ponder

name	ponder
description	Exploration skill for problems that need thinking before solving. Assesses a problem's shape and applies 1-5 exploration techniques in sequence — producing questions, reframings, structural maps, and new angles. Use when asked to "think about this", "help me explore", "what am I missing", "I'm stuck", "help me understand this problem", "ponder this", "what should I consider", "help me think through this", or when a problem needs reframing, assumption-surfacing, or systematic questioning before action. Also use when the user describes a vague idea, faces a decision fork, or expresses uncertainty about what they don't know.
metadata	{"context":"fork"}

Ponder

Exploration skill. Assess the problem's shape, select techniques, apply them in sequence. The caller sees substance — questions, frames, maps, new angles. Never technique names, shape labels, or sequencing rationale.

Phase 0: Assess

Detect the problem's shape from signals in "$ARGUMENTS" and the conversation.

Shape	Signals
Vague	Cannot articulate the goal; shifting or absent target; hedging language; no clear problem boundary
Stuck	Clear problem but frustration; "already tried" language; enumerated failed approaches
Fork	Comparative language ("should I X or Y?"); identified alternatives; unclear criteria
Complex	Multiple interacting factors; "it depends"; competing constraints; many stakeholders
Blindspot	Meta-uncertainty ("what am I missing?"); new domain; sensing something is off without naming it

When signals span multiple shapes, default to Vague.

Do not announce the shape. Proceed directly to selection.

Phase 1: Select

Choose techniques based on shape. Load only the selected technique reference files from @./references/.

Shape	Sequence	Technique pool (pick one per purpose)
Vague	Expand, Navigate, Define	Expand: wonder, branch-out; Navigate: zoom, question-the-question; Define: decompose
Stuck	Discover, Expand, Navigate	Discover: excavate-assumptions, first-principles; Expand: consider-alternatives, connect-domains; Navigate: assess-knowledge
Fork	Explore, Define, Navigate	Explore: argue-opposite, probe-boundaries, shift-perspective; Define: decompose; Navigate: zoom, assess-knowledge
Complex	Navigate, Explore, Define, Expand	Navigate: assess-knowledge, zoom; Explore: shift-perspective, invert; Define: decompose; Expand: branch-out, connect-domains
Blindspot	Discover, Expand, Explore	Discover: excavate-assumptions, premortem, find-leverage; Expand: wonder, consider-alternatives; Explore: invert, probe-boundaries

Within each purpose, pick the technique that best fits the problem's content:

• Existing plan or proposal: premortem, argue-opposite, probe-boundaries
• Choosing between options: consider-alternatives, shift-perspective, zoom
• Understanding a system: find-leverage, decompose, connect-domains
• Conceptually stuck: first-principles, invert, wonder
• Involves people or stakeholders: shift-perspective, excavate-assumptions, branch-out

Phase 2: Apply

Execute each selected technique in sequence. Each technique's output feeds the next. Read the technique's reference file, then follow its instructions against the problem.

Sequencing rules

Apply in priority order when the default shape sequence needs adjustment:

1. Discover, if present, goes first or second — hidden assumptions constrain everything downstream
2. Expand precedes Define — diverge before converging
3. Navigate precedes Explore for unfamiliar territory — map before probe
4. Define does not come first — it needs prior divergent input
5. Perspective-shifting precedes generation when both present
6. The final technique advances toward actionability

Transparency

Present the substance directly. No headers announcing technique names. No meta-commentary ("now I will explore from a different angle"). Transitions between techniques are woven into the substance, not announced. The output reads as natural, flowing exploration.

If a technique's output reveals the shape was misassessed, adjust the remaining techniques accordingly.

Phase 3: Surface

After all techniques are applied, offer a concise synthesis:

• What the exploration revealed
• What questions remain open
• What the most promising next step appears to be

This is the one place where naming open questions and suggesting directions is appropriate — it is substance, not process.

Context Loading

Load only the technique reference files selected in Phase 1. Never load all references upfront.

Phase	Load
Assess + Select	Nothing from references — use the tables above
Apply	Only the 1-5 selected technique files from @./references/
Surface	Nothing additional

Technique Reference Files

Each file in references/ contains a single technique's step-by-step instructions. The files are:

File	Purpose	Category
wonder.md	Open possibility space through curiosity	expand
branch-out.md	Generate distinct continuations from one point	expand
consider-alternatives.md	Create multiple explanations for same observations	expand
connect-domains.md	Import solutions from distant domains	expand
assess-knowledge.md	Map verified vs assumed vs unknown	navigate
zoom.md	Move between abstraction levels	navigate
question-the-question.md	Examine whether inquiry is aimed at right target	navigate
probe-boundaries.md	Test conclusions at edges and extremes	explore
argue-opposite.md	Stress-test by building strongest counter-case	explore
invert.md	Turn problems inside out	explore
shift-perspective.md	Inhabit different frames	explore
decompose.md	Break wholes into parts at natural joints	define
excavate-assumptions.md	Surface unstated assumptions at multiple levels	discover
first-principles.md	Strip convention to find irreducible truths	discover
premortem.md	Imagine failure and work backwards	discover
find-leverage.md	Find where small actions create outsized results	discover