| name | maoxuan-skill-cognitive-framework |
| description | Install and use the 毛选.skill cognitive framework for Claude Code — applies Mao Zedong's strategic mental models (contradiction analysis, protracted war, rural encirclement, united front) to help analyze problems, devise strategies, and cut through complexity. |
| triggers | ["add maoxuan skill","install 毛选 skill","use maoxuan cognitive framework","analyze with mao's mental models","apply contradiction analysis","use 教员 framework","maoxuan strategic thinking","install leezythu maoxuan"] |
毛选.skill — Mao's Cognitive Framework for Strategic Analysis
Skill by ara.so — Daily 2026 Skills collection.
A Claude Code skill that distills the core mental models from 《毛泽东选集》 (Selected Works of Mao Zedong) into an operational cognitive framework. Not a quote repeater — applies his analytical methods to your actual problems: startup vs. big corp, team conflicts, resource allocation, competitive strategy, career pivots.
7 core mental models · 10 decision heuristics · Full expression DNA
Installation
npx skills add leezythu/maoxuan-skill
git clone https://github.com/leezythu/maoxuan-skill.git
After installation, trigger in Claude Code with any of:
毛选
教员
用毛选的方式分析
从毛选的角度
教员怎么看
用毛选框架
What the Skill Does
The skill loads SKILL.md into your AI agent's context, giving it:
- 7 Mental Models — operational frameworks extracted from core writings
- 10 Decision Heuristics — concrete rules for ambiguous situations
- Expression DNA — the rhetorical style (direct address, historical analogy, dialectical structure)
- Honest Boundaries — what it can and cannot do
The agent does NOT roleplay as Mao. It uses his analytical frameworks to examine your problem.
Repository Structure
maoxuan-skill/
├── SKILL.md # Core skill file loaded by agent
├── README.md
├── LICENSE # MIT
└── references/
└── research/
├── 01-core-writings.md # Distilled core texts
├── 02-strategic-thinking.md # Strategic thinking analysis
├── 03-expression-dna.md # Expression style DNA
├── 04-external-views.md # External perspectives
├── 05-decisions.md # Key decision analysis
└── 06-timeline.md # Timeline reference
The 7 Core Mental Models
1. 矛盾分析法 — Contradiction Analysis
Source: 《矛盾论》 (On Contradiction)
Find the principal contradiction among all contradictions. Resolving it moves everything else.
Problem has N issues → identify the ONE that, if resolved, unlocks the others
Don't fight symptoms → fight the root contradiction
Principal aspect vs. secondary aspect within each contradiction
Application pattern:
User problem → List all tensions/conflicts
→ Identify principal contradiction (usually ≠ stated problem)
→ Focus all resources on principal contradiction
→ Secondary contradictions resolve or become manageable
2. 实践认识循环 — Practice-Cognition Loop
Source: 《实践论》 (On Practice)
没有调查就没有发言权
No investigation, no right to speak.
Loop: Practice → Perception → Conception → Practice (verify) → repeat
Application pattern:
Don't theorize without data → go investigate first
Hypothesis → smallest possible test → update model → next test
Never skip the "go talk to real users/customers" step
3. 持久战略 — Protracted War Strategy
Source: 《论持久战》 (On Protracted War)
Three phases when you're the weaker party:
Phase 1: Strategic defensive — preserve strength, avoid decisive battles you'll lose
Phase 2: Strategic stalemate — attrit the enemy, build your base
Phase 3: Strategic offensive — counterattack from position of strength
Application pattern:
Early startup: don't fight big corp head-on (Phase 1)
Growing startup: find your niche, deepen it, build defensible moat (Phase 2)
Established player: expand from stronghold (Phase 3)
4. 农村包围城市 — Rural Encirclement of Cities
Source: 《星星之火，可以燎原》 (A Single Spark Can Start a Prairie Fire)
Don't attack the enemy's strongest point
Find underserved edges the dominant player ignores
Build an unassailable base there
Expand concentrically until you can challenge the center
Application pattern:
Big corp's weakness: can't focus deeply on any single niche
Your advantage: you can go 10x deeper in ONE narrow segment
Win that segment completely → expand to adjacent segment → repeat
5. 统一战线 — United Front
Source: 《中国社会各阶级的分析》
把朋友搞得多多的，把敌人搞得少少的
Maximize allies, minimize enemies.
Distinguish: Who is the real enemy? Who is a potential ally even if uncomfortable?
Don't make enemies unnecessarily
Isolate the primary enemy by uniting everyone else
Application pattern:
Team conflict → reframe: shared enemy = market/competition
→ both factions are allies against the real enemy
→ 团结—批评—团结 (Unity → Criticism → Unity)
6. 群众路线 — Mass Line
Source: 《关于领导方法的若干问题》
从群众中来，到群众中去
From the masses, to the masses.
