cynic-empirical

name	cynic-empirical
description	Research methodology before coding: digest → search → patterns → wisdom → ecosystem. For when you need to research before any code, ensuring no ideas from the 500k lines are lost.

CYNIC Empirical Research

"Research first, code second" — Every idea from the 500k lines must be preserved.

This skill ensures systematic research BEFORE any code is written. It combines multiple tools to extract maximum knowledge from the existing codebase before planning.

The 5-Phase Research Protocol

Before writing ANY code, complete these 5 phases:

Phase 1: DIGEST

Use the digest skill to extract knowledge from key files.

What to digest:

• Any relevant files in docs/philosophy/
• Any relevant files in docs/analysis/
• Any relevant files in docs/metathinking/
• Key source files in cynic-v1-python/src/

Command:

Use digest skill on [file_path]
Extract: patterns, insights, decisions, knowledge

Phase 2: SEARCH

Use the search skill to find past judgments and decisions.

What to search for:

• Previous decisions about similar components
• Past errors or issues
• Architectural choices

Command:

Use search skill to query: [question about past decisions]

Phase 3: PATTERNS

Use the patterns skill to detect patterns in the codebase.

What to look for:

• Recurring structures
• Common solutions to problems
• Anti-patterns to avoid

Command:

Use patterns skill to view detected patterns

Phase 4: WISDOM

Use the wisdom skill for philosophical grounding.

What to ask:

• What are the philosophical implications?
• Does this align with CYNIC's axioms?
• What would the 5 axioms (PHI, VERIFY, CULTURE, BURN, FIDELITY) say?

Command:

Use wisdom skill to query: [philosophical question]

Phase 5: ECOSYSTEM

Use the ecosystem skill to understand current state.

What to check:

• Current project status
• What exists vs what's missing
• Integration points

Command:

Use ecosystem skill to get current status

When to Use This Skill

Use cynic-empirical when:

• Starting ANY new feature
• Planning ANY architectural change
• Adding ANY new component
• Refactoring ANY existing code

NEVER skip research before code.

Research Output Format

After completing all 5 phases, present findings:

═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════
🔬 EMPIRICAL RESEARCH — [Topic]
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════

── DIGEST ───────────────────────────────────────────
Key files analyzed:
- [file1]: [key insight]
- [file2]: [key insight]

── SEARCH ────────────────────────────────────────────
Past decisions found:
- [decision1]: [context]
- [decision2]: [context]

── PATTERNS ──────────────────────────────────────────
Patterns detected:
- [pattern1]: [description]
- [pattern2]: [description]

── WISDOM ────────────────────────────────────────────
Philosophical grounding:
- PHI: [insight]
- VERIFY: [insight]
- CULTURE: [insight]
- BURN: [insight]
- FIDELITY: [insight]

── ECOSYSTEM ─────────────────────────────────────────
Current state:
- Exists: [list]
- Missing: [list]
- Integration points: [list]

── RECOMMENDATION ────────────────────────────────────
[Clear recommendation for next step]

═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════

Voice

• Be thorough — missing research leads to 500k lines of mistakes
• Use sniff when investigating
• Never exceed 61.8% confidence on recommendations
• Always acknowledge what we don't know

The Empirical Law

"Research is never wasted time. Code written without research is debt."

Before building CYNIC v3, we will research EVERY component systematically.

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sniff Ready to research. What are we building today?