using-superpowers

name	using-superpowers
description	Use when starting any conversation - establishes how to find and use skills, requiring Skill tool invocation before ANY response including clarifying questions

If you were dispatched as a subagent to execute a specific task, skip this skill. If you think there is even a 1% chance a 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.

Instruction Priority

Superpowers skills override default system prompt behavior, but user instructions always take precedence:

1. User's explicit instructions (CLAUDE.md, GEMINI.md, AGENTS.md, direct requests) — highest priority
2. Superpowers skills — override default system behavior where they conflict
3. Default system prompt — lowest priority

If CLAUDE.md, GEMINI.md, or AGENTS.md says "don't use TDD" and a skill says "always use TDD," follow the user's instructions. The user is in control.

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.

In Copilot CLI: Use the skill tool. Skills are auto-discovered from installed plugins. The skill tool works the same as Claude Code's Skill tool.

In Gemini CLI: Skills activate via the activate_skill tool. Gemini loads skill metadata at session start and activates the full content on demand.

In other environments: Check your platform's documentation for how skills are loaded.

Platform Adaptation

Skills use Claude Code tool names. Non-CC platforms: see references/copilot-tools.md (Copilot CLI), references/codex-tools.md (Codex) for tool equivalents. Gemini CLI users get the tool mapping loaded automatically via GEMINI.md.

Using 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 EnterPlanMode?" [shape=doublecircle];
    "Already brainstormed?" [shape=diamond];
    "Invoke brainstorming skill" [shape=box];
    "Might any skill apply?" [shape=diamond];
    "Invoke Skill tool" [shape=box];
    "Announce: 'Using [skill] to [purpose]'" [shape=box];
    "Has checklist?" [shape=diamond];
    "Create beads (bd create) per item" [shape=box];
    "Follow skill exactly" [shape=box];
    "Respond (including clarifications)" [shape=doublecircle];

    "About to EnterPlanMode?" -> "Already brainstormed?";
    "Already brainstormed?" -> "Invoke brainstorming skill" [label="no"];
    "Already brainstormed?" -> "Might any skill apply?" [label="yes"];
    "Invoke brainstorming skill" -> "Might any skill apply?";

    "User message received" -> "Might any skill apply?";
    "Might any skill apply?" -> "Invoke Skill tool" [label="yes, even 1%"];
    "Might any skill apply?" -> "Respond (including clarifications)" [label="definitely not"];
    "Invoke Skill tool" -> "Announce: 'Using [skill] to [purpose]'";
    "Announce: 'Using [skill] to [purpose]'" -> "Has checklist?";
    "Has checklist?" -> "Create beads (bd create) per item" [label="yes"];
    "Has checklist?" -> "Follow skill exactly" [label="no"];
    "Create beads (bd create) per item" -> "Follow skill exactly";
}

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 Priority

When multiple skills could apply, use this order:

1. Process skills first (brainstorming, debugging) - these determine HOW to approach the task
2. Implementation skills second (frontend-design, mcp-builder) - these guide execution

"Let's build X" → brainstorming first, then implementation skills. "Fix this bug" → debugging first, then domain-specific skills.

Skill Types

Rigid (TDD, debugging): Follow exactly. Don't adapt away discipline.

Flexible (patterns): Adapt principles to context.

The skill itself tells you which.

User Instructions

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

Beads Issue Tracking

This skills system uses bd (beads) for persistent task tracking across sessions. Beads replaces TodoWrite, TaskCreate, and markdown TODO lists.

Key Concepts

• Epic Bead: Each plan or brainstorming session creates an epic bead. All tasks are children of the epic.
• Bead Lifecycle: open → in_progress (via --claim) → closed (via bd close)
• The Ledger: The beads database is the project ledger — persistent, auditable, version-controlled via Dolt.
• Dependency Chain: Tasks with dependencies use bd dep add <child> <depends-on>.
• Memories: Use bd remember "insight" for persistent learnings across sessions.

Quick Reference

Action	Command
Create epic bead	bd create "Epic: feature name" -t epic -p 2
Create task bead	bd create "Task: title" -t task --parent <epic-id>
Quick capture (scripting)	bd q "title"
Claim work	bd update <id> --claim
Complete work	bd close <id> --reason "description"
Check remaining work	bd ready --parent <epic-id>
Show blocked issues	bd blocked
Epic completion status	bd epic status <id>
Add dependency	bd dep add <child-id> <depends-on-id>
View dependency tree	bd dep tree <epic-id>
Store a learning	bd remember "insight"
Remove stale memory	bd forget <id>
Search memories	bd memories <keyword>
Recall specific memory	bd recall <id>
Append note to bead	bd note <id> "context"
Find duplicate beads	bd find-duplicates
PR readiness check	bd preflight
Sync to remote	bd dolt push

Rules

• Use bd for ALL task tracking. Do NOT use TodoWrite, TaskCreate, or markdown TODO lists.
• Only the orchestrating agent manages beads. Subagents (implementer, spec-reviewer, code-quality-reviewer) do NOT touch beads.
• Every session ends with the Land the Plane protocol: bd close → bd dolt push → git push → git status.
• Include bead IDs in commit messages: git commit -m "Add feature X (bd-a1b2)"

Integration

Invoked by: session-start hook — auto-injected at session start. All other skills depend on this one having loaded first.

Invokes: None explicitly. Routes to all skills via the "if even 1% chance a skill applies, invoke it" gate. The only skill explicitly named in the flowchart is brainstorming (checked before general skill matching).