explain-like
Explain code changes or designs at three expertise levels (beginner, intermediate 5-10 yrs, expert). Use for: (1) PR/branch change explanations - understand what changed and why, (2) Design document validation - self-review by explaining at multiple levels to catch gaps or logic issues. Triggers: "explain this PR", "explain these changes", "validate this design", "explain like I'm a beginner", "walk me through this at different levels".
What this skill does
# Explain Like Explain code changes or design documents at three progressive expertise levels to ensure understanding and catch logical gaps. ## When to Use 1. **PR/Branch Explanations**: After completing work, explain changes to verify clarity 2. **Design Validation**: After writing a design doc, explain it back to catch missing pieces Both workflows serve knowledge transfer - helping others (or your future self) understand complex changes. ## Workflow 1. Determine the subject: - **Branch/PR changes?** → Gather commits and diffs from git - **Design document?** → Read the specified design file 2. Generate three explanations (all three, always): - **Beginner** (0-2 years): Foundational concepts, analogies, "what" and "why" - **Intermediate** (5-10 years): Implementation details, patterns, trade-offs - **Expert** (10+ years): Architecture implications, edge cases, future considerations 3. For design validation: After explaining, list any gaps or inconsistencies discovered 4. Optionally save output to file for documentation (see "Saving Output" below) ## Explanation Structure For each level, follow this format: ```markdown ## Beginner Level ### What Changed / What This Does [Plain language summary - assume no domain knowledge] ### Why It Matters [Business or user impact in simple terms] ### Key Concepts [Define any technical terms used, with analogies where helpful] --- ## Intermediate Level ### Changes Overview [Technical summary with specific files/components affected] ### Implementation Approach [Patterns used, architectural decisions, how pieces fit together] ### Trade-offs [What alternatives existed, why this approach was chosen] --- ## Expert Level ### Technical Deep Dive [Detailed implementation, edge cases handled, performance considerations] ### Architecture Impact [How this affects the broader system, coupling, future extensibility] ### Potential Issues [Edge cases, failure modes, things to monitor] ``` ## For Branch/PR Changes Gather context first: ```bash # Detect default branch (main, master, etc.) BASE=$(git symbolic-ref refs/remotes/origin/HEAD 2>/dev/null | sed 's@^refs/remotes/origin/@@' || echo "main") # Get commit history git log --oneline $BASE..HEAD # Get full diff git diff $BASE...HEAD # If PR exists, get PR description gh pr view --json title,body,commits ``` Focus explanations on: - What problem is being solved - How the solution works - Why this approach over alternatives ## For Design Validation After generating the three explanations, add a validation section: ```markdown ## Validation Findings ### Gaps Identified [List any missing requirements, undefined behaviors, or unclear sections] ### Logic Issues [Contradictions, circular dependencies, impossible states] ### Questions Raised [Things that became unclear when explaining at different levels] ### Recommendations [Specific improvements to the design document] ``` The act of explaining at beginner level often reveals assumed knowledge that should be documented. Expert-level explanation reveals edge cases and integration concerns. ## Saving Output When the user requests saving (or as part of a final review), write the explanation to a file: - **For design docs**: Save alongside the design in the same specs folder as `explanation.md` - **For branch/PR changes**: Save to `specs/<feature-name>/explanation.md` if a matching spec exists, otherwise offer to create one Ask before saving if the user hasn't explicitly requested it. ## Tone Guidelines - **Beginner**: Patient, uses analogies, avoids jargon or defines it immediately - **Intermediate**: Professional, assumes familiarity with common patterns - **Expert**: Concise, focuses on non-obvious implications and edge cases
Related in Design
contribute
IncludedLocal-only OSS contribution command center. Auto-refreshes the user's in-flight PR and issue state on invoke so conversations start with full context — no need to brief Claude on what's in flight. Helps the user find issues to contribute to on GitHub, builds per-repo dossiers of what each upstream expects (CLA, DCO, branch convention, AI policy, draft-first, review bots, issue templates), runs deterministic gates before any external action so AI-assisted contributions don't reach maintainers as slop. State is markdown-only: candidate files at ~/.contribute-system/candidates/, repo dossiers at ~/.contribute-system/research/, append-only event log at ~/.contribute-system/log.jsonl. No database, no cloud calls. Use when the user asks about their PRs / issues / contributions, wants to find new work to take on, claim an issue, build/refresh a repo's dossier, or draft a Design Issue or PR. Trigger with "/contribute", "what's my PR status", "find a contribution", "claim issue X", "draft a Design Issue for Y", "refresh dossier for Z".
