Daniel V M

via GitHub · Posted Jul 25, 2026 · 1 min read

Bigpowers: Agentic Engineering Skills for Solo Developers

Claude Skill

72 agent skills synthesizing 17 years of software engineering discipline into a prescriptive methodology for solo developers

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Shell MIT v2.85.0 Updated 10 hours ago

#ai-agents #automation #bmad #claude-code

View on GitHub npmjs.com/package/bigpowers

A prescriptive methodology synthesizing 17 years of software engineering discipline into 72 skills that guide AI agents and solo developers through a structured 6-phase lifecycle with quality gates, spec-driven state management, and support for Claude Code, Gemini CLI, and Cursor.

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README

bigpowers — Best-in-Class Agentic Skills

npm version

Agent skills synthesizing 17 years of software engineering discipline — from Clean Code to AI-native architecture — into a single, prescriptive methodology for solo developers.

bigpowers provides a prescriptive, vertical-slice methodology for building software with AI agents (Claude Code, Gemini CLI, Cursor, pi). It bridges the gap between raw LLM capabilities and professional engineering standards.

It is not a random collection of best practices. It is a chronological layer cake of ideas — each wave of thinking (Uncle Bob → Ousterhout → Karpathy → Wasowski → Akita) builds on and resolves tensions from the last, culminating in a 6-phase lifecycle with hard gates, a 94% quality threshold, and a YAML cockpit (specs/state.yaml) that keeps both human and agent aligned across sessions.

Published on npm: bigpowers. The skill count in the badge above is stamped automatically by sync-skills.sh; the canonical catalog is SKILL-INDEX.md.

Docs: bigpowers docs site — searchable, Google-discoverable reference for all skills, guides, and ADRs.

This methodology publishes its own evidence — see the live receipts page.

See it working: bigpowers-showcase — a real URL shortener (CLI + SQLite) built from scratch with the full spec trail committed from day one.

🗺 How to Read This README

This README is a guided path, not a wall of reference. Start where you are:

You want to…	Go to
Try it in 30 seconds	Quick Start
Understand what it actually does	Features and The v2.0.0 Lifecycle
Learn the ideas behind it	Philosophical Stack
Look something up	Hierarchy of Truth and Project Structure
Wire it into pi or MCP	pi Support and MCP Server
Contribute or hack on it	Development and Contributing

After installing, ask your agent to run the using-bigpowers skill — it is the one-time bootstrap that explains the lifecycle and tells you which skill to call first for your situation.

🚀 Quick Start

npm (recommended)

# Global install (no lifecycle scripts — npm v10+ safe)
npm install -g bigpowers
bigpowers setup     # runs sync + install, links skills to your tools

# Or one-shot with npx
npx bigpowers setup

Both commands sync skill artifacts and link them to Claude Code, Gemini CLI, and Cursor (see Prerequisites).

Interactive Installer

The npx bigpowers setup command launches an interactive menu where you can:

Choose install mode: Setup/Update or Uninstall
Select location: Global (available everywhere) or Local (current project only)
Pick tools: Select which AI tools to install skills for (Claude Code, Cursor, Gemini, pi, etc.)
Confirm: Review and confirm the installation

Use arrow keys to navigate, space to select, and Enter to confirm.

Interactive Installer

From source (contributors)

git clone https://github.com/danielvm-git/bigpowers.git && cd bigpowers
npm install
bash scripts/install.sh

🛠 Prerequisites

Bash: Required for all scripts.
Node.js: v14+ (required for npm/npx).
jq: (Highly Recommended) Used for robust configuration of tool settings.
AI Tools: One or more of:
- Claude Code
- Gemini CLI
- Cursor
- pi — coding agent harness

✨ Features

Purpose-Built Skills: From survey-context to develop-tdd, each skill is a targeted tool for a specific phase of development. See SKILL-INDEX.md for the full auto-generated catalog.
Spec-Driven Cockpit: Uses specs/state.yaml and release-plan.yaml to maintain state across agent sessions, preventing context drift.
Native IDE Support: Automatically generates configurations for Cursor (.cursor/rules), Gemini CLI, and pi.
Model Context Protocol (MCP): Dynamic tool discovery and invocation via the included MCP server.
Built-in Quality Gates: Strict verification standards (e.g., F.I.R.S.T tests, BCP accounting) enforced before any code is merged.

