pov-expansion

name	pov-expansion
last_updated	"2026-06-09T00:00:00.000Z"
description	Use when seeking analogous solutions from other domains, when stuck on a problem and need fresh perspectives, or when evaluating whether approaches from field X might apply to field Y. Requires structured problem statement.
handoff	{"accepts_from":["*"],"provides_to":["*"],"schema_version":"3.0","schema_type":"universal"}
categories	["creative","analysis","research"]

POV-Expansion: Cross-Domain Perspective Generation

Generate systematic cross-domain perspectives through boundary spanning research frameworks. Uses structure-mapping theory, convergence tracking, and transfer evaluation to identify analogous problems and transferable solutions.

When to Use

Use this skill when:

• Stuck on a problem - Need fresh perspectives from outside your domain
• Evaluating analogies - Want to assess if approach from field X applies to field Y
• Seeking breakthrough insights - Ready for 2-3 hour deep exploration
• Have structured problem - Can articulate problem clearly enough for abstraction

When NOT to Use

Do NOT use when:

• Exploratory browsing - No specific problem statement (use /research-pipeline instead)
• Time-constrained - Need answer in <1 hour (this workflow takes 2-3 hours minimum)
• Well-understood problem - Already know the solution domain (direct research faster)
• Vague problem - Cannot articulate problem clearly (refine first)

Architecture

Three-tier architecture:

1. Orchestrator: pov-expansion-pm (coordinates workflow, handles exceptions)
2. Specialist Agents: 5 new agents for abstraction, perspective generation, synthesis, transfer evaluation
3. Supporting Skills: Reuses requirements-analyst, fact-checker, devils-advocate, editor, strategist

Pre-flight Validation

Before invoking /pov-expansion, verify:

• Problem statement is specific (not "improve product" but "reduce onboarding time")
• Expected runtime: 2-3 hours (workflow cannot be rushed)
• Dependencies available: requirements-analyst, fact-checker, devils-advocate, editor, strategist skills exist

The 12-Stage Pipeline

Stage 0: Archival Guidelines Review

Owner: pov-expansion-pm (automatic) Duration: 2-5 min Checkpoint: Never (always runs automatically) Session Setup: Creates /tmp/pov-session-{YYYYMMDD-HHMMSS}-{PID}/

Initialize workflow session and extract archival guidelines from project CLAUDE.md.

Process:

1. Create session directory: /tmp/pov-session-$(date +%Y%m%d-%H%M%S)-$$/
2. Read project CLAUDE.md (if exists in working directory or parent)
3. Extract archival guidelines:
   • Repository organization (directory structure for cross-domain analyses)
   • Naming conventions (analysis- prefix for POV expansion outputs)
   • Git rules (commit after edits, no version-numbered files)
   • Document structure requirements (Executive Summary, Key Parameters Table)
   • Citation format (Nature-style inline)
4. Write archival summary to session directory: archival-guidelines-summary.md
5. Store session path in workflow state for downstream agents

Output:

session_setup:
  session_dir: "/tmp/pov-session-{timestamp}-{pid}/"
  archival_summary_path: "{session_dir}/archival-guidelines-summary.md"
  guidelines_found: boolean
  guidelines_source: string  # Path to CLAUDE.md or "defaults"

Quality Gate: Session directory created, archival summary written.

Failure Handling:

• CLAUDE.md not found: Use sensible defaults, log warning
• Session directory creation fails: ABORT (cannot proceed without session isolation)

Stage 1: Problem Refinement

Owner: requirements-analyst (reused) Duration: 15-30 min Receives: Session directory path from Stage 0 Quality Gate: Specific problem statement with measurable criteria

Stage 2: Problem Abstraction

Owner: pov-abstractor-classifier Duration: 15-30 min Quality Gate: Rasmussen hierarchy populated (5/5 levels)

Stage 3: Domain Classification

Owner: pov-abstractor-classifier Duration: 20-45 min (includes user confirmation) Quality Gate: 4 domains proposed (1+ Near, 1+ Mid, 1+ Far), user confirmed

Stage 4: Parallel Perspective Generation

Owner: pov-perspective-analyst (x4 parallel) Duration: 30-60 min (parallel) Quality Gate: 3+ perspectives complete, each with structural analogies

Stage 5: Parallel Verification

Owner: fact-checker (x2 parallel, reused) Duration: 15-30 min (parallel) Quality Gate: No factual errors in central claims

Stage 6: Convergence Analysis

Owner: pov-synthesizer Duration: 20-40 min Quality Gate: Convergence floor met (1+ theme in 2+ reports)

