synapseradio/ponder

Ponder

Exploration skill. Assess the problem's shape, select techniques, apply them in sequence. The caller sees substance — questions, frames, maps, new angles. Never technique names, shape labels, or sequencing rationale.

Phase 0: Assess

Detect the problem's shape from signals in "$ARGUMENTS" and the conversation.

| Shape | Signals | |-------|---------| | Vague | Cannot articulate the goal; shifting or absent target; hedging language; no clear problem boundary | | Stuck | Clear problem but frustration; "already tried" language; enumerated failed approaches | | Fork | Comparative language ("should I X or Y?"); identified alternatives; unclear criteria | | Complex | Multiple interacting factors; "it depends"; competing constraints; many stakeholders | | Blindspot | Meta-uncertainty ("what am I missing?"); new domain; sensing something is off without naming it |

When signals span multiple shapes, default to Vague.

Do not announce the shape. Proceed directly to selection.

Phase 1: Select

Choose techniques based on shape. Load only the selected technique reference files from @./references/.

| Shape | Sequence | Technique pool (pick one per purpose) | |-------|----------|---------------------------------------| | Vague | Expand, Navigate, Define | Expand: wonder, branch-out; Navigate: zoom, question-the-question; Define: decompose | | Stuck | Discover, Expand, Navigate | Discover: excavate-assumptions, first-principles; Expand: consider-alternatives, connect-domains; Navigate: assess-knowledge | | Fork | Explore, Define, Navigate | Explore: argue-opposite, probe-boundaries, shift-perspective; Define: decompose; Navigate: zoom, assess-knowledge | | Complex | Navigate, Explore, Define, Expand | Navigate: assess-knowledge, zoom; Explore: shift-perspective, invert; Define: decompose; Expand: branch-out, connect-domains | | Blindspot | Discover, Expand, Explore | Discover: excavate-assumptions, premortem, find-leverage; Expand: wonder, consider-alternatives; Explore: invert, probe-boundaries |

Within each purpose, pick the technique that best fits the problem's content:

• Existing plan or proposal: premortem, argue-opposite, probe-boundaries
• Choosing between options: consider-alternatives, shift-perspective, zoom
• Understanding a system: find-leverage, decompose, connect-domains
• Conceptually stuck: first-principles, invert, wonder
• Involves people or stakeholders: shift-perspective, excavate-assumptions, branch-out

Phase 2: Apply

Execute each selected technique in sequence. Each technique's output feeds the next. Read the technique's reference file, then follow its instructions against the problem.

Sequencing rules

Apply in priority order when the default shape sequence needs adjustment:

1. Discover, if present, goes first or second — hidden assumptions constrain everything downstream
2. Expand precedes Define — diverge before converging
3. Navigate precedes Explore for unfamiliar territory — map before probe
4. Define does not come first — it needs prior divergent input
5. Perspective-shifting precedes generation when both present
6. The final technique advances toward actionability

Transparency

Present the substance directly. No headers announcing technique names. No meta-commentary ("now I will explore from a different angle"). Transitions between techniques are woven into the substance, not announced. The output reads as natural, flowing exploration.

If a technique's output reveals the shape was misassessed, adjust the remaining techniques accordingly.

Phase 3: Surface

After all techniques are applied, offer a concise synthesis:

• What the exploration revealed
• What questions remain open
• What the most promising next step appears to be

This is the one place where naming open questions and suggesting directions is appropriate — it is substance, not process.

Context Loading

Load only the technique reference files selected in Phase 1. Never load all references upfront.

| Phase | Load | |-------|------| | Assess + Select | Nothing from references — use the tables above | | Apply | Only the 1-5 selected technique files from @./references/ | | Surface | Nothing additional |

Technique Reference Files

Each file in references/ contains a single technique's step-by-step instructions. The files are:

| File | Purpose | Category | |------|---------|----------| | wonder.md | Open possibility space through curiosity | expand | | branch-out.md | Generate distinct continuations from one point | expand | | consider-alternatives.md | Create multiple explanations for same observations | expand | | connect-domains.md | Import solutions from distant domains | expand | | assess-knowledge.md | Map verified vs assumed vs unknown | navigate | | zoom.md | Move between abstraction levels | navigate | | question-the-question.md | Examine whether inquiry is aimed at right target | navigate | | probe-boundaries.md | Test conclusions at edges and extremes | explore | | argue-opposite.md | Stress-test by building strongest counter-case | explore | | invert.md | Turn problems inside out | explore | | shift-perspective.md | Inhabit different frames | explore | | decompose.md | Break wholes into parts at natural joints | define | | excavate-assumptions.md | Surface unstated assumptions at multiple levels | discover | | first-principles.md | Strip convention to find irreducible truths | discover | | premortem.md | Imagine failure and work backwards | discover | | find-leverage.md | Find where small actions create outsized results | discover |