🏗 The v2.0.0 Lifecycle

Every project follows the orchestrate-project 6-phase model (full SOP: docs/WORKFLOW-SOP-v2.md):

ONE TIME    seed-conventions  (CLAUDE.md, .claude/, .gemini/, agents/, skill sync)
              ↓
ONCE/PROJECT orchestrate-project
              │
              ├─ Ph1 DISCOVER   survey-context, research-first, elaborate-spec
              ├─ Ph2 ELABORATE  model-domain, grill-me, define-language, deepen-architecture
              ├─ Ph3 PLAN       scope-work, slice-tasks, plan-work → release-plan.yaml (BCP baseline)
              ├─ Ph4 BUILD      build-epic × N stories
              │
              │  Per story — 8-step build-epic cycle:
              │   1. survey-context   ← stamps story_start in state.yaml
              │   2. plan-work        ← [BCP N] tasks + verify: commands
              │   3. kickoff-branch   ← worktree + feature branch
              │   4. develop-tdd      ← RED → GREEN → REFACTOR
              │   5. verify-work      ← UAT gate
              │   6. audit-code       ← quality gate ≥ 94%
              │   7. commit-message   ← Conventional Commits + semver
              │   8. release-branch   ← land to main; writes story_end + cycle-times.yaml
              │
              ├─ Ph5 VERIFY     run-evals, verify-work (project-level)
              └─ Ph6 RELEASE    semantic-release → v1.0.0 MVP tag

Semver: projects start at 0.0.0-β; each feat: story → minor bump; developer declares MVP → 1.0.0.

BCP accounting: every task labeled [BCP N]; story total in state.yaml; BCP/hr logged to specs/metrics/cycle-times.yaml.

next_skill signaling: each critical-path skill writes handoff.next_skill to state.yaml. Call survey-context after any interruption to resume exactly where you left off.

🧠 Philosophical Stack — How These Ideas Concatenate

bigpowers is not a flat list of influences. It is a chronological layer cake — each wave of thinking builds on and resolves tensions from the previous one. No layer replaces the last; each addresses a problem the prior one created.

Philosophy Diagram

Era	Source	Contribution	Tension Resolved
2008	Uncle Bob (Clean Code)	SRP, Boy Scout Rule, F.I.R.S.T. tests, intention-revealing names	— (foundation)
2018	Ousterhout (A Philosophy of Software Design)	Deep modules, information hiding, define errors out of existence	Small functions alone create shallow modules with bloated interfaces
2023–24	Karpathy, Superpowers, Pocock	Think-first planning, verb-noun skill architecture, zoom-out strategy	Raw LLMs have no discipline — they need orchestration, not raw prompting
2024	Wasowski (SDD), BCP	Specs as the human-agent interface; business complexity as a pre-build sizing unit	Agents drift without a verifiable spec — BDD Gherkin closes the loop
2026	Akita (Clean Code for AI Agents)	Grep-ability, structured JSON logging, token economy, remediation hints in errors	Uncle Bob's rules were written for humans — agents need different code hygiene
Synthesis	BMAD + GSD (self-authored)	6-phase lifecycle, hard gates, 94% quality threshold, `specs/state.yaml` cockpit	All the above are principles; bigpowers turns them into an executable discipline

How to see the concatenation in action

Each philosophical pillar has a corresponding Gherkin .feature file in specs/verifications/features/ that empirically proves compliance:

Pillar	Verification
Classical Craftsmanship	`cleancode.feature`
Complexity Management	`pocock.feature`
Behavioral Integrity	`karpathy.feature`
Spec-Driven Development	Implicit in SDD workflow
Agentic Standard	`akita.feature`
Project Conventions	`conventions.feature`
Original Baseline	`superpowers.feature`

Run npm run compliance to audit all features. Score < 94% = hard stop.

