| name | golden-circle |
| description | Use the Golden Circle as a thinking tool for any question, pitch, product, strategy, writing, or decision where the user needs to clarify Why, How, and What. |
| compatibility | Created for Zo Computer |
| metadata | {"author":"rob.zo.computer"} |
Golden Circle
Use this skill when a topic would benefit from separating purpose, method, and output: Why, How, and What.
Purpose
The Golden Circle frames communication and strategy in three layers:
- Why: purpose, belief, motivation, or reason it matters.
- How: method, approach, differentiator, operating principles, or process.
- What: concrete product, action, deliverable, feature, or observable behavior.
It is especially useful for pitches, product strategy, personal motivation, organizational alignment, writing introductions, and diagnosing whether a plan has a clear purpose.
Procedure
- Identify the topic, decision, product, or message.
- Ask: Why does this matter? What belief, need, problem, or purpose drives it?
- Ask: How is the purpose pursued? What approach or principles make it distinct?
- Ask: What is actually being done, built, offered, or changed?
- Check alignment: does the What actually express the How and Why?
- If useful, rewrite the message from the inside out: Why → How → What.
Output format
Use this concise structure unless the user asks otherwise:
## Why
...
## How
...
## What
...
## Alignment check
...
## Inside-out version
...
Guardrails
- Do not invent a lofty Why when the real purpose is pragmatic; practical purposes are valid.
- Keep the What concrete.
- Distinguish motivation from marketing language.
- If the Why, How, and What are misaligned, say so directly and propose a tighter version.
Canonical questions
Best for pitches, positioning, and alignment checks:
- "Help me write the intro slide for my startup pitch."
- "Our product page lists 14 features — what should it actually say?"
- "Why am I actually doing this side project?"
- "Rewrite this job posting so good candidates care."
- "Does our roadmap match our stated mission?"
Poor fits: causal analysis ("why did X fail?" — use n-whys), and problems with no audience or purpose dimension.