golden-circle

name	golden-circle
description	Use the Golden Circle as a thinking tool for any question, pitch, product, strategy, writing, or decision where the user needs to clarify Why, How, and What.
compatibility	Created for Zo Computer
metadata	{"author":"rob.zo.computer"}

Golden Circle

Use this skill when a topic would benefit from separating purpose, method, and output: Why, How, and What.

Purpose

The Golden Circle frames communication and strategy in three layers:

• Why: purpose, belief, motivation, or reason it matters.
• How: method, approach, differentiator, operating principles, or process.
• What: concrete product, action, deliverable, feature, or observable behavior.

It is especially useful for pitches, product strategy, personal motivation, organizational alignment, writing introductions, and diagnosing whether a plan has a clear purpose.

Procedure

1. Identify the topic, decision, product, or message.
2. Ask: Why does this matter? What belief, need, problem, or purpose drives it?
3. Ask: How is the purpose pursued? What approach or principles make it distinct?
4. Ask: What is actually being done, built, offered, or changed?
5. Check alignment: does the What actually express the How and Why?
6. If useful, rewrite the message from the inside out: Why → How → What.

Output format

Use this concise structure unless the user asks otherwise:

## Why
...

## How
...

## What
...

## Alignment check
...

## Inside-out version
...

Guardrails

• Do not invent a lofty Why when the real purpose is pragmatic; practical purposes are valid.
• Keep the What concrete.
• Distinguish motivation from marketing language.
• If the Why, How, and What are misaligned, say so directly and propose a tighter version.

Canonical questions

Best for pitches, positioning, and alignment checks:

• "Help me write the intro slide for my startup pitch."
• "Our product page lists 14 features — what should it actually say?"
• "Why am I actually doing this side project?"
• "Rewrite this job posting so good candidates care."
• "Does our roadmap match our stated mission?"

Poor fits: causal analysis ("why did X fail?" — use n-whys), and problems with no audience or purpose dimension.