📖 Hierarchy of Truth

Level	Document	Responsibility
Vision	`docs/PRINCIPLES.md`	Philosophical foundations and evolution.
Context	`specs/tech-architecture/TECH_STACK_LATEST.md`	Tech stack, architecture, and domain notes.
Scope	`specs/product/SCOPE_LATEST.yaml`	In-scope / out-of-scope and success criteria.
Vision	`specs/product/VISION_LATEST.yaml`	North star and initiative success criteria.
Decisions	`specs/adr/`	Architectural Decision Records (irreversible choices).
Roadmap	`specs/release-plan.yaml` + `specs/epics/`	WSJF-prioritized epics and stories with BCP baseline.
Current	`specs/state.yaml`	Session flow, active epic, `handoff.next_skill`, timestamps.
Metrics	`specs/metrics/cycle-times.yaml`	Per-story BCPs, cycle minutes, BCP/hr (v2.0.0).
Index	`SKILL-INDEX.md`	Canonical list of all active skills (auto-generated).
Style	`CONVENTIONS.md`	Coding, testing, and naming standards.

📁 Project Structure

skills/[skill-name]/: Source files for each of the 80 skills.
scripts/: Installation, syncing, and compliance tools.
specs/: YAML cockpit — state.yaml, release-plan.yaml, epics/, execution-status.yaml, requirements/.
specs/metrics/: Cycle-time ledger (cycle-times.yaml) — per-story BCPs, timestamps, BCP/hr (v2.0.0).
dashboard/: Live monitoring tool — TUI (npm run dashboard) and web (npm run dashboard:web, port 7742).
docs/: Guides including WORKFLOW-SOP-v2.md (full SDLC SOP) and using-bigpowers.md.
docs/references/: Theoretical foundations (Uncle Bob, Ousterhout, Karpathy, etc.).

🔌 pi Support

bigpowers generates pi Agent Skills and prompt templates alongside Cursor and Gemini artifacts via sync-skills.sh.

Install as a pi package

# Clone and sync to generate pi artifacts
cd bigpowers
bash scripts/sync-skills.sh

# Install from local path as a pi package
pi install .

# Or install as a pi npm package (once published with pi-package keyword)
pi install npm:bigpowers

What you get:

pi skills in .pi/skills/ (one per SKILL.md) — loaded automatically into pi's system prompt as <available_skills>
pi prompt templates in .pi/prompts/ — slash commands like /survey-context, /plan-work
pi package manifest in .pi/package.json — enables pi install with auto-discovery

Skills are loaded on-demand via progressive disclosure: only descriptions are always in context; the full SKILL.md loads when the agent reads it. Prompt templates expand in pi's editor with autocomplete.

🔧 MCP Server (Model Context Protocol)

bigpowers includes an MCP server (scripts/mcp-server.js) that exposes the skill catalog as callable MCP tools, so agents can discover and invoke skills dynamically instead of relying on a static system prompt. It is not active until you register it with your agent — see below.

Start the server

node scripts/mcp-server.js

Add to Claude Code

claude mcp add bigpowers node /path/to/bigpowers/scripts/mcp-server.js

Or add manually to .claude/settings.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "bigpowers": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/path/to/bigpowers/scripts/mcp-server.js"]
    }
  }
}

Available MCP tools

Tool	Description
`bigpowers_list_skills`	List all skills with name, description, phase. Optional `phase` filter.
`bigpowers_get_skill`	Get full SKILL.md content for any skill by name.
`bigpowers_search_skills`	Keyword/semantic search — returns ranked matches for a query.
`bigpowers_get_state`	Get current `specs/state.yaml` (active flow, epic, step).
`bigpowers_invoke_skill`	Get skill instructions with optional context for agent invocation.

🔄 Maintenance (Update & Uninstall)

Update

npm install:

npm update -g bigpowers
bigpowers update   # re-sync and refresh symlinks

git clone:

git pull
npm run sync
bash scripts/install.sh

Install uses symlinks — re-running setup refreshes links without duplicating files.

