compare-options

name	compare-options
description	Compares two or more options against criteria and recommends one with rationale. Use when the user says "compare these options", "which should we pick", "give me a tradeoff matrix", "X vs Y", "help me choose between", or lists multiple alternatives and wants a structured comparison. Calls the Decision Duck `comparative_analysis` MCP tool.
metadata	{"author":"Troy Taylor","version":"1.0","pattern":"analysis"}

Compare Options

What This Skill Does

Takes two or more options, optional decision criteria, and the context they sit in, then returns a side-by-side comparison, an explicit tradeoff discussion, and a recommendation with rationale. Wraps the comparative_analysis tool.

When to Activate

• User says "compare A vs B" or "which should we pick"
• User asks for a "tradeoff matrix", "decision matrix", or "pros and cons"
• User lists 2+ alternatives in one message and asks for help choosing
• User asks "what's the right path forward" with multiple paths on the table

When NOT to Activate

• Only one option is on the table → use second-opinion or risk-analysis
• User wants a full decision package with bias check too → use decide

Workflow

1. Confirm context, options, and criteria. Repeat back.

2. Call the tool.

   comparative_analysis(
     context: "<one-paragraph background>",
     options: ["Option A", "Option B", …],
     criteria: ["cost", "speed", "risk", …]
   )
   

3. Present a comparison table first, then the recommendation.

4. Call out the killer tradeoff explicitly. One sentence.

5. Recommend one option and the reasoning. Don't hedge with "it depends".