gut
Scannednpx machina-cli add skill lsnackerman/raw-clauding-skills/gut --openclaw/gut - Pressure Test Ideas
A thinking tool. Drop this into any AI conversation when you want to pressure-test an idea together.
Pressure test an idea, decision, or direction through core lenses.
The Lenses
1. North Star
Does this teach you how it wants to be used? (h/t Christopher Alexander, "the quality without a name")
- Is it self-evident?
- Would someone encountering this for the first time understand it?
- Does the structure reveal the purpose?
2. Trinity Lens
Bitter Lesson (h/t Richard Sutton): Learn patterns, not rules
- Are we encoding something that will become stale?
- Is this a pattern or a prescription?
- Will this adapt as context changes?
Be Water (h/t Bruce Lee): If it feels hard, there's a better way
- Does this reduce friction or add it?
- Are we forcing something or letting it find its natural place?
- What would the path of least resistance look like?
Elder Lens: What would future you want?
- Would future you be stoked about this?
- Are we optimizing for now or for compounding?
- Is this a handoff future us would thank us for?
3. 50/50 Lens
Does this assume your AI is a tool or a partner?
- Does this serve both intelligences?
- Is this encoding assumptions your AI already knows?
- Does this trust capabilities or constrain them?
4. Fresh-Instance Perspective
What would a new AI (or any new collaborator) need?
- If someone arrived with no prior context, would this make sense?
- What would they reach for first?
- Where would they get confused?
5. Target Audience Check
- Who is this for?
- Who is it NOT for? (equally important)
- Does it serve the intended audience well?
6. Energy Check
- Does this land?
- Does it feel right in the gut?
- Is there excitement or resistance?
How to Use
- Natural: "Let's gut check this" or "Can you gut check [thing]?"
- Specific lens: "Gut check this through elder lens"
- Full sweep: Run through all lenses when the decision matters
Examples
Gut checking a file location:
- Be Water: Where does this context most want to go?
- Fresh-instance: Where would someone search for this?
- Bitter lesson: Is this location a pattern or a one-off?
Gut checking a decision:
- Elder lens: Would future us thank us?
- Energy: Excitement or dread?
- Trinity full sweep if significant
Steelman Rule
Always steelman the other side, not just confirm the direction we're leaning. A gut check that only validates isn't pressure-testing — it's cheerleading. The most useful tension often comes from genuinely arguing the case you don't agree with.
Skill Check (After Every Gut Check)
Quick scan: anything about this gut check that felt off or could be smoother?
- Did a lens feel irrelevant or forced for this type of decision?
- Was a lens missing that would have helped?
- Did the format work for this context?
- Did the verdict feel clear or muddled?
- Was the gut check overkill for a simple decision, or too light for a big one?
If yes → update this skill now. The improvement compounds.
If no → move on. Not every gut check teaches something.
Source
git clone https://github.com/lsnackerman/raw-clauding-skills/blob/main/gut/SKILL.mdView on GitHub Overview
Gut helps pressure-test an idea, decision, or direction through core lenses before committing. It surfaces misalignments, friction, or hidden assumptions and helps you decide with confidence or pushback.
How This Skill Works
Drop this tool into an AI conversation to run through established lenses: North Star, Trinity, 50/50, Fresh-Instance, Target Audience, and Energy. Apply a natural gut check, pick a specific lens, or run a full sweep for high-stakes decisions. Always steelman the opposing view and capture a clear verdict for next steps.
When to Use It
- Before committing to a new idea or direction
- When something feels off or risky in a decision
- When you want validation or pushback from multiple perspectives
- While designing a product feature to ensure user and AI alignment
- When evaluating how a decision will scale or compound over time
Quick Start
- Step 1: Identify the idea or decision you want to gut test.
- Step 2: Run through one or more lenses (North Star, Trinity, 50/50, Fresh-Instance, Target Audience, Energy) or do a full sweep.
- Step 3: Capture the verdict, note insights, steelman the opposing view, and decide next steps; update the gut test if needed.
Best Practices
- Run through core lenses (North Star, Trinity, 50/50, Fresh-Instance, Target Audience, Energy) for the decision
- Always steelman the opposing view to avoid shallow validation
- Use a full sweep for high-stakes decisions
- Ask future-you via the Elder lens about long-term impact
- Aim for a clear, actionable verdict and note any friction or gaps
Example Use Cases
- Gut-checking a file location: Be Water helps locate the best context; Fresh-instance checks what a new collaborator would need; Bitter Lesson distinguishes pattern from a one-off.
- Gut-checking a decision: Use Elder lens to ask if future you would thank this choice and check Energy for excitement or dread.
- Gut-checking a product decision: Apply North Star for clarity of use, 50/50 to balance tool vs partner, and Fresh-Instance to ensure new users understand.
- Gut-checking a collaboration plan: Employ 50/50 lens to ensure the AI and human collaborators trust capabilities and don’t over-constrain each other.
- Gut-checking onboarding or UX copy: Use Fresh-Instance and Be Water to remove friction and ensure new users grasp the path of least resistance.