Uninstall

npm install:

bash "$(npm root -g)/bigpowers/scripts/install.sh" --uninstall
npm uninstall -g bigpowers

git clone:

bash scripts/install.sh --uninstall

Reinstall

npx bigpowers setup
# or, if installed globally:
bigpowers setup

🧪 Development

git clone https://github.com/danielvm-git/bigpowers.git
cd bigpowers
npm install
# Sync artifacts from SKILL.md sources
npm run sync

Tests

# Run compliance verification against Gherkin features
npm run compliance

# Validate YAML specifications and doctrine
npm run doctrine
npm run validate-specs

🤝 Contributing

Fork the repo.
Create a feature branch (git checkout -b feature/my-thing).
Make your changes using the bigpowers methodology.
Commit using Conventional Commits (git commit -am 'feat: add my thing').
Push to the branch (git push origin feature/my-thing).
Open a Pull Request.

Changelog

See CHANGELOG.md for the auto-generated commit history, or Releases for GitHub release notes.

For an executive narrative of the project's history — 98 releases across 41 days, 4 phases, 19 epics delivered — read RELEASE-HISTORY.md.

🙏 Acknowledgements

This project is a synthesis of decades of software engineering thought. It would not be possible without the foundational work of the authors who wrote the inspirational articles and books that shaped this methodology:

Robert C. Martin (Uncle Bob) for establishing the baseline of code hygiene and the F.I.R.S.T principles in Clean Code.
John Ousterhout for his paradigm-shifting views on Deep Modules and complexity management in A Philosophy of Software Design.
Andrej Karpathy and Matt Pocock for their pioneering work on agentic skills and structuring context for LLMs.
Jarek Wasowski for identifying Spec-Driven Development (SDD) as the missing link for AI agents.
AkitaOnRails for adapting classical clean code principles to the reality of the AI token economy.

📄 License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication, but integrity is the ultimate requirement.”

80 skills in this repo

Copy into ~/.claude/skills

align-grid

Build editorial/magazine/report webpages on a GENUINE Müller-Brockmann modular grid (International Typographic Style) — not a decorative one. Encodes the discipline (columns + modules + baseline, grotesque type, flush-left, restrained black...

Install

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/danielvm-git/bigpowers
cp -r bigpowers/skills/align-grid ~/.claude/skills/align-grid

assess-impact

Analyze the blast radius of a proposed change before any code is written. Maps dependents, affected stories, and test coverage. Produces specs/IMPACT_LATEST.md. Use before plan-work on any non-trivial change, when touching a shared module,...

Install

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/danielvm-git/bigpowers
cp -r bigpowers/skills/assess-impact ~/.claude/skills/assess-impact

audit-code

Install

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/danielvm-git/bigpowers
cp -r bigpowers/skills/audit-code ~/.claude/skills/audit-code

audit-plan

Evaluate an incoming project plan against bigpowers principles and conventions, surface gaps, and produce a READY/NOT READY verdict before engagement begins. Use when a new project arrives, when adapting a foreign plan, or before running se...

Install

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/danielvm-git/bigpowers
cp -r bigpowers/skills/audit-plan ~/.claude/skills/audit-plan

build-epic

Eight-step epic build cycle — reads state.yaml, execution-status.yaml, and one epic capsule; updates status via bp-yaml-set or direct edit. Resume mode runs one step per invocation. Use instead of ad-hoc execute-plan for release work.

Install

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/danielvm-git/bigpowers
cp -r bigpowers/skills/build-epic ~/.claude/skills/build-epic

change-request

Add a new requirement or reorder epics by WSJF against specs/release-plan.yaml and epic capsule directories. Modes Add and Reorder. Use when a new requirement arrives mid-release or the plan needs prioritization.

