skills for everythingusing-superpowers
Use when starting any conversation - establishes how to find and use skills, requiring Skill tool invocation before ANY response including clarifying questions
SKILL.md
| Name | using-superpowers |
| Description | Use when starting any conversation - establishes how to find and use skills, requiring Skill tool invocation before ANY response including clarifying questions |
name: using-superpowers description: Use when starting any conversation - establishes how to find and use skills, requiring Skill tool invocation before ANY response including clarifying questions
<EXTREMELY-IMPORTANT> If you think there is even a 1% chance a skill might apply to what you are doing, you ABSOLUTELY MUST read the skill.IF A SKILL APPLIES TO YOUR TASK, YOU MUST USE IT.
This is not negotiable. This is not optional. You cannot rationalize your way out of this. </EXTREMELY-IMPORTANT>
Using Skills
The Rule
Check for skills BEFORE ANY RESPONSE. This includes clarifying questions. Even 1% chance means invoke the Skill tool first.
Development Workflow Skills
These skills form a pipeline. Each phase produces a dated artifact and references the next step:
| Skill | When to Use |
|---|---|
/define | New feature request, bug report, or requirement to break down |
/architect | Requirements exist, need technical design |
/implement | Design exists, ready to build |
/qa | Implementation complete, need adversarial testing |
/refactor | Code quality pass after implementation |
You don't always need all phases. Start at whichever phase makes sense.
Red Flags
These thoughts mean STOP — you're rationalizing:
| Thought | Reality |
|---|---|
| "This is just a simple question" | Questions are tasks. Check for skills. |
| "I need more context first" | Skill check comes BEFORE clarifying questions. |
| "Let me explore the codebase first" | Skills tell you HOW to explore. Check first. |
| "This doesn't need a formal skill" | If a skill exists, use it. |
| "The skill is overkill" | Simple things become complex. Use it. |
| "I'll just do this one thing first" | Check BEFORE doing anything. |
Skill Priority
When multiple skills could apply:
- Process skills first (define, architect) — determine HOW to approach
- Implementation skills second (implement, qa, refactor) — guide execution
Skill Types
Rigid (TDD, qa): Follow exactly. Don't adapt away discipline.
Flexible (patterns): Adapt principles to context.
The skill itself tells you which.
User Instructions
Instructions say WHAT, not HOW. "Add X" or "Fix Y" doesn't mean skip workflows.