/add-thinker — Codify a Thinker's Framework as a Skill

Takes a thinker (person, book, school of thought) and produces a new Claude Code skill that applies their thinking to business ideas — the same way /munger applies Charlie Munger's mental lattice.

What This Skill Does

Deep research the thinker's framework — primary sources, talks, books, interviews
Extract the generic form — the reusable mental models, not just anecdotes
Design specialist agents — each covering a distinct lens from the framework
Synthesize a SKILL.md — a fully functional skill that spawns a team and produces a structured analysis, verdict, and actionable output

The output is a new skill file at .claude/skills/<thinker>/SKILL.md in the current repo, immediately usable as /<thinker>.

Invocation

/add-thinker <prompt>

The prompt can be:

A person: Charlie Munger, Andy Grove, Nassim Taleb
A person + work: Andy Grove — Only the Paranoid Survive
A school of thought: Toyota Production System / Lean Thinking
A concept: Nassim Taleb's Antifragility framework
A vague request: that Intel CEO who wrote about strategic inflection points

If the prompt is too vague to identify a thinker, ask ONE clarifying question.

Phase 1: Identify and Scope

Parse the prompt to determine:

The thinker: Name, era, domain
The core works: Books, talks, essays that contain the framework
The domain: Business strategy, psychology, investing, engineering, etc.
The slug: lowercase hyphenated name for the skill directory (e.g., grove, taleb, toyota)

Present back to the user:

## Adding Thinker: [Name]

**Core works to research:**
- [Book/talk 1]
- [Book/talk 2]
- [Book/talk 3]

**Domain:** [strategy / investing / psychology / engineering / etc.]
**Skill name:** /[slug]

I'll now deep-research this framework, extract the generic mental models,
and synthesize a skill. This takes a few minutes.

Starting research...

Phase 2: Deep Research (Parallel Agents)

Spawn 3-4 research agents in parallel. Each focuses on a different aspect of the thinker's framework. Use model: "sonnet" for researchers.

Agent 1: Primary Source Researcher

You are researching [THINKER]'s core framework for the purpose of creating
a reusable analytical tool.

Use WebSearch and WebFetch to find:

1. PRIMARY SOURCES
   - Full transcripts or detailed summaries of their key talks/speeches
   - Book summaries with actual frameworks extracted (not just reviews)
   - Interviews where they explain their thinking process
   - Check specific known sources: [list known URLs if any — Stripe Press,
     Farnam Street, personal websites, university lectures]

2. THE CORE FRAMEWORK
   - What are the 3-7 key principles or mental models?
   - How do they structure their analysis of a problem?
   - What questions do they always ask?
   - What is their equivalent of Munger's "inversion" or "lollapalooza"?
   - What is their unique contribution — the thing only THEY see?

3. THEIR VOCABULARY
   - Key terms they coined or use distinctively
   - Metaphors and analogies they rely on
   - Their catchphrases and memorable formulations

Report back with detailed findings including specific quotes and source URLs.
Be thorough — this research becomes the foundation of a permanent skill.

Agent 2: Applied Examples Researcher

You are researching how [THINKER] applies their framework to real-world cases.

Use WebSearch and WebFetch to find:

1. CASE STUDIES
   - Specific businesses, decisions, or situations they analyzed
   - How they walked through their framework step by step
   - What conclusions they reached and why
   - Cases where their framework predicted correctly
   - Cases where it failed or had blind spots

2. THE GENERIC PATTERN
   - Across all their case studies, what's the repeated analytical move?
   - What do they always check first?
   - What do they always check last?
   - What's their equivalent of "does the math work" or "what kills this"?

3. COMPARISON TO OTHER THINKERS
   - How does their framework overlap with Munger's lattice?
   - Where does it diverge or add something Munger misses?
   - What's complementary vs. contradictory?

Report with specific examples, quotes, and sources.

Agent 3: Counter-Arguments and Limitations Researcher

You are researching the limitations, critiques, and failure modes of
[THINKER]'s framework.

Use WebSearch and WebFetch to find:

1. KNOWN CRITIQUES
   - Academic or practitioner criticism of their framework
   - Cases where following their advice led to bad outcomes
   - Blind spots they acknowledge themselves
   - What types of problems does their framework NOT apply to?

2. FAILURE MODES
   - When does this thinking lead you astray?
   - What biases does the thinker themselves exhibit?
   - What does the framework miss that other frameworks catch?

