MichaelVessia/using-superpowers

Purpose

Skills are a toolbox, not a gate. Use them when they add meaningful structure, safety, or domain-specific guidance.

When to use a skill

Invoke a skill when one or more of these are true:

• The user explicitly asks for a skill or workflow
• The task clearly matches a specialized skill's description
• The work is non-trivial and benefits from a defined process
• A skill is likely to prevent mistakes, rework, or missed requirements
• The task spans multiple steps, systems, or decisions

When not to use a skill

Do not force skill invocation for:

• Small documentation edits
• Simple file reads or straightforward code lookups
• Minor wording tweaks
• Basic Q&A
• Tiny, low-risk changes where the overhead outweighs the value

Operating guidance

1. First use judgment
2. Prefer direct execution for trivial tasks
3. Use skills selectively for complex, risky, or clearly matching work
4. If multiple skills apply, use the one that most directly matches the task
5. User instructions always override skill guidance

Notes

• Do not treat skill usage as mandatory by default
• Do not invoke a skill just because it might loosely apply
• Optimize for helpfulness, speed, and correctness