| name | pov |
| description | Single-model forced-framing diversity with inline synthesis. Turn-manager protocol: unfold → synthesize → reduce → conclude. Use for decision synthesis and strategic alignment. Cheaper than /cdo, richer than /think.
|
| triggers | ["pov","perspectives","synthesize options","strategic alignment","decision synthesis","conflict resolution"] |
| antitriggers | ["factual verification","code review","adversarial audit","safety-critical cross-check"] |
/pov — Point-of-View Synthesis
/pov is a turn manager, not a one-shot. Each turn produces raw output, declares its successor, and stops. This is unfolding — prevents the model from simulating conclusions without doing the generative work.
When to use
- Decision synthesis between 2-N options
- Strategic alignment across competing perspectives
- Terminology lockdown, IR design, vocabulary choice
- Conflict resolution where framing diversity > model independence
When NOT to use
- Facts under dispute →
/cdo (model independence catches blind spots)
- Code review / audit →
/review or /security-review
- Single-chain reasoning →
/think
- Parallel model comparison →
/tribunal
The 4-turn protocol
Turn 1 — Unfold
Print 20-35 raw POVs. No synthesis. Each item:
- 1 sentence, ≤ 20 words
- Framed through a lens (persona or method)
- Marked
(safe) | (wildcard) | (tbd)
Lenses — pick 6-10 per invocation:
systems_thinking, first_principles, figure_storming10x_dev, elon_musk, karpathy, sam_altmanbuffet_bezos_dimon, einstein_turingjesus_gandhi_godpre_mortem, reverse_brainstorm, second_order, opportunity_cost
Exit gate: declare Turn 2 is next. Stop.
Turn 2 — Synthesize
- Conflicts — find pairs/groups that genuinely oppose. Cite items by number. State the opposition evidenced.
- Convergences — find items where 3+ agree on the same direction. State the signal strength.
- Resolution hints — for each conflict, suggest "resolves as X" with evidence.
Exit gate: declare Turn 3 is next. Stop.
Turn 3 — Reduce
Collapse to ONE of:
- 1 concrete sequence — numbered steps with exit gates per step
- 1 axiom — compressed invariant that makes the decision self-evident
Exit gate: declare Turn 4 is next. Stop.
Turn 4 — Conclude
- Top-expert recommendation — name the domain, cite what practitioners in that field would do
- Evidence anchors — link back to Turn 2 convergences
- Exit menu — max 5 next-step options using the follow-up template
Exit gate: /pov cycle complete.
Axioms
- Forced-framing diversity > persona identity — one model producing N frames matches N models producing N similar frames, at 1/N the cost.
- Synthesis before enumeration — 30 items without synthesis is noise; synthesis without 30 items is bias.
- Name theater before claiming rigor — call out which thinking systems actually fired vs which were prompt-stems.
- Unfolding prevents simulation — compressed turns let the model hallucinate conclusions without doing the generative work. Turn boundaries force real output.
Costs & limits
- Tokens: ~2000-4000 per full cycle
- Time: 4 turns, no subagent round-trip
- Blind-spot risk: high (single model) — do not use for facts under dispute
vs other skills
| Skill | Use when |
|---|
/pov | decision synthesis, framing diversity, strategic alignment |
/cdo | multi-agent deliberation, facts under dispute, model independence matters |
/think | structured single-chain reasoning |
/tribunal | parallel model comparison with cross-agent consensus |
Worked example
2026-04-18 dogfood decision: /pov decided whether to ship /pov.
- Capture:
.lev/pm/workstreams/lifecycle-engine/captures/20260418-pov-pattern-and-c2-licensing.yaml
- 4 turns · 30 POVs → 4 conflicts + 5 convergences → 5-step sequence → Unix-philosophy conclusion
- Self-validation: /pov reasoning about /pov ship produced an actionable decision inline, single session, no subagents
Provenance
Discovered organically during DNA-hardening work (2026-04-16 → 2026-04-19) as an emergent pattern in next-steps menus. Formalized after the user recognized the pattern outperformed /cdo for synthesis tasks at ~5% of orchestration cost.