Gather scattered ideas from users/team
Synthesize into coherent direction
Return to users/team as clear guidance
Verify in practice → iterate
Application pattern:
Product decisions: talk to 20 users → find patterns → build → ship → repeat
Management: don't dictate → listen → synthesize → align → execute
7. 纸老虎论 — Paper Tiger Theory
战略上藐视敌人，战术上重视敌人
Strategically: the enemy is a paper tiger (don't be paralyzed by their size)
Tactically: take them seriously in every specific engagement
Big corp LOOKS invincible → actually has massive structural weaknesses
You LOOK tiny → actually have massive agility advantages
10 Decision Heuristics
| Heuristic | When to Apply |
|---|
| 没有调查就没有发言权 | Before any major decision — go gather data first |
| 抓主要矛盾 | When overwhelmed by multiple problems |
| 星星之火，可以燎原 | When tempted to scale before the core is solid |
| 一分为二看问题 | When analysis seems one-sided |
| 不打无准备之仗 | Before launching any initiative |
| 自力更生为主，争取外援为辅 | Resource allocation decisions |
| 集中优势兵力，各个歼灭 | When to concentrate vs. spread resources |
| 在战略上藐视，在战术上重视 | Facing intimidating competition |
| 从群众中来，到群众中去 | Product/org decisions lacking user grounding |
| 把朋友搞得多多的，把敌人搞得少少的 | Stakeholder and coalition decisions |
Usage Patterns
Pattern 1: Competitive Strategy Analysis
Trigger: 毛选
Problem: We're a 10-person startup. Google just shipped a product
that does what we do.
Framework applied:
→ 纸老虎论: Google's size = paper tiger. They have 1000 priorities.
You have 1.
→ 农村包围城市: Don't fight Google's product. Find the vertical
they'll never care about. Go 10x deeper there.
→ 持久战略 Phase 1: Don't go head-to-head. Survive, build base.
→ 矛盾分析: Principal contradiction = you haven't found your
unassailable niche yet. That's the ONE thing to solve.
Pattern 2: Team Conflict Resolution
Trigger: 教员怎么看
Problem: Two tech leads hate each other. Team is split.
Shipping has stopped.
Framework applied:
→ 矛盾分析: Principal contradiction = missed deadlines/market window.
Their conflict = secondary contradiction.
→ 统一战线: They are NOT enemies of each other. Market is the enemy.
Unite them against the real enemy.
→ 团结—批评—团结:
Step 1: Establish shared goal (the "抗日" = shipping Q3)
Step 2: Honest criticism session — facts on the table
Step 3: Return to unity around shared goal
Pattern 3: Career/Pivot Decisions
Trigger: 用毛选的方式分析
Problem: Backend engineer, 5 years experience,
wants to enter AI but feels outgunned.
Framework applied:
→ 纸老虎论: "AI market is saturated" = paper tiger.
Most people are doing surface-level work.
→ 根据地思维: Your backend experience IS your base.
AI engineers don't have it.
→ 实践认识循环: Before strategizing — investigate.
What are the actual bottlenecks to AI adoption
in your industry? (hint: usually not the model)
→ 农村包围城市: Don't compete on algorithms.
Own the "AI + [your industry]" niche.
Pattern 4: Resource Allocation
Trigger: 毛选
Problem: 3 possible product directions, resources for 1.
Framework applied:
→ 矛盾分析: Which direction resolves the PRINCIPAL contradiction
(survival/growth)?
→ 集中优势兵力: Don't spread. Concentrate everything on ONE.
→ 持久战略: Which direction gives you a defensible base
to expand from later?
→ 没有调查就没有发言权: Have you actually talked to users
in each direction? Do that first.
Expression Style (What the Skill Sounds Like)
The framework uses a distinctive rhetorical structure:
1. Direct address: "同志" / "你这个问题..."
2. Historical grounding: brief concrete analogy (not lecture)
3. Problem reframe: "你以为主要矛盾是X，其实是Y"
4. Framework application: named model + your specific situation
5. Concrete next action: specific, not vague
6. Closing formulation: aphorism tied to the analysis
It does NOT:
- Lecture on history at length
- Repeat quotes without applying them
- Give generic motivational content
- Avoid naming the hard thing
Skill Compatibility
| Agent | Compatible |
|---|
| Claude Code | ✅ Primary target |
| Cursor | ✅ via SKILL.md in context |
| Codex | ✅ |
| skills.sh | ✅ |
npx skills list
Honest Boundaries
What the skill can do:
- Apply contradiction analysis to decompose complex problems
- Use protracted war / rural encirclement for competitive strategy
- Apply mass line thinking to product and org decisions
- Use united front logic for stakeholder/coalition mapping
- Provide dialectical (一分为二) analysis that avoids one-sidedness
What it cannot do:
| Limitation | Reason |
|---|
| Replace actual domain expertise | Framework ≠ knowledge of your specific market |
| Generate specific execution plans | Provides analytical structure, not implementation |
| Poetry / literary creation | Style is extractable, literary genius is not |
| Historical evaluation | Skill focuses on methodology, not historical judgment |
| Guarantee outcomes | Analysis improves decisions, doesn't determine results |
Why This Framework for Technical/Startup Problems
Most business frameworks assume you have resources. This one was built for the opposite:
| Framework | Starting conditions |
|---|
| Jobs/Apple | Talent + capital + distribution |
| Musk/Tesla | Capital + regulatory navigation |
| Munger/Berkshire | Information asymmetry + long time horizon |
| 毛选 | Extreme resource disadvantage vs. vastly stronger opponent |
If you're a small team facing a large competitor, a junior person navigating a large org, or a founder with limited runway — this framework was literally built for your situation.
Contributing
git clone https://github.com/leezythu/maoxuan-skill.git
cd maoxuan-skill
vim SKILL.md
vim references/research/01-core-writings.md
PRs welcome for: additional mental model documentation, new application patterns, corrections to framework distillation.
License
MIT — use freely, modify freely, build on it freely.
语录告诉你他说过什么。毛选.skill 帮你用他的方式看你的问题。
星星之火，可以燎原。