Install

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/danielvm-git/bigpowers
cp -r bigpowers/skills/change-request ~/.claude/skills/change-request

commit-message

Reviews working-tree changes, then drafts a Conventional Commits title/body and states the semantic-release version bump a single such commit would imply. Also notes which defensive-code categories were touched. Use when the user wants to c...

Install

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/danielvm-git/bigpowers
cp -r bigpowers/skills/commit-message ~/.claude/skills/commit-message

compose-workflow

Chain multiple bigpowers skills into a custom workflow recipe saved in specs/. Use when a project repeats a non-standard skill sequence, or user wants a documented playbook beyond orchestrate-project modes.

Install

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/danielvm-git/bigpowers
cp -r bigpowers/skills/compose-workflow ~/.claude/skills/compose-workflow

context7-mcp

Fetch current library docs via Context7 MCP instead of training data. Use when user asks about frameworks, APIs, setup, or code examples for React, Next.js, Prisma, etc.

Install

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/danielvm-git/bigpowers
cp -r bigpowers/skills/context7-mcp ~/.claude/skills/context7-mcp

craft-skill

Install

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/danielvm-git/bigpowers
cp -r bigpowers/skills/craft-skill ~/.claude/skills/craft-skill

deepen-architecture

Install

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/danielvm-git/bigpowers
cp -r bigpowers/skills/deepen-architecture ~/.claude/skills/deepen-architecture

define-language

Extract a DDD-style ubiquitous language glossary from the current conversation, flagging ambiguities and proposing canonical terms. Saves to specs/UBIQUITOUS_LANGUAGE_LATEST.md. Use when user wants to define domain terms, build a glossary,...

Install

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/danielvm-git/bigpowers
cp -r bigpowers/skills/define-language ~/.claude/skills/define-language

define-success

Install

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/danielvm-git/bigpowers
cp -r bigpowers/skills/define-success ~/.claude/skills/define-success

delegate-task

Delegate one complex task to a single subagent, review its work in two stages before merging back. Sequential — one agent at a time, with oversight. Use when a task is complex and requires careful review before the result is accepted. Disti...

Install

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/danielvm-git/bigpowers
cp -r bigpowers/skills/delegate-task ~/.claude/skills/delegate-task

deploy

Install

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/danielvm-git/bigpowers
cp -r bigpowers/skills/deploy ~/.claude/skills/deploy

design-interface

Generate multiple radically different interface designs for a module using parallel sub-agents, then compare trade-offs. Based on "Design It Twice" from A Philosophy of Software Design. Use when user wants to design an API, explore interfac...

Install

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/danielvm-git/bigpowers
cp -r bigpowers/skills/design-interface ~/.claude/skills/design-interface

develop-tdd

Install

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/danielvm-git/bigpowers
cp -r bigpowers/skills/develop-tdd ~/.claude/skills/develop-tdd

diagnose-root

Run 4-phase root cause analysis — reproduce, isolate, hypothesize, verify. Use when a bug is confirmed but root cause is unclear, after investigate-bug, or when user mentions root cause analysis.

Install

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/danielvm-git/bigpowers
cp -r bigpowers/skills/diagnose-root ~/.claude/skills/diagnose-root

diagnose-stall

Install

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/danielvm-git/bigpowers
cp -r bigpowers/skills/diagnose-stall ~/.claude/skills/diagnose-stall

dispatch-agents

Dispatch multiple subagents in parallel on independent tasks. No waiting between them — all run concurrently. Use when tasks are truly decoupled and speed matters. Distinct from delegate-task (concurrent here, no inter-task review gate).

Install

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/danielvm-git/bigpowers
cp -r bigpowers/skills/dispatch-agents ~/.claude/skills/dispatch-agents

edit-document

Edit and improve documents by restructuring sections, improving clarity, and tightening prose. Use when user wants to edit, revise, restructure, or improve any document — including specs/ files, articles, READMEs, or technical writing.

Install

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/danielvm-git/bigpowers
cp -r bigpowers/skills/edit-document ~/.claude/skills/edit-document

elaborate-spec

Refine a rough idea into a clear, detailed specification through dialogue. Does not produce code. Use when user has a vague idea, wants to think through a feature before planning, or needs to turn "I want X" into a concrete spec.

