using-oac

name	using-oac
description	Use when starting any conversation — establishes how to find and use OAC skills, requiring Skill tool invocation BEFORE ANY response including clarifying questions, this is your secret weapon to best perform your tasks
metadata	{"author":"darrenhinde"}

If you think there is even a 1% chance an OAC skill might apply to what you are doing, you ABSOLUTELY MUST invoke the skill.

IF A SKILL APPLIES TO YOUR TASK, YOU DO NOT HAVE A CHOICE. YOU MUST USE IT.

This is not negotiable. This is not optional. You cannot rationalize your way out of this.

How to Access Skills

In Claude Code: Use the Skill tool. When you invoke a skill, its content is loaded and presented to you—follow it directly. Never use the Read tool on skill files.

Using OAC Skills

The Rule

Invoke relevant or requested skills BEFORE any response or action. Even a 1% chance a skill might apply means that you should invoke the skill to check. If an invoked skill turns out to be wrong for the situation, you don't need to use it.

digraph skill_flow {
    "User message received" [shape=doublecircle];
    "About to build/create something?" [shape=doublecircle];
    "Already brainstormed?" [shape=diamond];
    "Invoke oac:approach skill" [shape=box];
    "Might any OAC skill apply?" [shape=diamond];
    "Invoke Skill tool" [shape=box];
    "Announce: 'OAC skill loaded: [friendly-skill-name] — [purpose]'" [shape=box];
    "Has checklist?" [shape=diamond];
    "Create TodoWrite todo per item" [shape=box];
    "Follow skill exactly" [shape=box];
    "Respond (including clarifications)" [shape=doublecircle];

    "About to build/create something?" -> "Already brainstormed?";
    "Already brainstormed?" -> "Invoke oac:approach skill" [label="no"];
    "Already brainstormed?" -> "Might any OAC skill apply?" [label="yes"];
    "Invoke oac:approach skill" -> "Might any OAC skill apply?";

    "User message received" -> "Might any OAC skill apply?";
    "Might any OAC skill apply?" -> "Invoke Skill tool" [label="yes, even 1%"];
    "Might any OAC skill apply?" -> "Respond (including clarifications)" [label="definitely not"];
    "Invoke Skill tool" -> "Announce: 'OAC skill loaded: [friendly-skill-name] — [purpose]'";
    "Announce: 'OAC skill loaded: [friendly-skill-name] — [purpose]'" -> "Has checklist?";
    "Has checklist?" -> "Create TodoWrite todo per item" [label="yes"];
    "Has checklist?" -> "Follow skill exactly" [label="no"];
    "Create TodoWrite todo per item" -> "Follow skill exactly";
}

Available OAC Skills

Skill	When to invoke
oac:using-oac	This skill — loaded at session start
oac:approach	BEFORE any creative work, building features, adding functionality
oac:context-discovery	BEFORE implementing anything — find standards and patterns
oac:task-breakdown	When breaking complex features into subtasks
oac:code-execution	When implementing code subtasks
oac:test-generation	When creating tests
oac:code-review	When reviewing code changes
oac:external-research	When working with external libraries/packages
oac:parallel-execution	When running multiple agents in parallel
oac:debugger	BEFORE proposing any fix for a bug or test failure
oac:verification-before-completion	BEFORE claiming any work is complete or tests pass

Skill Priority

When multiple skills could apply, use this order:

1. Process skills first (approach, debugger) — these determine HOW to approach the task
2. Implementation skills second (context-discovery, task-breakdown, code-execution) — these guide execution

"Let's build X" → approach first, then context-discovery, then implementation skills. "Fix this bug" → debugger first, then verification-before-completion.

Red Flags

These thoughts mean STOP — you're rationalizing:

Thought	Reality
"This is just a simple question"	Questions are tasks. Check for skills.
"I need more context first"	Skill check comes BEFORE clarifying questions.
"Let me explore the codebase first"	Skills tell you HOW to explore. Check first.
"I can check git/files quickly"	Files lack conversation context. Check for skills.
"Let me gather information first"	Skills tell you HOW to gather information.
"This doesn't need a formal skill"	If a skill exists, use it.
"I remember this skill"	Skills evolve. Read current version.
"This doesn't count as a task"	Action = task. Check for skills.
"The skill is overkill"	Simple things become complex. Use it.
"I'll just do this one thing first"	Check BEFORE doing anything.
"This feels productive"	Undisciplined action wastes time. Skills prevent this.
"I know what that means"	Knowing the concept ≠ using the skill. Invoke it.

Skill Types

Rigid (debugger, verification-before-completion): Follow exactly. Don't adapt away discipline.

Flexible (approach, context-discovery): Adapt principles to context.

The skill itself tells you which.

Skill Friendly Names

When announcing a skill, use the friendly name below (not the internal skill ID):

Skill ID	Friendly Name
oac-approach	OAC Approach
context-discovery	OAC Context Discovery
task-breakdown	OAC Task Breakdown
code-execution	OAC Code Execution
test-generation	OAC Test Generation
code-review	OAC Code Review
external-research	OAC External Research
parallel-execution	OAC Parallel Execution
debugger	OAC Debugger
verification-before-completion	OAC Verification
context-setup	OAC Context Setup

Example announcement: OAC skill loaded: OAC Approach — planning before implementation

User Instructions

Instructions say WHAT, not HOW. "Add X" or "Fix Y" doesn't mean skip workflows.

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