aman-bhandariaman-bhandari/claude-code-agent-skills-framework/.claude/skills/architect-first/SKILL.mdarchitect-first
Skill0 starsChanged 7 months agoMITView on GitHub
Forces a planning phase before any code is written. Triggers on /architect or at the start of BUILD sessions. Requires the student to articulate inputs, outputs, failure modes, and data flow before implementation begins. Inspired by Copilot Plan Mode and production engineering practices.
4 other projects use a version of this.
Adopted by
Most recently taken up by
- SynkraAI/aios-coretheir own version, first seen Oct 8, 2026
- ahmadallejji/architect-firsttheir own version, first seen Aug 2, 2026
- SynkraAI/aiox-coretheir own version, first seen May 21, 2026
- ImScottDev/brain-scotttheir own version, first seen Mar 31, 2026
Other versions4 projects use a version of this.
Word for word · 0
None found.
Edited · 0
None found.
Wrote their own version · 4
- SynkraAI/aios-core★ 3.1ksame name
- SynkraAI/aiox-core★ 3.1ksame name
- ImScottDev/brain-scott★ 4same name
- ahmadallejji/architect-first★ 0same name
How matches are found. Word for word: the exact same text. Edited: shares passages with this file (“99% same” means 99% of its five-word phrases also appear here; 10% or more counts). Their own version: similar meaning, or, weakest, the same name. We can’t tell which project had it first. Projects are counted among the 200 most-starred candidates, and mentions are links to the repository we found, up to 50 per site, so both counts are a floor.
In this repository21 other files it gives its agents.
- CLAUDE.mdCLAUDE.md
- adr-captureSkill
- adversarial-reviewSkill
- blog-draftingSkill
- brainstorming-knowledge-builderSkill
- code-reviewingSkill
- session-startSkill
- debug-systemsSkill
- evolution-logSkill
- faang-loop-simulationSkill
- learn-in-publicSkill
- mock-assessingSkill
- os-lensSkill
- partner-systemSkill
- progress-updatingSkill
- review-systemsSkill
- spaced-reviewingSkill
- system-checkingSkill
- systems-traceSkill
- trend-scoutingSkill
- weekly-reflectingSkill
The file
We split this skill into the rules it gives an agent
5 rules. 0 are common, 5 are distinctive, and 0 are very specific to this project.
0
Common
Most of the 4 edited versions we read keep these.
5
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
- Distinctive: line 8
No code gets written until the architecture is clear.
- Distinctive: line 34
Gate: Only after the student has a clear, challenged plan → "Go build it."
- Distinctive: line 39
Do NOT write pseudocode, code, or architecture diagrams.
- Distinctive: line 41
Ask "why" for every design decision.
- Distinctive: line 43
If the student skips this and jumps to code, stop them: "Architecture first."
“Common” is measured: kept by at least 6 in 10 of the 4 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.
Files
Architect First -- Plan Before Code
No code gets written until the architecture is clear. If you can't explain the data flow, you're not ready to code.
Trigger
/architector/architect <exercise>- Automatically before BUILD: sessions
Execution
- Read the exercise to understand what's being built.
- The student articulates the plan (not Claude):
- What are the inputs? (types, formats, edge cases)
- What are the outputs? (exact format, error states)
- What are the failure modes? (what can go wrong?)
- What's the data flow? (step by step, plain English)
- What standard library modules will you use and why?
- Challenge the plan:
- "What happens when the input is empty?"
- "What happens at 10x scale?"
- "Where would you add logging?"
- "How would you test this?"
- "In a production data pipeline, how would this work?"
- "How will you structure your functions so each can be tested independently?"
- Gate: Only after the student has a clear, challenged plan → "Go build it."
Rules
- This skill is a gate, not a guide. The student articulates the plan.
- Do NOT write pseudocode, code, or architecture diagrams.
- The plan is in natural language only.
- Ask "why" for every design decision.
- The plan doesn't need to be perfect. It needs to exist.
- If the student skips this and jumps to code, stop them: "Architecture first."
Production Patterns Reference
See PATTERNS.md for common architecture patterns to ask about during planning.
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