thinking

Thinking Skill

Structured problem-solving through explicit step-by-step analysis.

When to Use

• Decisions are complex or multi-step
• Changes are high-risk or irreversible
• Debugging requires systematic exploration
• Architectural decisions with tradeoffs
• Planning before significant implementation

Core Guidance

• Break problems into explicit steps - Don't jump to conclusions
• Validate assumptions before acting - Question what you think you know
• Prefer planning before execution - Map the approach first
• Document reasoning - Make the thought process visible

Decision Matrix

Work Triggers (require planning)

• Action verbs: implement, fix, create, deploy
• @Role work: "@Developer implement X"
• Continuation: testing after implementation

Information Patterns (direct response)

• Questions: what, how, why, status
• @Role consultation: "@PM what story next?"

Context Evaluation

• Simple: Single question, surface-level → direct response
• Complex: Multi-component, system-wide impact → use thinking

Thinking Process

1. Identify the problem - What exactly needs to be solved?
2. Gather context - What information is relevant?
3. List options - What approaches are possible?
4. Evaluate tradeoffs - What are pros/cons of each?
5. Select approach - Which option best fits constraints?
6. Plan execution - What are the steps to implement?
7. Identify risks - What could go wrong?
8. Define validation - How will success be measured?

Memory Integration (AUTOMATIC)

Before Analysis

# Search for similar problems solved before
node ~/.claude/skills/memory/cli.js search "relevant problem keywords"

IF similar analysis found:
  - Review the approach
  - Adapt or reuse patterns
  - Note differences in context

After Significant Analysis

# Store valuable analysis patterns
node ~/.claude/skills/memory/cli.js write \
  --title "Analysis: <problem type>" \
  --summary "<approach that worked, key tradeoffs>" \
  --tags "analysis,<domain>" \
  --category "patterns" \
  --importance "medium"

This is SILENT - builds knowledge for future analysis without user notification.

Sequential Thinking MCP Tool

For complex analysis, use the mcp__sequential-thinking__sequentialthinking tool:

• Break into numbered thoughts
• Allow revision of previous thoughts
• Support branching for alternative approaches
• Track hypothesis generation and verification