3. CIRCLE OF COMPETENCE
   - What domains is this framework strongest in?
   - What domains should it NOT be applied to?
   - What's the thinker's own circle of competence vs. where they opine?

This is critical — every skill needs a "when NOT to use this" section.
Report with specific examples and honest assessment.

Agent 4: Adjacent Thinkers and Synthesis (optional, spawn if the framework is broad)

You are researching thinkers adjacent to [THINKER] who extend, complement,
or challenge their framework.

Use WebSearch and WebFetch to find:

1. INTELLECTUAL LINEAGE
   - Who influenced this thinker?
   - Who did this thinker influence?
   - What's the "school of thought" this belongs to?

2. COMPLEMENTARY FRAMEWORKS
   - Other thinkers whose models stack well with this one
   - Specific models from other disciplines that strengthen this framework
   - What would a "lattice" look like that includes this thinker?

3. SYNTHESIS OPPORTUNITIES
   - How could this framework be combined with Munger's lattice?
   - What does this thinker add to the /munger analysis that's missing?
   - Could this be an "add-on module" to /munger rather than standalone?

Report with specific frameworks and how they interconnect.

Phase 3: Extract the Generic Form

After all research agents report back, the lead synthesizes the findings into a structured framework. This is the most important step — it's where raw research becomes a reusable analytical tool.

The Extraction Template

For each thinker, extract:

1. THE CORE QUESTION
   What single question does this thinker's framework answer?
   - Munger: "Is this a good business to own for decades?"
   - Grove: "Are we at a strategic inflection point?"
   - Taleb: "Is this fragile, robust, or antifragile?"

2. THE KEY PRINCIPLES (3-7)
   The reusable mental models, stated as actionable rules.
   Each principle needs:
   - Name (their term or a clear label)
   - One-sentence rule
   - The mechanism (why it works)
   - How to apply it (specific questions to ask)
   - Example from the thinker's own work

3. THE ANALYTICAL PROCESS
   The step-by-step sequence they follow:
   - What do they check first? (the "no-brainer" equivalent)
   - What math do they run? (the numerical check)
   - What do they invert? (the "how does this die" check)
   - What's their synthesis move? (the "lollapalooza" equivalent)
   - What's their verdict framework? (the "In/Out/Too Tough" equivalent)

4. THE SPECIALIST LENSES
   Map to 3-5 agent roles, each covering a distinct analytical lens:
   - What discipline does each lens draw from?
   - What specific questions does each lens ask?
   - What output format does each lens produce?
   - How do the lenses interact? (cross-references)

5. THE VERDICT FRAMEWORK
   How does this thinker make a final call?
   - What are their "baskets" (equivalent to In/Out/Too Tough)?
   - What evidence tips the verdict?
   - What's their signature voice/style for delivering it?

6. THE FAILURE MODES
   When should you NOT use this framework?
   - Domain limitations
   - Known blind spots
   - Types of problems it misleads on

7. THE VOICE
   How does this thinker communicate?
   - Direct/indirect? Technical/colloquial? Serious/humorous?
   - Signature phrases, metaphors, rhetorical moves
   - What would they actually SAY about your idea?

Present this extraction to the user:

## Framework Extraction: [Thinker]

**Core question:** [one sentence]

**Key principles:**
1. [Name] — [one-line rule]
2. [Name] — [one-line rule]
3. ...

**Specialist lenses (will become agents):**
1. [Agent name] — [what they analyze]
2. [Agent name] — [what they analyze]
3. ...

**Verdict framework:** [how the thinker makes a final call]

**Voice:** [how they communicate]

**Not for:** [when to NOT use this]

Does this capture the framework correctly? Anything to add or adjust?

Wait for user confirmation before generating the skill.

