/amplify

name: amplify
description: "Use when the workflow works but needs to handle more complex cases or produce higher-quality output through better tools, context, prompts, or models."
argument-hint: "[target area]"
category: enhancement
version: 2.0.0
user-invocable: true

MANDATORY PREPARATION

Invoke /agent-workflow — it contains workflow principles, anti-patterns, and the **Context Gathering Protocol**. Follow the protocol before proceeding — if no workflow context exists yet, you MUST run /teach-maestro first. Consult the tool-orchestration reference in the agent-workflow skill for adding tools effectively.

---

Take a working workflow and make it more capable. Amplification adds new abilities without breaking existing functionality.

Amplification Strategies

**Better Prompts**

• Add few-shot examples for edge cases the model currently mishandles
• Add chain-of-thought for tasks where reasoning quality matters
• Add negative instructions for common mistakes
• Upgrade output schema with more structured fields

**Better Tools**

• Add tools for capabilities the model currently lacks
• Improve existing tool descriptions for better selection accuracy
• Add confirmation steps for high-stakes operations
• Add tools for verification/validation of outputs

**Better Context**

• Add RAG for domain-specific knowledge
• Add real-time data sources for current information
• Add user profile/history for personalization
• Add project documentation as reference context

**Better Models**

• Upgrade to a more capable model for critical steps
• Use model cascading (cheap model for simple, capable model for complex)
• Add vision capabilities if processing images/documents
• Add code execution capabilities if generating code

Amplification Process

1. **Identify the gap**: What can't the workflow do that it should? 2. **Choose the strategy**: Which amplification approach addresses the gap? 3. **Implement incrementally**: Add one capability at a time 4. **Verify**: Run the evaluation suite to confirm improvement without regression

Impact Assessment

| Strategy | Cost Impact | Latency Impact | Quality Impact | |----------|-----------|---------------|----------------| | Better prompts | None | None | Medium-High | | Better tools | Low | Low-Medium | High | | Better context (RAG) | Medium | Medium | High | | Better models | High | Medium-High | High |

Amplification Checklist

• [ ] Gap identified with concrete evidence (not assumption)
• [ ] Single strategy selected (don't amplify everything at once)
• [ ] Baseline quality score recorded before change
• [ ] Change implemented and tested
• [ ] Quality score improved without regression
• [ ] Cost/latency impact documented

Recommended Next Step

After amplification, run `/evaluate` to verify the new capability works, or `/iterate` to set up quality monitoring for the enhanced workflow.

**NEVER**:

• Amplify without a specific gap to address (amplification without purpose is bloat)
• Add capabilities without testing them
• Upgrade models without recalculating cost
• Add tools without updating tool descriptions