Stage 7: Transfer Evaluation

Owner: pov-transfer-evaluator Duration: 20-40 min Quality Gate: Transfer feasibility scored, Far field warnings added

Stage 8: Master Synthesis

Owner: pov-synthesizer Duration: 45-90 min Quality Gate: All perspectives integrated, convergent insights highlighted

Stage 9: Strategic Assessment

Owner: strategist (reused skill) Duration: 20-40 min Quality Gate: 3+ actionable recommendations with implementation paths

Stage 10: Adversarial Review

Owner: devils-advocate (reused) Duration: 20-40 min Quality Gate: Critical issues identified, mitigations proposed

Stage 11: Editorial Polish

Owner: editor (reused) Duration: 15-30 min Quality Gate: Consistent voice, no substantive errors

Timeout Configuration

Stage	Timeout	Exceeded Action
0 (Archival)	5 min	ABORT - cannot proceed without session
1 (Refinement)	30 min	Escalate to user
2 (Abstraction)	30 min	Escalate to user
3 (Classification)	45 min	Proceed with HIGH confidence domains only
4 (Perspectives)	60 min total	Proceed with available (minimum 2 required)
4 (per agent)	20 min	Retry once, then skip
5 (Verification)	30 min	Skip verification (flag risk)
6 (Convergence)	40 min	Proceed with portfolio framing
7 (Transfer)	40 min	Lower confidence, proceed
8 (Synthesis)	90 min	Escalate to user
9 (Strategic)	40 min	Skip (optional)
10 (Review)	40 min	Deliver without review (flag risk)
11 (Editorial)	30 min	Deliver as-is, cleanup session

Global Workflow Timeout: 8 hours On Global Timeout: Save state, escalate to user

Session Cleanup:

• On successful completion (Stage 11 complete): Delete session directory
• On failure/abort: Retain session directory for debugging (log path to user)

Quality Gate Specifications

Gate 0: Session Initialization (Stage 0)

Check	Threshold	Automated?
Session directory created	exists and writable	Yes
Archival summary written	file exists	Yes
Session path stored in workflow state	path present	Yes

Pass Threshold: 3/3 checks pass On Failure: ABORT - cannot proceed without session isolation

Gate 1: Problem Abstraction (Stage 2)

Check	Threshold	Automated?
Rasmussen levels populated	5/5 levels	Yes
Structural elements identified	>= 3 elements	Yes
Constraints defined	>= 1 constraint	Yes
Success metrics measurable	>= 1 metric	Manual

Pass Threshold: 4/4 checks pass On Failure: Return to Stage 1 with feedback (max 2 iterations)

Gate 2: Domain Classification (Stage 3)

Check	Threshold	Automated?
Domains proposed	4 domains	Yes
Near field present	>= 1	Yes
Far field present	>= 1	Yes
User confirmation	Required	No

Pass Threshold: All checks pass On Failure: Re-run with user guidance

Gate 3: Perspective Generation (Stage 4)

Check	Threshold	Automated?
Perspectives complete	>= 3 of 4	Yes
Structural analogies per perspective	>= 2	Yes
Domain-specific examples	>= 2 per perspective	Yes
No placeholder text	0 instances	Yes

Pass Threshold: All checks pass Marginal Pass: 3/4 checks (flag in synthesis) On Failure: Retry failed perspective or proceed with reduced coverage

Gate 4: Transfer Feasibility (Stage 7)

Check	Threshold	Automated?
All perspectives evaluated	100%	Yes
Structural similarity scored	All have scores	Yes
At least one high-transfer analogy	>= 1 with score > 0.6	Yes
Far field warnings added	All Far field have warnings	Yes

Pass Threshold: 4/4 checks pass Marginal Pass: 3/4 (proceed with caution flag) On Failure: Return to Stage 3 with broadened domains

Gate 5: Synthesis Coherence (Stage 8)

Check	Threshold	Automated?
All perspectives referenced	100%	Yes
Convergent insights highlighted	>= 1	Yes
Contradictions resolved	0 unresolved	Manual
Executive summary present	Yes	Yes

Pass Threshold: All checks pass On Failure: Return to synthesis with feedback

Gate 6: Strategic Actionability (Stage 9)

Check	Threshold	Automated?
Actionable recommendations	>= 3	Yes
Implementation paths	Each has path	Yes
Timeline/effort estimates	Present	Yes

