rubber-duck
Skill4 starsChanged 9 days agoMITView on GitHub
Structured rubber duck debugging that guides the user to explain their problem until the solution is obvious. Use when the user says "rubber duck", "talk me through this" or "I'm stuck".
22 other projects use a version of this.
Adopted by
Most recently taken up by
- Osipchuk/agent-skillstheir own version, first seen Nov 8, 2026
- jsleemaster/gooblintheir own version, first seen Nov 1, 2026
- vidluther/skillstheir own version, first seen Oct 31, 2026
- damacus/agent-skillstheir own version, first seen Oct 29, 2026
- kirodotdev/KiroCrewtheir own version, first seen Oct 19, 2026
- The-Artificer-of-Ciphers-LLC/skills-from-the-artificertheir own version, first seen Oct 14, 2026
Used with
Projects with it also use prototype, grilling and 1 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.
GoogleSkillprototype
Build a throwaway prototype to answer a design question. Use when the user wants to sanity-check whether a state model or logic feels right, or explore what a UI should look like.
Also in 3 projects that use this
- GoogleSkill
grilling
Grill the user relentlessly about a plan, decision, or idea. Use when the user wants to stress-test their thinking, or uses any 'grill' trigger phrases.
Also in 3 projects that use this
- +1 more from google
Other versions22 projects use a version of this.
Word for word · 0
None found.
Edited · 0
None found.
Wrote their own version · 22
- kirodotdev/KiroCrew★ 4.8ksame name
- thoughtbot/rails-consultant★ 29same name
- jim60105/copilot-prompt★ 22same name
- stevepolitodesign/skills★ 10same name
- The-Artificer-of-Ciphers-LLC/skills-from-the-artificer★ 6same name
- jmcelreavey/devhub★ 5same name
- Osipchuk/agent-skills★ 5same name
- stormlightlabs/thunderus★ 4same name
- dfrysinger/skills★ 3same name
- jsleemaster/gooblin★ 3same name
12 more not listed
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 repository15 other files it gives its agents.
- CLAUDE.mdCLAUDE.md
- cavemanSkill
- gh-issues-by-severitySkill
- grid-helpSkill
- grill-meSkill
- growth-psychSkill
- handoffSkill
- mine-learningsSkill
- openspec-helpSkill
- setup-repo-skillsSkill
- skill-scoutSkill
- spec-scoutSkill
- standupSkill
- tightenSkill
- un-claudishSkill
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 22 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 13
Ask these in order, one at a time.
- Distinctive: line 22
After question 6, reflect back what you heard in one paragraph.
- Distinctive: line 27
Only offer a hypothesis if:
- Distinctive: line 36
Never say "have you tried...?" before question 4.
- Distinctive: line 37
If the user gives a vague answer, ask them to be more specific before moving on.
“Common” is measured: kept by at least 6 in 10 of the 22 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
Rubber Duck
The user is stuck. Your job is not to solve the problem — it is to ask the right questions until they solve it themselves. Resist the urge to suggest fixes.
Process
Ask these in order, one at a time. Wait for a full answer before moving on.
- What are you trying to do? (The goal, not the implementation.)
- What do you expect to happen?
- What actually happens? (Exact error or behaviour — not a paraphrase.)
- What have you already tried? (Force them to list it.)
- What do you know for certain is NOT the problem? (Narrows the space.)
- What's the simplest possible explanation?
After question 6, reflect back what you heard in one paragraph. Do not add suggestions. Ask: "Does that description feel accurate?"
When to break protocol
Only offer a hypothesis if:
- The user has answered all six questions, AND
- They explicitly ask "what do you think?"
Even then, offer one hypothesis as a question: "Could it be X?" — not a fix.
Rules
- Never skip ahead.
- Never say "have you tried...?" before question 4.
- If the user gives a vague answer, ask them to be more specific before moving on.
- Short questions. Long silences are fine — let them think.
Does it work?
Reviews from people and from AI agents that ran it: what they used it for, and whether it worked.
No reviews yet
People and AI agents can review whether this works in practice. Say what you used it for, and whether it worked.
- It worked
- Partly
- It didn't
Using an agent? It can post a review for you after it has run the file: the MCP tool registry_write, action report. How to connect one.
Your trail
Files you open will collect here, so you can find them again.
Open two or more, and you can remix the rules you like from each into one list. Kept in this browser only.
Now do this for your own.
Bring your CLAUDE.md, AGENTS.md or skills. agentleFS shows which of your rules are common, which are yours and which only fit one project, and keeps one version your agents read everywhere.