Install

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/danielvm-git/bigpowers
cp -r bigpowers/skills/elaborate-spec ~/.claude/skills/elaborate-spec

enforce-first

Apply the F.I.R.S.T test quality rubric (per CONVENTIONS.md §Tests) to a test suite or individual tests. Use when develop-tdd is writing tests, when test quality needs to be checked, or when user mentions F.I.R.S.T or "test quality".

Install

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/danielvm-git/bigpowers
cp -r bigpowers/skills/enforce-first ~/.claude/skills/enforce-first

evolve-skill

Benchmark-gated skill evolution — consume bigpowers-benchmark report, propose plan-work change, edit skill via craft-skill, re-run benchmark, record ADR. Use when a skill underperforms on benchmark or stocktake finds systemic gap.

Install

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/danielvm-git/bigpowers
cp -r bigpowers/skills/evolve-skill ~/.claude/skills/evolve-skill

execute-plan

Batch-execute tasks from the active epic capsule sequentially, with a human checkpoint after each step. Use when user has an approved plan and wants step-by-step oversight.

Install

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/danielvm-git/bigpowers
cp -r bigpowers/skills/execute-plan ~/.claude/skills/execute-plan

extract-design

Extract a Google DESIGN.md file from an HTML prototype (claude.ai/design or any styled page) using Puppeteer, producing machine-readable tokens and AI-generated prose. Use when the user has an HTML prototype and wants a DESIGN.md to anchor...

Install

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/danielvm-git/bigpowers
cp -r bigpowers/skills/extract-design ~/.claude/skills/extract-design

find-way

Plan a large effort as a shared map of decision tickets on an issue tracker, resolving them one at a time until the way is clear. Use when an idea is too big for one session, needs structured exploration before implementation, or requires m...

Install

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/danielvm-git/bigpowers
cp -r bigpowers/skills/find-way ~/.claude/skills/find-way

fix-bug

Install

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/danielvm-git/bigpowers
cp -r bigpowers/skills/fix-bug ~/.claude/skills/fix-bug

gate-trace

Install

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/danielvm-git/bigpowers
cp -r bigpowers/skills/gate-trace ~/.claude/skills/gate-trace

generate-allure-report

Generate Allure-ready reports from bigpowers YAML metadata. Reads execution-status.yaml, release-plan.yaml, epic capsules, task YAMLs, cycle-times.yaml, and bug registry to produce allure-results/junit-results.xml, categories.json, and exec...

Install

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/danielvm-git/bigpowers
cp -r bigpowers/skills/generate-allure-report ~/.claude/skills/generate-allure-report

grill-me

Interactive assumption-surfacing Q&A that stress-tests a plan through relentless questioning until every decision is resolved. Use when user wants to challenge a plan, validate decisions from conversation/context, or mentions "grill me". Fo...

Install

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/danielvm-git/bigpowers
cp -r bigpowers/skills/grill-me ~/.claude/skills/grill-me

grill-with-docs

Doc-grounded variant of grill-me — stress-tests plan assumptions by fetching and citing real library or API documentation. Every challenge must cite a real URL. Use when the plan depends on a specific library or external API.

Install

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/danielvm-git/bigpowers
cp -r bigpowers/skills/grill-with-docs ~/.claude/skills/grill-with-docs

guard-git

Block dangerous git commands (push, force push, reset --hard, clean, branch -D, checkout/restore .) and enforce Conventional Commits & Branch Protection before an AI agent runs them. Installs hook scripts for Claude Code, Cursor, Cursor CLI...

Install

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/danielvm-git/bigpowers
cp -r bigpowers/skills/guard-git ~/.claude/skills/guard-git

harden-vps

Harden a production Linux VPS for BigBase across three layers — BigBase app (systemd hardening, monitoring alerts, backup automation), Ubuntu OS (UFW firewall, fail2ban SSH, unattended-upgrades, SSH hardening), and Contabo VPS (health check...

