/think

name: think
description: >-
  Brainstorm, evaluate, or decide during product creation. Pause the pipeline to
  think through a problem, compare approaches, or explore ideas before committing.
  Use when: 'think about', 'brainstorm', 'evaluate', 'compare', 'should I', 'help me decide',
  'what if', 'not sure about', or any hesitation during /fill.
argument-hint: "[topic or question]"
allowed-tools:
  - Read
  - Glob
  - Grep
  - Bash(myclaude *)
  - WebSearch
  - AskUserQuestion

Think — Mid-Process Brainstorming & Decision Support

> The pipeline builds. This skill thinks. Use it whenever you need to pause, explore, or decide.

**When to use:** Between any two pipeline steps. During /fill when you're unsure about a section. Before /create when choosing a product type. Before /publish when evaluating readiness.

**When NOT to use:** For mechanical tasks (/validate, /package). Those have deterministic flows — thinking slows them down.

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Activation Protocol

0. **Shared preamble:** Load `references/quality/activation-preamble.md` — context assembly, persona adaptation, deterministic routing rules. 1. Read `creator.yaml` → adapt to profile.type and technical_level 2. If a product is active (workspace/{slug}/ exists), read `.meta.yaml` → understand current context 3. Parse `$ARGUMENTS` or conversation context to identify the thinking need 4. Route to the appropriate thinking mode 5. **Load voice identity:** Load `references/quality/engine-voice-core.md`. Every user-facing line in this skill honors the ✦ signature, three tones, and six anti-patterns. 5b. **Load UX vocabulary:** Load `references/ux-vocabulary.md` — translate all internal terms before creator-facing output. 5c. **Load proactives:** Load `references/engine-proactive.md` — wire #17 (lost creator detection: if the creator has been in /think for 3+ questions without resolution, suggest concrete next step or /scout).

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Thinking Modes

MODE 1: Brainstorm (divergent)

**Trigger:** "brainstorm", "ideas for", "what could", "possibilities"

Generate 5-7 distinct approaches to the creator's question. For each:

• Name it in 3 words
• One sentence description
• Strength (why this works)
• Risk (why it might not)

End with: "Which resonates? Or want me to combine elements from multiple?"

MODE 2: Evaluate (convergent)

**Trigger:** "evaluate", "compare", "which is better", "pros and cons"

Structure the evaluation as a decision matrix:

EVALUATING: {what's being compared}

| Criterion | Option A | Option B | Option C |
|-----------|----------|----------|----------|
| {criterion_1} | {score/assessment} | ... | ... |
| {criterion_2} | ... | ... | ... |

RECOMMENDATION: {option} because {one-sentence reasoning}
RISK: {what could go wrong with the recommendation}

MODE 3: Decide (commit)

**Trigger:** "should I", "help me decide", "which type", "what approach"

Walk through a 3-step decision: 1. **What are you optimizing for?** (speed, quality, simplicity, market fit) 2. **What are the constraints?** (time, skill level, dependencies) 3. **Given 1+2, the best path is:** {recommendation with clear reasoning}

Then: "Ready to act on this? Here's the command: {next_command}"

MODE 4: Explore (research)

**Trigger:** "what if", "how does", "is there a way to", "explore"

Investigate the question using available context:

• Search workspace/ for related patterns
• Check product-dna/ for type-specific guidance
• Search marketplace via `myclaude search --json 2>/dev/null` if relevant (silent-skip on failure per `references/cli-contract.md`)
• Read references/ for best practices

Synthesize findings, then suggest actionable next steps.

MODE 5: Unstuck (unblock)

**Trigger:** "I'm stuck", "not sure", "confused", "don't know how"

Diagnose the block: 1. Read current product state from .meta.yaml 2. Identify where in the pipeline the creator is stuck 3. Ask ONE clarifying question to narrow the block 4. Offer 2-3 concrete paths forward, each as a command or action

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Context-Aware Behavior

If invoked DURING /fill (detected by conversation context):

• Don't break the section walker flow
• Frame thinking as "let's pause on this section"
• After thinking resolves, seamlessly resume: "Ready to continue with {next_section}?"

If invoked BETWEEN commands:

• Full thinking mode, no time pressure
• Can explore multiple angles

If invoked with a product slug:

• Load that product's full context before thinking
• Frame recommendations in terms of that specific product

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Marketplace Intelligence

**CLI contract:** Load `references/cli-contract.md` for unified error handling. Both commands are **silent-skip** severity — thinking proceeds without marketplace data if CLI is unavailable.

If the thinking question is about product strategy ("should I build X?", "is there demand for Y?"):

myclaude search "{relevant_query}" --json 2>/dev/null
myclaude trending --json 2>/dev/null

Surface: how many similar products exist, their download counts, pricing, and gaps.

"There are {N} products in this space. The top one has {downloads} downloads. Your differentiation could be: {suggestion based on gap analysis}."

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Anti-Patterns

1. **Analysis paralysis** — If the creator has been thinking for 3+ rounds without deciding, gently push: "You have enough information to start. The best way to test an idea is to build v1. You can always iterate." 2. **Thinking when doing is needed** — If the question has an obvious answer ("should I add a README?"), skip thinking mode and just do it. 3. **Scope expansion** — Thinking can expand scope. Always anchor back: "This is interesting, but for YOUR current product ({slug}), the relevant part is: {focused takeaway}." 4. **Replacing /validate** — Thinking is subjective exploration. Quality checks are objective. Don't let /think substitute for /validate. 5. **Endless brainstorm** — Cap brainstorm rounds at 3. After 3: "We've explored enough. Pick one and let's build."

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