explore
Use Cautionnpx machina-cli add skill lsnackerman/raw-clauding-skills/explore --openclaw/explore - Build Topic Reserves
Search your entire system for everything on a topic. Build rich reserves that combine synthesis, verbatim texture, and source references.
What To Do
- Ask if topic not specified: "What topic are we exploring?"
- Search everywhere — task docs, session logs, reference material, random notes, anywhere content lives in your system
- Gather everything:
- Decisions made and why
- Insights and patterns
- Verbatim exchanges (preserve texture)
- Questions still open
- Output to a dedicated file or folder for topic reserves
What to Gather
- Decisions made about this topic
- Insights that emerged
- Patterns noticed over time
- Verbatim texture — your words, your AI's reframes, the back-and-forth that shows how thinking happened
- Genesis — what triggered the exploration?
- Contrast structures — "the default approach does X, we do Y"
- Source references — which doc, which session, which date
Output Format
# [Topic] - Exploring Reserves
**Last updated**: YYYY-MM-DD
**Sources**: [list of docs mined]
---
## Key Insights
- Insight 1
- Insight 2
## Decisions Made
| Decision | Why | Source |
|---|---|---|
## Verbatim Texture
### [Context/Source]
> "Your exact words"
AI's response...
*Why this matters: [brief note]*
## Patterns Noticed
## Open Questions
## Related
Philosophy
Fill the tank before you drive. Your system often has 80%+ of what you need already scattered across files.
Reserves compound. Each exploration adds to what's there. The second pass on a topic is always richer than the first.
Texture matters. Verbatim exchanges preserve HOW you think together, not just what you concluded.
Skill Check (After Every Explore)
Quick scan: anything about this exploration that felt off or could be smoother?
- Did the search strategy find what mattered, or miss obvious locations?
- Was the output format useful or too dense?
- Did the exploration surface things you didn't know you had?
- Was it clear when to stop exploring vs keep digging?
If yes → update this skill now. The improvement compounds.
If no → move on. Not every exploration teaches something.
Source
git clone https://github.com/lsnackerman/raw-clauding-skills/blob/main/explore/SKILL.mdView on GitHub Overview
Explore gathers everything on a topic from across your system to create rich reserves. It helps consolidate scattered knowledge, priming you for writing, sharing, or sprint prep by preserving decisions, insights, patterns, verbatim texture, and sources.
How This Skill Works
The skill searches all content locations (docs, logs, notes, references) for the chosen topic and collects: decisions and rationale, insights, patterns, verbatim exchanges, open questions, genesis, and contrast structures. It then outputs a structured topic reserves file or folder that includes sources and a clear synthesis.
When to Use It
- Consolidating scattered knowledge on a topic
- Preparing content before writing or sharing about the topic
- Before a development sprint or planning session for the topic
- Auditing and refreshing a topic's knowledge base
- Creating a reusable topic reserves file for future reference
Quick Start
- Step 1: Identify the topic (if missing, ask: 'What topic are we exploring?')
- Step 2: Search everywhere in your system for content related to the topic (docs, logs, notes, references)
- Step 3: Gather everything and output to a dedicated topic reserves file or folder
Best Practices
- Prompt for the topic if missing (e.g., ask What topic are we exploring?)
- Search everywhere: task docs, session logs, reference material, and notes
- Gather everything: decisions, insights, patterns, verbatim texture, open questions, genesis, contrast structures, and source references
- Preserve texture by including verbatim exchanges and how thinking evolved
- Output to a dedicated topic reserves file or folder with clear provenance
Example Use Cases
- Reserving knowledge on the product checkout flow by scanning docs, logs, and notes
- Consolidating research for a regulatory topic with decisions, insights, and sources
- Preparing a blog post on system design patterns with verbatim exchanges
- Sprint pre-planning for a data pipeline upgrade with genesis and contrasts
- Onboarding topic reserves for remote work policy across multiple docs
