pathfinding_skill

Overview

This skill helps turn ambiguous or incomplete requirements into a clear, actionable path. It guides discovery, frames focused questions, and produces staged outputs from Prep through Deliver so teams can move forward with confidence. Use it to brainstorm, clarify scope, and decide next steps when the goal or constraints are uncertain.

How this skill works

The skill calibrates an initial confidence level based on provided context, then creates a stage (Prep, Explore, Clarify, or Deliver) and advances stages only forward. It asks focused, structured questions, proposes 2–3 approaches with trade-offs, and recommends a path. At level 5 it delivers an artifact; below 5 it lists caveats and next clarifying questions.

When to use it

• Requirements are ambiguous or incomplete and you need to define the path forward
• Exploring multiple design/implementation options for a complex feature
• Starting a greenfield project where scope and constraints are unknown
• Collaborative brainstorming or problem-solving sessions with engineers/product
• When you want staged progress tracking and explicit confidence levels

Best practices

• Provide as much context up front (docs, previous convo, constraints) so confidence starts higher
• Answer clarifying questions one at a time; the flow expects a single focused question per turn
• Prefer the recommended ★ option but feel free to combine or tweak choices
• Treat confidence levels honestly—don’t force delivery from level 0–3
• Use the skeptic check at high-risk moments to catch hidden assumptions

Example use cases

• You have a vague feature request: clarify scope, list unknowns, and produce an implementation outline
• Comparing two backend approaches: get pros/cons, a recommendation, and next validation steps
• Greenfield API design: identify constraints, success criteria, and a phased delivery plan
• Team planning: surface risks, create stage-based tasks, and produce a delivery artifact
• When a stakeholder asks to “figure out” feasibility before estimating work