problem-solving
A collection of cognitive frameworks to help you break through mental blocks and find elegant technical solutions.
Install
mkdir -p .claude/skills/problem-solving && curl -L -o skill.zip "https://agentskills.codes/api/skills/download/2153" && unzip -o skill.zip -d .claude/skills/problem-solving && rm skill.zipInstalls to .claude/skills/problem-solving
Activation
This is the description your AI agent reads to decide when to run this skill — the better it matches your request, the more reliably it fires.
Creative problem-solving techniques for breaking through stuck points - includes collision-zone thinking, inversion, pattern recognition, and simplificationKey capabilities
- →Apply collision-zone thinking to force unrelated concepts together
- →Execute inversion exercises to challenge assumptions
- →Identify universal principles via meta-pattern recognition
- →Test system limits using the scale game
- →Perform simplification cascades to eliminate redundant components
How it works
The skill routes users to specific sub-techniques based on the nature of the blockage, such as using inversion to flip assumptions or scaling to test system limits. It focuses on extracting abstract patterns to replace complex hacks with unified principles.
Inputs & outputs
When to use problem-solving
- →Resolving complex bugs
- →Architectural decision making
- →Breaking through creative blocks
- →Simplifying complex systems
About this skill
Problem-Solving Skills
A collection of techniques for breaking through stuck points and finding elegant solutions.
Available Sub-Skills
When Stuck (Dispatch)
Location: when-stuck/SKILL.md
Start here when stuck. Matches your stuck-type to the right technique. Quick dispatch table for routing to the appropriate sub-skill.
Collision-Zone Thinking
Location: collision-zone-thinking/SKILL.md
Force unrelated concepts together to discover emergent properties. "What if we treated X like Y?" Revolutionary insights come from deliberate metaphor-mixing.
Inversion Exercise
Location: inversion-exercise/SKILL.md
Flip every assumption and see what still works. "What if the opposite were true?" Exposes hidden constraints and alternative approaches.
Meta-Pattern Recognition
Location: meta-pattern-recognition/SKILL.md
Spot patterns appearing in 3+ domains to find universal principles. Extract abstract forms that apply across domains.
Scale Game
Location: scale-game/SKILL.md
Test at extremes (1000x bigger/smaller) to expose fundamental truths. What breaks? What survives? Extremes reveal what normal scales hide.
Simplification Cascades
Location: simplification-cascades/SKILL.md
Find one insight that eliminates multiple components. "If this is true, we don't need X, Y, or Z." Look for unifying principles.
When to Use
| How You're Stuck | Use This |
|---|---|
| Don't know which technique | when-stuck |
| Need breakthrough innovation | collision-zone-thinking |
| Forced by assumptions | inversion-exercise |
| Same issue in different places | meta-pattern-recognition |
| Unsure about production scale | scale-game |
| Complexity spiraling | simplification-cascades |
Quick Reference
Conventional solutions inadequate? → collision-zone-thinking
"This must be done this way"? → inversion-exercise
Same pattern 3+ places? → meta-pattern-recognition
Will it work at scale? → scale-game
Same thing implemented 5+ ways? → simplification-cascades
Core Philosophy
"One powerful abstraction > ten clever hacks"
These techniques help you find the elegant solution that makes complexity unnecessary, rather than managing complexity through brute force.
When not to use it
- →When conventional solutions are sufficient
- →When the problem is clearly defined and requires no innovation
Limitations
- →Requires identifying the specific type of stuck point to select the correct technique
How it compares
It uses systematic, repeatable cognitive exercises to break through blocks instead of relying on unstructured brainstorming.
Compared to similar skills
problem-solving side by side with the closest alternatives in the catalog.
| Skill | Installs | Updated | Safety | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| problem-solving (this skill) | 18 | 7mo | No flags | Beginner |
| pdf-to-markdown | 1,175 | 8mo | Review | Beginner |
| markitdown | 177 | 2mo | Review | Intermediate |
| mgrep | 46 | 8mo | Review | Beginner |
Try saying
Example prompts that trigger this skill in your AI assistant.
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