How do I choose a persona?

Use context cues: repeated failures → contrarian; too many options → simplifier; missing information → researcher; analysis paralysis → hacker; structural issues → architect.

What if the MCP server is down?

Fallback to the matching agent listed in the skill: contrarian, hacker, simplifier, researcher, or architect.

What will I get from a run?

A persona approach summary, a reframing prompt, a set of questions to consider, and concrete next steps.

unstuck

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/ouroboros:unstuck

Break through stagnation with lateral thinking personas.

Usage

/ouroboros:unstuck [persona]

Trigger keywords: "I'm stuck", "think sideways"

Available Personas

Persona	Style	When to Use
hacker	"Make it work first, elegance later"	When overthinking blocks progress
researcher	"What information are we missing?"	When the problem is unclear
simplifier	"Cut scope, return to MVP"	When complexity is overwhelming
architect	"Restructure the approach entirely"	When the current design is wrong
contrarian	"What if we're solving the wrong problem?"	When assumptions need challenging

Instructions

When the user invokes this skill:

Determine the context:
- What is the user stuck on? (Check recent conversation)
- What approaches have been tried?
- Which persona would help most?
If a specific persona is requested, use it. Otherwise, choose based on context:
- Repeated similar failures → contrarian (challenge assumptions)
- Too many options → simplifier (reduce scope)
- Missing information → researcher (seek data)
- Analysis paralysis → hacker (just make it work)
- Structural issues → architect (redesign)

Call the ouroboros_lateral_think MCP tool:

Tool: ouroboros_lateral_think
Arguments:
  problem_context: <description of the stuck situation>
  current_approach: <what has been tried>
  persona: "contrarian"  (or chosen persona)
  failed_attempts: ["attempt1", "attempt2"]  (previous failures)

Present the lateral thinking result:
- Show the persona's approach summary
- Present the reframing prompt
- List the questions to consider
- Suggest concrete next steps

Fallback (No MCP Server)

If the MCP server is not available, delegate to the matching agent:

ouroboros:contrarian - "What if we're solving the wrong problem?"
ouroboros:hacker - "Make it work, elegance comes later"
ouroboros:simplifier - "Cut scope to the absolute minimum"
ouroboros:researcher - "Stop coding. Read the docs."
ouroboros:architect - "Question the foundation. Rebuild if needed."

These agents use prompt-based lateral thinking without numerical analysis.

Example

User: I'm stuck on the database schema design

/ouroboros:unstuck simplifier

# Lateral Thinking: Reduce to Minimum Viable Schema

Start with exactly 2 tables. If you can't build the core feature
with 2 tables, you haven't found the core feature yet.

## Questions to Consider
- What is the ONE query your users will run most?
- Can you use a single JSON column instead of normalized tables?
- What if you started with flat files and added a DB later?

Source

git clone https://github.com/Q00/ouroboros/blob/main/skills/unstuck/SKILL.mdView on GitHub

Overview

unstuck helps you break out of stagnation by adopting dedicated lateral thinking personas. By switching perspective to hacker, researcher, simplifier, architect, or contrarian, you can reframe problems, surface missing data, trim scope, or challenge assumptions, then plan concrete next steps.

How This Skill Works

Invoke /ouroboros:unstuck [persona] to select a mindset. The system uses context to pick a persona (or uses the one you specify) and calls the ouroboros_lateral_think MCP tool with problem_context, current_approach, persona, and failed_attempts. It returns a persona approach summary, a reframing prompt, a list of clarifying questions, and concrete next steps.

When to Use It

When overthinking blocks progress
When the problem is unclear
When complexity is overwhelming
When the current design is wrong
When assumptions need challenging

Quick Start

Step 1: Run /ouroboros:unstuck [persona] or omit to let the system pick
Step 2: The MCP tool runs and returns a persona approach, reframing prompt, questions, and next steps
Step 3: Act on the suggested steps, iterate, and share results

Best Practices

Define the exact stuck point and choose a matching persona
Note what has already been tried before invoking the tool
Use the reframing prompt and questions to surface new angles
Limit scope or challenges before taking next steps
Test and validate the suggested actions with quick experiments

Example Use Cases

Stuck on database schema design? Use simplifier to start with exactly 2 tables to test the core feature
Problem unclear? Use researcher to identify missing data and required inputs
Too many options? Use contrarian to challenge whether the problem is the right one
Current design is wrong? Use architect to restructure the approach
Overthinking blocks progress? Use hacker to make it work first

Frequently Asked Questions

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