Phase 4: Generate the Skill

Using the extracted framework, generate a SKILL.md that follows the same architecture as /munger. The skill MUST include:

Required Sections

Frontmatter — name, description, allowed-tools (same set as /munger)
Header — skill name, one-paragraph description of what it does
Core Principles — the thinker's key principles, stated as non-negotiable rules for the analysis (equivalent to Munger's "five notions")
Invocation — how to trigger, what arguments to provide
Phase 1: Understand the Idea — lead gathers context, presents understanding
Phase 2: Spawn the Team — detailed prompts for each specialist agent. Each agent prompt MUST include:
- Role and discipline
- The business idea (substituted at runtime)
- Specific analytical questions from the framework
- Output format
- Cross-reference instructions for messaging teammates
- The thinker's actual vocabulary and framing
Phase 3: Monitor & Cross-Pollinate — same as /munger
Phase 4: Synthesize — The [Thinker] Verdict — the lead's synthesis process. MUST include:
- How to combine agent findings
- The framework's equivalent of "lollapalooza detection"
- The verdict framework (the thinker's version of In/Out/Too Tough)
- A "What [Thinker] Would Say" section written in their voice
- Actionable rules derived from the analysis
Phase 5: Present & Follow-up — summary, verdict, next steps
Batch Mode — how to compare multiple ideas
Scoring Discipline — honesty rules, evidence requirements
Important Notes — cost, model selection, pairing with other skills

Quality Requirements

Agent prompts must be LONG and SPECIFIC — not "analyze the economics" but detailed questions with the thinker's actual vocabulary and examples. Look at the /munger agent prompts for the standard. Each should be 30-50 lines.
The verdict must be HONEST — capture the thinker's actual standards. If they're a harsh critic (like Munger), the skill should reject most ideas. If they're an optimist, the skill should reflect that — but still have rigor.
The voice must be AUTHENTIC — the "What [Thinker] Would Say" section should sound like them, using their actual phrases and rhetorical style.
Cross-references to /munger — note where this framework overlaps with or complements Munger's lattice. Suggest pairing where appropriate.

File Output

Write the skill to:

.claude/skills/<slug>/SKILL.md

Also copy it to the global skills directory so it's available everywhere:

~/.claude/skills/<slug>/SKILL.md

Phase 5: Verify and Present

After writing the skill:

Read it back — verify it's syntactically correct and complete
Check it appears — the skill should show up in the skills list
Present to the user:

## New Thinker Skill: /<slug>

**Framework:** [one-sentence description]
**Core question:** [what it answers]
**Agents:** [N] specialists
  1. [Agent] — [lens]
  2. [Agent] — [lens]
  ...
**Verdict:** [framework's decision categories]
**Voice:** [how it communicates]

Installed at:
  - .claude/skills/<slug>/SKILL.md (this repo)
  - ~/.claude/skills/<slug>/SKILL.md (global)

Try it: /<slug> [your business idea]

**Suggested workflow:**
1. /garrytan — refine the idea
2. /munger — Munger's lattice
3. /<slug> — [thinker]'s framework

Architecture Notes

Research agents use sonnet — they're doing web search and extraction, not deep reasoning. The lead (opus) handles synthesis and skill generation.
3-4 research agents max — more than that produces diminishing returns and the lead can't synthesize well beyond 4 perspectives.
The generated skill follows /munger's architecture exactly — same phase structure, same agent spawning pattern, same verdict format. This makes all thinker skills composable and familiar.
Each thinker skill is standalone — it doesn't depend on /munger being installed. But the output format is compatible, so you can run both and compare verdicts.
The global install means the skill persists — even if you delete this repo, the thinker skill remains available in ~/.claude/skills/.

Examples of Thinkers This Should Work For

Prompt	Skill	Core Question
Andy Grove	/grove	Are we at a strategic inflection point?
Nassim Taleb antifragility	/taleb	Is this fragile or antifragile?
Peter Thiel Zero to One	/thiel	Is this a 0-to-1 or 1-to-n business?
Toyota Production System	/toyota	Where is the waste and how do we eliminate it?
Ben Thompson Stratechery	/thompson	What's the aggregation theory play here?
Clayton Christensen	/christensen	Is this disruptive or sustaining innovation?
Hamilton Helmer 7 Powers	/helmer	Which of the 7 powers does this business have?
Jeff Bezos	/bezos	Is this a one-way or two-way door decision?
Ray Dalio Principles	/dalio	What principles govern this situation?
Eliyahu Goldratt Theory of Constraints	/goldratt	What's the bottleneck?

What This Skill Does NOT Do

It does not evaluate business ideas itself — it creates tools that do.
It does not replace reading the thinker's actual work — the research phase extracts the framework, but the skill description should reference primary sources so users can go deeper.
It does not guarantee the generated skill is perfect on first pass — complex thinkers may need iteration. The user can edit the SKILL.md after generation.

add-thinker