Pass Threshold: All checks pass On Failure: Add missing elements or skip stage

Session Directory Structure

Location: /tmp/pov-session-{YYYYMMDD-HHMMSS}-{PID}/

/tmp/pov-session-{YYYYMMDD-HHMMSS}-{PID}/
├── archival-guidelines-summary.md  # Stage 0 output
├── workflow-state.yaml             # Workflow state for resume
├── progress.md                     # Progress tracking
├── stage-1-refinement.md           # Stage 1 output
├── stage-2-abstraction.yaml        # Stage 2 output (structured)
├── stage-3-domains.yaml            # Stage 3 output (structured)
├── stage-4-perspectives/           # Parallel outputs
│   ├── near-field-1.md
│   ├── near-field-2.md
│   ├── mid-field.md
│   └── far-field.md
├── stage-5-verification/           # Parallel outputs
│   ├── verification-1.md
│   └── verification-2.md
├── stage-6-convergence.md
├── stage-7-transfer.md
├── stage-8-synthesis.md
├── stage-9-strategic.md
├── stage-10-review.md
├── stage-11-final.md               # Final deliverable
└── failure-log.md                  # Failure tracking

Workflow State Schema

workflow_state:
  workflow_id: string
  problem_statement: string
  started_at: ISO8601
  current_stage: integer  # 0-11
  stages_completed: [integer]

  session:                              # Added for session management
    session_dir: string                 # /tmp/pov-session-{...}/
    archival_guidelines_path: string    # Path to archival-guidelines-summary.md
    guidelines_found: boolean           # Whether CLAUDE.md was found
    guidelines_source: string           # Path to CLAUDE.md or "defaults"
    cleanup_on_complete: boolean        # Default true

  artifacts:
    stage_0: path | null                # archival-guidelines-summary.md
    stage_1: path | null
    stage_2: path | null
    # ... etc
    stage_11: path | null

  status: enum[in_progress, paused, completed, failed]
  last_checkpoint: ISO8601
  error_log: [string]

Session Handling on Resume:

• If session directory exists: Reuse existing session
• If session directory missing: Re-run Stage 0 to recreate (non-destructive)

Error Handling Protocols

Catastrophic Failure Protocol (Stage 4)

When ALL perspective agents fail:

1. Detection: 0 valid outputs from 4 parallel agents
2. Check for partial outputs: Any content > 500 chars is "partial"
3. Present user options:

PERSPECTIVE GENERATION FAILED: All 4 agents failed

Failures:
- Near Field 1: [status]
- Near Field 2: [status]
- Mid Field: [status]
- Far Field: [status]

Options:
(A) Retry SEQUENTIALLY (slower but more stable)
(B) Retry with 2 agents only (Near + Mid fields)
(C) Review partial outputs if available
(D) Abort workflow, preserve problem abstraction

Convergence Floor Protocol

Minimum Convergence Threshold:

• 1+ themes appearing in 2+ reports, OR
• 2+ strategies appearing in 2+ reports, OR
• 1+ structural analogies across 2+ domains

On Zero Convergence:

1. Re-analyze with relaxed matching (related concepts, not exact)
2. Look for "anti-convergence" (all agree something doesn't work)
3. If still zero: Offer portfolio framing (present as independent options, not validated patterns)

User Response Timeout Protocol

Gate	Timeout	Default Action
Domain Classification	10 min	Proceed with HIGH confidence domains only
Transfer Feasibility	5 min	Proceed with portfolio view
Strategic Priority	5 min	Present all options without prioritization

Parallel Execution

Stage 4: Perspective Generation (Fork-Join)

parallel_execution:
  stage: 4
  pattern: fork_join
  max_agents: 4

  agent_assignment:
    agent_1: "Near Field 1"
    agent_2: "Near Field 2"
    agent_3: "Mid Field"
    agent_4: "Far Field"

  output_paths:
    agent_1: "/tmp/pov-session-{id}/stage-4-perspectives/near-field-1.md"
    agent_2: "/tmp/pov-session-{id}/stage-4-perspectives/near-field-2.md"
    agent_3: "/tmp/pov-session-{id}/stage-4-perspectives/mid-field.md"
    agent_4: "/tmp/pov-session-{id}/stage-4-perspectives/far-field.md"

  completion:
    minimum_required: 2
    proceed_on_timeout: true
    log_missing: true

Stage 5: Verification (Parallel)

parallel_execution:
  stage: 5
  pattern: parallel
  max_agents: 2

  assignment:
    agent_1: "Near + Mid perspectives"
    agent_2: "Far perspective + cross-check"

Success Criteria

• Diversity: Perspectives span Near, Mid, and Far fields (4 domains minimum)
• Depth: Structural analogies via structure-mapping principles (>=2 per perspective)
• Convergence: Cross-perspective insights tracked with measurable algorithm
• Transferability: Rigorous transfer evaluation with Far field warnings
• Actionability: Strategic assessment with >=3 recommendations and implementation paths