knowledge-synthesis

name	knowledge-synthesis
description	Search the entire vault for all notes related to a topic, compile what Eduardo already knows, surface patterns, contradictions, and gaps, and create or update a MOC. Use when [OWNER] says "synthesize [topic]", "síntesis de [tema]", "what do I know about [topic]", or "qué sé sobre [tema]".

Knowledge Synthesis

Pull every relevant note across the vault into a single, coherent view of "what does Eduardo know about X". This is the skill that makes the second brain feel like a brain — the moment Eduardo asks "wait, what do I know about pricing?" and gets a real answer instead of a search result list.

Workflow

1. Parse the topic from [OWNER]'s request. If ambiguous ("synthesize AI" is too broad), ask one clarifying question.
2. Generate search terms: the topic itself, 3-5 synonyms, related concepts, and the Spanish/English counterpart. Example for "pricing": pricing, precios, cotización, value-based, wtp, willingness to pay, anchoring.
3. Search the vault in parallel using Grep across:
   • 05-knowledge/permanent-notes/
   • 05-knowledge/literature-notes/
   • 05-knowledge/maps-of-content/
   • 06-resources/
   • 03-projects/
   • 00-inbox/quick-capture/ (for unprocessed thoughts) Also Glob filenames containing the search terms.
4. Read each match (or the relevant section if a long file). Build an in-memory map of: source → claim/insight → tags → date.
5. Compile the synthesis with these sections:
   • What Eduardo knows — the consolidated view, written as connected prose, not a bullet list of citations
   • Recurring patterns — claims/ideas that show up in 2+ notes
   • Contradictions — places where notes disagree (genuine intellectual tension Eduardo should resolve)
   • Gaps — questions the existing notes raise but don't answer
   • Source list — every note used, with [[wikilinks]]
6. Create or update the MOC at 05-knowledge/maps-of-content/MOC-{{Topic}}.md:
   • If it exists, update it: refresh the modified date, add any newly-found notes, refine sub-themes
   • If it doesn't exist, create it using the MOC template (see monthly-consolidation skill)
7. If the synthesis surfaces a brand-new permanent insight that none of the existing notes captured cleanly, create a permanent note in 05-knowledge/permanent-notes/.
8. Output the synthesis inline to Eduardo (don't just point at the MOC file — show him the synthesis directly). End with: "Updated [[MOC-Topic]]" or "Created [[MOC-Topic]]".

Inline synthesis format

# Synthesis: {{Topic}}

## What you know
{{2-4 paragraphs of connected prose. Cite notes as [[wikilinks]] inline. No bullet dumps.}}

## 🔁 Recurring patterns
- **{{pattern}}** — appears in [[note1]], [[note2]], [[note3]]
- ...

## ⚡ Contradictions
- [[note A]] argues X, [[note B]] argues ¬X. Worth resolving because {{...}}

## 🕳️ Gaps
- {{question [OWNER]'s vault doesn't answer}}
- ...

## Sources used (N notes)
- [[note1]] · [[note2]] · [[note3]] · ...

→ Updated [[MOC-Topic]]

Rules

• The "What you know" section is prose, not bullets. Forcing prose forces synthesis. Bullet dumps are not synthesis.
• Cite at least 3 notes or admit Eduardo has very little on the topic. Don't fabricate connections.
• Bilingual: write the synthesis in the language most of the source notes use. If split 50/50, use Spanish ([OWNER]'s native).
• Never delete or rewrite source notes. Synthesis is read-only on its inputs.
• "Contradictions" must be substantive — different framings of the same idea don't count.
• If fewer than 3 relevant notes exist, say so plainly: "Eduardo has 2 notes on this topic — too thin to synthesize. Suggest capturing more before running this again."

Example invocation

[OWNER]: synthesize value-based pricing
→ Search terms: value-based, pricing, wtp, willingness to pay, anchoring, cotización, precios
→ Grep across 05-knowledge/, 06-resources/, 03-projects/[your-project]/ → 11 matches
→ Read all matches → compile prose synthesis → identify 2 patterns, 1 contradiction, 3 gaps
→ Update existing MOC-Business-Strategy.md with new sub-section
→ Output synthesis inline