thinking-partner

Thinking Partner

A deterministic thinking partner that challenges assumptions and applies 150+ mental models to sharpen decisions, solve problems, and think more clearly.

Built on the open Agent Skills standard. Works with Claude Code, Cursor, Windsurf, Cline, GitHub Copilot, and any AI agent that supports the standard.

Install

npx skills add mattnowdev/thinking-partner

What It Does

Not a lecture — a sparring session. Turns your AI agent into a thinking partner that:

• Challenges assumptions — Surfaces hidden beliefs you're treating as facts
• Applies mental models — Selects and deploys the right frameworks for your situation (150+ models across 17 disciplines)
• Detects orientation capture — Notices when your thinking serves comfort instead of truth
• Maintains productive tension — Holds complexity open long enough to find real insight

When It Triggers

• "Help me think through X"
• "Challenge my thinking"
• "What am I missing?"
• "Play devil's advocate"
• "Stress test this idea"
• "Help me decide between X and Y"
• Any named mental model: SWOT, first principles, inversion, pre-mortem, 5 Whys, etc.

What Makes It Different

Mental Models Included

Organized across 17 disciplines:

• General Thinking: First Principles, Inversion, Second-Order Thinking, Chesterton's Fence, Entropy, and more
• Decision-Making: Pre-Mortem, Regret Minimization, SWOT, Asymmetric Risk, Preserving Optionality
• Problem-Solving: 5 Whys, Fishbone, MECE Decomposition, Bright Spots Analysis, Local vs Global Optima
• Systems & Complexity: Feedback Loops, Stocks & Flows, Tipping Points, Antifragility, Path Dependence
• Economics & Strategy: Incentives, Network Effects, Tragedy of the Commons, Lindy Effect, Power Laws
• Statistics & Probability: Bayesian Updating, Correlation vs Causation, Selection Bias, Gambler's Fallacy
• Psychology & Biases: Confirmation Bias, Planning Fallacy, Halo Effect, Curse of Knowledge, Peak-End Rule
• Physics & Engineering: Inertia, Activation Energy, Resonance, Half-Life, Margin of Safety
• Biology & Evolution: Natural Selection, Red Queen Effect, Coevolution, Niche Construction
• Communication & Persuasion: Steel Manning, Reciprocity, Narrative/Storytelling, Pyramid Principle
• Creativity & Innovation: SCAMPER, Design Thinking, Oblique Strategies, Minimum Viable Experiment
• Learning & Development: Feynman Technique, Spaced Repetition, Zone of Proximal Development
• Time & Resource Management: Eisenhower Matrix, Pareto Principle, Maker's vs Manager's Schedule
• Game Theory: Prisoner's Dilemma, Schelling Point, Tit for Tat, Signaling, Moral Hazard
• Negotiation: BATNA, ZOPA, Logrolling
• Resilience & Antifragility: Barbell Strategy, Skin in the Game, Via Negativa, Hormesis
• Ethics & Responsibility: Veil of Ignorance

See the full catalog in skills/thinking-partner/references/model-catalog.md.

Alternative Install

Claude Code

git clone https://github.com/mattnowdev/thinking-partner.git
cp -r thinking-partner/skills/thinking-partner ~/.claude/skills/thinking-partner

Cursor

git clone https://github.com/mattnowdev/thinking-partner.git
cp -r thinking-partner/skills/thinking-partner .cursor/skills/thinking-partner

Windsurf

git clone https://github.com/mattnowdev/thinking-partner.git
cp -r thinking-partner/skills/thinking-partner .windsurf/skills/thinking-partner

Other Agents Copy the skills/thinking-partner/ directory (including references/) into your agent's skills directory.

License

MIT