28 eval-informed mental models and critical-thinking skills for Claude Code, GitHub Copilot, Codex, Cursor, and other Agent Skills-compatible tools
Install
npx skills add tjboudreaux/cc-thinking-skillsgh skill install tjboudreaux/cc-thinking-skillsgit clone --depth 1 https://github.com/tjboudreaux/cc-thinking-skillsSkills in this collection
- Thinking Bounded RationalityTravis BoudreauxUse when search or investigation could run forever. Set an explicit good-enough threshold first, then stop at the first option that clears it.
- Thinking Circle Of CompetenceTravis BoudreauxUse when a specific claim may lack grounding. Check evidence boundary, size wrongness cost, then answer, fetch, or abstain — never confabulate.
- Thinking CynefintjboudreauxClassify problems by complexity domain (clear, complicated, complex, chaotic) and match approach to domain. Use for choosing methodologies, problem framing, and process design.
- Thinking EffectuationTravis BoudreauxUnder genuine uncertainty with no reliable forecast, inventory means, cap downside at affordable loss, act for commitments, and let goals emerge from controllable moves.
- Thinking First PrinciplestjboudreauxBreak complex problems into fundamental truths by questioning assumptions and rebuilding from irreducible components. Use for innovation, challenging status quo, or when conventional solutions fail.
- Thinking Five Whys PlusTravis BoudreauxWhen a fault is localized and the proximate cause is known but the systemic root is not, chain evidence-linked whys with a counterfactual stop and a countermeasure.
- Thinking Jobs To Be DoneTravis BoudreauxDeciding what to build or why adoption fails. Recover the progress users hire a solution for under a circumstance, then rank by outcome and competing workarounds.
- Thinking Kepner TregoetjboudreauxSystematic rational process for complex problem analysis, decision making, and risk assessment. Use for high-stakes engineering decisions, root cause analysis beyond 5 Whys, and multi-factor evaluations requiring structured criteria.
- Thinking Lindy EffectTravis BoudreauxUse when longevity of a non-perishable option matters. Treat survival duration as a remaining-life prior, then check domain drift before favoring the proven.
- Thinking Map TerritorytjboudreauxRecognize limits of mental models and diagrams. Use when models diverge from reality, debugging expectation mismatches, or questioning abstraction accuracy.
- Thinking Margin Of SafetytjboudreauxBuild in buffers for unknown unknowns and don't optimize to the edge. Use for capacity planning, deadline estimation, architecture design, and risk management.
- Thinking Model CombinationtjboudreauxCombine multiple mental models for richer analysis. Use for complex problems requiring multiple lenses, high-stakes decisions, or when single models leave blind spots.
- Thinking Model RouterTravis BoudreauxWhen unsure which thinking skill fits, map domain and problem type, then return NONE or one primary skill by default (at most three complementary).
- Thinking OodaTravis BoudreauxUse under time pressure when the situation is still changing and you must act before certainty — cycle Observe→Orient→Decide→Act on ~70% confidence, then re-observe.
- Thinking Opportunity CostTravis BoudreauxBefore committing scarce time, people, or money, name the best forgone use of those resources and the value delta of the chosen path versus that alternative.
- Thinking Pre MortemtjboudreauxImagine a project has failed and work backward to identify why. Use at project kickoffs, before major decisions, or when optimism may be obscuring risks.
- Thinking ProbabilistictjboudreauxExpress confidence in ranges, update predictions with new information, and track calibration over time. Use for project estimation, risk assessment, and decision making under uncertainty.
- Thinking Red TeamTravis BoudreauxFor authorized security review of code, auth, or APIs you control, model the attacker, map the attack surface, and report only findings with a reproducible exploit path and verified mitigation.
- Thinking ReversibilityTravis BoudreauxBefore heavy deliberation, classify the decision as cheap or costly to undo; decide two-way doors fast and stage one-way doors to preserve options.
- Thinking Scientific MethodtjboudreauxHypothesis â Prediction â Test â Revise with explicit falsification. Use for debugging, feature experimentation, performance investigation, and A/B testing design.
- Thinking Second OrdertjboudreauxThink beyond immediate consequences to second and third-order effects. Use for strategic decisions, policy changes, and avoiding unintended consequences.
- Thinking SocratictjboudreauxSystematic questioning framework to deepen understanding, challenge assumptions, and uncover hidden beliefs. Use for requirements gathering, debugging, coaching, and critical analysis.
- Thinking Steel ManningTravis BoudreauxBefore rejecting a proposal or reflexively agreeing, build the strongest faithful opposing case, state agreement conditions, then update or reaffirm.
- Thinking SystemsTravis BoudreauxWhen behavior is emergent across components—fixes elsewhere break, loops/delays dominate—map boundary, stocks/flows, feedback, archetypes, then rank leverage.
- Thinking Theory Of ConstraintsTravis BoudreauxWhen throughput or latency is pipeline-limited, identify the single binding constraint and exploit, subordinate, elevate, then recheck—ignore non-constraints.
- Thinking Thought ExperimenttjboudreauxTest ideas through hypothetical scenarios when empirical testing is impractical. Use for architecture evaluation, edge case analysis, ethics considerations, and strategy development.
- Thinking TrizTravis BoudreauxWhen two design requirements seem mutually exclusive, name the contradiction, separate conflicting states, then invent a concrete no-compromise resolution.
- Thinking Via NegativatjboudreauxImprove by removal rather than addition. Focus on what to stop doing, eliminate the negative, and subtract complexity. Use for system simplification, process improvement, and feature prioritization.