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Soe-RehSoe-Reh/soes-skills/skills/explain/SKILL.md

explain

Skill1 starsChanged 4 days agoMITView on GitHub

Use when an explanation is confusing, full of jargon, or too long, when the user asks "what does this mean", "explain like I'm new", "in plain English", or needs to explain a technical idea to someone non-technical such as a recruiter, a PM, or a teammate.

128 other projects use a version of this.

Adopted by

Most recently taken up by

Used with

Projects with it also use debug-fix, root-cause and 10 more.

Other files people use alongside this one.

Files found in the same public projects as a version of this one, more often than they turn up anywhere else. Each project counts once, large collections count for less, and this file's own repository is left out.
  • zebbernSkill

    debug-fix

    Find and fix a bug or issue — from any source (GitHub issue, error message, user report, or observed behavior)

    Also in 3 projects that use this

  • Ingramradical235Skill

    root-cause

    Structured root cause analysis using WHERE (MECE decomposition) then WHY (causal structure diagrams) pipeline. Includes coin-flip detection, logical-leap detection, and vicious cycle intervention. Use when buffer enters YELLOW/RED, when metrics stall, or when Actions execute but don't produce results.

    Also in 5 projects that use this

  • ralphkraussSkill

    resolve-conflicts

    Resolve git merge conflicts or re-apply changes from a stale branch onto current main. Use when user says "resolve conflicts", "merge conflicts", "rebase branch", "branch is behind", "re-apply changes", "port branch", or a branch is too far behind main to merge cleanly.

    Also in 4 projects that use this

  • neurofooSkill

    socratic

    Socratic questioning to examine beliefs, uncover assumptions, and develop deeper understanding. Use to challenge thinking, evaluate proposals, or teach without lecturing.

    Also in 4 projects that use this

  • anombyte93Skill

    discover

    Phase 1 of the prd-taskmaster pipeline: brainstorm-driven discovery. Delegates to superpowers:brainstorming in Interactive Mode (one adaptive question at a time), or self-brainstorms in Autonomous Mode when no user is present. Intercepts before the brainstorming chain hands off to writing-plans — this skill owns the exit. Extracts constraints, calibrates scale (Solo / Team / Enterprise), and advances the pipeline to GENERATE.

    Also in 6 projects that use this

  • mitsuhikoSkill

    summarize

    Fetch a URL or convert a local file (PDF/DOCX/HTML/etc.) into Markdown using `uvx markitdown`, optionally it can summarize

    Also in 8 projects that use this

The file

We split this skill into the rules it gives an agent

9 rules. 0 are common, 9 are distinctive, and 0 are very specific to this project.

  • 0

    Common

    Most of the 115 edited versions we read keep these.

  • 9

    Distinctive

    This author's own choices. Worth a look.

  • 0

    Very specific

    Tied to their project's names, files or tools. Probably skip.

  • Common
  • Distinctive
  • Very specific
  1. Distinctive:

    Start with what the thing does and why it matters, in one or two sentences.

    line 16
  2. Distinctive:

    Use common words. Keep a technical term only when it is the right term, and define it the first time.

    line 18
  3. Distinctive:

    Put steps in the order they happen.

    line 21
  4. Distinctive:

    Keep what is known, what is assumed, and what you recommend in separate lines.

    line 23
  5. Distinctive:

    Use a list for steps or parallel items.

    line 25
  6. Distinctive:

    Before sending, read it as the reader:

    line 29
  7. Distinctive:

    Every "it" and "this" points to one clear thing.

    line 31
  8. Distinctive:

    Every term is defined or already familiar to this reader.

    line 32
  9. Distinctive:

    Remove filler, hype words, and jargon that only sounds smart.

    line 36

“Common” is measured: kept by at least 6 in 10 of the 115 edited versions of this file we could read. “Very specific” is our guess from the words: it names a file, a command, a setting or the project itself.

Keep what fits and drop the rest. Your version, ready for your agents.
Files
SKILL.md

Explain

Explain the idea so the reader gets it on the first read, without making it less accurate.

1. Know the reader

Decide who reads it: a beginner, a PM, an engineer from another field, a recruiter. If unclear, assume a smart person who is new to the topic.

2. Write it

  1. Start with what the thing does and why it matters, in one or two sentences.
  2. One idea per sentence. Short sentences.
  3. Use common words. Keep a technical term only when it is the right term, and define it the first time.
  4. Spell out an acronym the first time.
  5. Say who does what: "the server checks the token", not "the token is checked".
  6. Put steps in the order they happen.
  7. Give one concrete example when the idea is abstract.
  8. Keep what is known, what is assumed, and what you recommend in separate lines.

Use a list for steps or parallel items. Use prose when the ideas depend on each other.

3. Check it

Before sending, read it as the reader:

  • Every "it" and "this" points to one clear thing.
  • Every term is defined or already familiar to this reader.
  • Each step says what changes and why.
  • Nothing was cut that makes it wrong. If something is uncertain, say what would confirm it.

Remove filler, hype words, and jargon that only sounds smart.

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