Use whichever command succeeds (`python3` or `python`) for ALL script calls below. If the system only has `python` (common on Windows), substitute `python` everywhere you see `python3` in this document.

If neither works, Python is not installed: tell the user that the scripts need Python 3.9+ and **ask before installing anything**; do not run a package manager on your own.

> **Note:** On Windows, Python 3 is typically available as `python` (not `python3`).

---

Running the Scripts

Run every command from the **project root** with the path shown, e.g. `python3 .agents/skills/problem-solving-pro/scripts/search.py ...` (the installer adjusts this path for your AI tool). Saved plans and journals are written to the project, never inside the skill folder. Saving again never overwrites files that already exist (they hold your notes); add `--force` to replace them.

Passing the user's text

When the query is the user's own words (a request, an error message, a pasted log), pass it on stdin with `--stdin` instead of quoting it, so quotes, backticks and `$` never reach the shell. Every example below does this.

Use exactly this delimiter, `THINK_BETTER_EOF_7f3a`, quoted as shown:

python3 .agents/skills/problem-solving-pro/scripts/search.py --stdin --plan <<'THINK_BETTER_EOF_7f3a'
<the user's text, unchanged>
THINK_BETTER_EOF_7f3a

**Check the text first.** The heredoc ends at the first line that is exactly `THINK_BETTER_EOF_7f3a`; anything after it would run as shell commands. If a line of the user's text is exactly that delimiter, do not use the heredoc: write the text unchanged to a temporary file with your file-editing tool (not the shell), run `python3 .agents/skills/problem-solving-pro/scripts/search.py --stdin --plan < <file>`, then delete the file.

In PowerShell (keep `'@` at the start of its line):

$OutputEncoding = [Text.UTF8Encoding]::new()
@'
<the user's text, unchanged>
'@ | python .agents/skills/problem-solving-pro/scripts/search.py --stdin --plan

The here-string ends at a line that starts with `'@`. If a line of the user's text starts with `'@`, write the text to a file instead and run `Get-Content -Raw -Encoding UTF8 <file> | python .agents/skills/problem-solving-pro/scripts/search.py --stdin --plan`.

---

How to Use This Workflow

When user requests problem-solving help (analyze, solve, diagnose, decompose, find a root cause, plan, strategy, recommendation), follow this workflow. For bugs and code changes use code-solving; for choosing between known options use make-decision.

**Language:** Respond in English. The scripts' output is in English: show it as it is, and keep commands, flags, file names and option names exactly as written.

If the user has not described the problem yet, ask what it is before running anything.

Step 1: Understand the Problem

Extract key information from user's problem description:

• **Context** (→ `--category`): Business performance, market entry, organizational change, product, cost reduction, innovation, crisis, data/analytics, partnership/M&A, policy
• **Type** (→ `--type`): Diagnostic, opportunity, design, prediction, negotiation — or by complexity: well-structured, ill-structured, wicked
• **Keywords**: revenue, growth, decline, entry, change, innovation, cost, crisis, etc.
• **Context**: Industry, scale, time pressure, stakeholder dynamics

Step 2: Generate Problem-Solving Plan (REQUIRED)

**Always start with `--plan`** to get comprehensive recommendations with reasoning:

python3 .agents/skills/problem-solving-pro/scripts/search.py --stdin --plan -f markdown <<'THINK_BETTER_EOF_7f3a'
<the user's problem, unchanged>
THINK_BETTER_EOF_7f3a

If the user asked to save the work ("save", "step-by-step", "workspace"), run the Step 2b command instead of this one: it prints the same plan.

**Classify it yourself when you can** — you understand the problem better than keyword matching:

• `--type <type>` — how the problem is shaped: Well-Structured, Ill-Structured, Wicked, Diagnostic, Opportunity, Design, Prediction, Negotiation
• `--category "<context>"` — selects the reasoning rule (decomposition, analyses, communication style): Business Performance, Market Entry Strategy, Organizational Change, Product Development, Cost Reduction, Innovation / Disruption, Crisis / Turnaround, Data / Analytics Problem, Partnership / M&A, Policy / Public Sector

Omit either flag to auto-detect. The plan reports what it used as **Type** and **Context** and whether each was set by you, auto-detected, a weak guess or no match. When nothing matched, the plan st