architectural-analysis
IncludedUser-triggered deep architectural analysis of a codebase or scoped subtree across eight modes — information architecture, data flow, integration points, UI surfaces, interaction patterns, data model, control flow, and failure modes. This skill should be used when the user asks to "diagram this codebase," "map the architecture," "show the data flow," "give me an ERD," "trace control flow," "find the integration points," "verify the layout pattern," "audit the UX architecture," or any similar request whose primary deliverable is mermaid diagrams plus cited reports under docs/architecture/. Dispatches haiku/sonnet sub-agents in parallel for per-mode exploration, then verifies every citation mechanically before any node lands in a diagram. Not for one-off prose explanations of code (use code-explanation) or for high-level system design from scratch (use system-design).
mcp
IncludedModel Context Protocol (MCP) server development and tool management. Languages: Python, TypeScript. Capabilities: build MCP servers, integrate external APIs, discover/execute MCP tools, manage multi-server configs, design agent-centric tools. Actions: create, build, integrate, discover, execute, configure MCP servers/tools. Keywords: MCP, Model Context Protocol, MCP server, MCP tool, stdio transport, SSE transport, tool discovery, resource provider, prompt template, external API integration, Gemini CLI MCP, Claude MCP, agent tools, tool execution, server config. Use when: building MCP servers, integrating external APIs as MCP tools, discovering available MCP tools, executing MCP capabilities, configuring multi-server setups, designing tools for AI agents.
react-native-skia
IncludedDesign, build, debug, and optimise high-polish animated graphics in React Native or Expo using @shopify/react-native-skia, Reanimated, and Gesture Handler. Use when the user wants canvas-driven UI, shaders, paths, rich text, image filters, sprite fields, Skottie, video frames, snapshots, web CanvasKit setup, or performance tuning for custom motion-heavy elements such as loaders, hero art, cards, charts, progress indicators, particle systems, or gesture-driven surfaces. Also use when the user asks for fluid, glow, glass, blob, parallax, 60fps/120fps, or GPU-friendly animated effects in React Native, even if they do not explicitly say "Skia". Do not use for ordinary form/layout work with standard views.
plaid
IncludedProduct Led AI Development — guides founders from idea to launched product. Six capabilities: Idea (discover a product idea), Validate (pressure-test the idea against fatal flaws, problem reality, competition, and 2-week MVP feasibility), Plan (vision intake + document generation), Design (translate image references into a design.md spec), Launch (go-to-market strategy), and Build (roadmap execution). Use when someone says "PLAID", "plaid idea", "help me find an idea", "product idea", "idea from my business", "idea from my expertise", "plaid validate", "validate my idea", "pressure-test", "is this idea good", "find fatal flaws", "validate the problem", "plan a product", "define my vision", "generate a PRD", "product strategy", "plaid design", "design from image", "translate image to design", "create design.md", "extract design tokens", "plaid launch", "go-to-market", "launch plan", "GTM strategy", "launch playbook", "plaid build", "build the app", "start building", or "execute the roadmap".
nextjs-framer-motion-animations
IncludedAdds production-safe Motion for React or Framer Motion animations to Next.js apps, including reveal, hover and tap micro-interactions, whileInView, stagger, AnimatePresence, layout and layoutId transitions, reorder, scroll-linked UI, and lightweight route-content transitions. Use when the user asks to add, refactor, or debug Motion or Framer Motion in App Router or Pages Router codebases, especially around server/client boundaries, reduced motion, LazyMotion, bundle size, hydration, or route transitions. Avoid for GSAP-style timelines, WebGL or 3D scenes, heavy scroll storytelling, or CSS-only effects unless Motion is explicitly requested.