Install

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/danielvm-git/bigpowers
cp -r bigpowers/skills/harden-vps ~/.claude/skills/harden-vps

hook-commits

Set up pre-commit hooks with lint-staged (Prettier), type checking, and tests in the current repo. Use when user wants to add pre-commit hooks, set up Husky, configure lint-staged, or add commit-time formatting/typechecking/testing.

Install

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/danielvm-git/bigpowers
cp -r bigpowers/skills/hook-commits ~/.claude/skills/hook-commits

inspect-quality

Interactive QA session where user reports bugs or issues conversationally, and the agent logs them to specs/bugs/registry.yaml with a structured audit schema. Explores the codebase in the background for context and domain language. Use when...

Install

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/danielvm-git/bigpowers
cp -r bigpowers/skills/inspect-quality ~/.claude/skills/inspect-quality

investigate-bug

Investigate a bug or issue by exploring the codebase to find root cause, then write a TDD-based fix plan to specs/bugs/BUG-*.md. Use when user reports a bug, wants to investigate a problem, mentions "triage", or wants to plan a fix.

Install

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/danielvm-git/bigpowers
cp -r bigpowers/skills/investigate-bug ~/.claude/skills/investigate-bug

kickoff-branch

Create a git worktree and feature branch, then verify a clean test baseline before any code is written. Use when starting a new feature or task, when user wants to work in isolation from main, or mentions "start a branch" or "new worktree".

Install

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/danielvm-git/bigpowers
cp -r bigpowers/skills/kickoff-branch ~/.claude/skills/kickoff-branch

maintain-wiki

Agent-maintained OKF wiki — INGEST source docs, LINT for issues, QUERY across concept pages. Run as part of build-epic Step 8 and verify-work Phase 3.

Install

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/danielvm-git/bigpowers
cp -r bigpowers/skills/maintain-wiki ~/.claude/skills/maintain-wiki

map-codebase

Derives the tech-stack doc from scratch by scanning the codebase — analyzes stack, architecture, and gray areas (error handling, API shapes) and persists findings into specs/tech-architecture/tech-stack.md. Run when the tech doc doesn't exi...

Install

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/danielvm-git/bigpowers
cp -r bigpowers/skills/map-codebase ~/.claude/skills/map-codebase

migrate-spec

Detect GSD, spec-kit, or BMAD spec artifacts and transform them into bigpowers YAML layout (state.yaml, release-plan.yaml, epics/, requirements/, plans/, ADRs). Use when migrating foreign spec docs.

Install

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/danielvm-git/bigpowers
cp -r bigpowers/skills/migrate-spec ~/.claude/skills/migrate-spec

model-domain

Grilling session that challenges your plan against the existing domain model, sharpens terminology, and updates specs/tech-architecture/tech-stack.md and specs/adr/ inline as decisions crystallise. Use when user wants to stress-test a plan...

Install

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/danielvm-git/bigpowers
cp -r bigpowers/skills/model-domain ~/.claude/skills/model-domain

orchestrate-project

Meta-skill that enforces the 6-phase core loop (discover → elaborate → plan → build → verify → release) with hard gates. Use to coordinate multi-phase projects with guaranteed quality checkpoints. One-time command for the entire project lif...

Install

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/danielvm-git/bigpowers
cp -r bigpowers/skills/orchestrate-project ~/.claude/skills/orchestrate-project

organize-workspace

Scans the active workspace for disposable artifacts—logs, caches, stale build output, and stray draft markdown—and proposes consolidation of scattered assets. Produces a reviewable list, asks for explicit confirmation before any delete or m...

Install

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/danielvm-git/bigpowers
cp -r bigpowers/skills/organize-workspace ~/.claude/skills/organize-workspace

plan-refactor

Create a detailed refactor plan with tiny commits via user interview, then save it as specs/REFACTOR_LATEST.md. Use when user wants to plan a refactor, create a refactoring RFC, or break a refactor into safe incremental steps.

Install

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/danielvm-git/bigpowers
cp -r bigpowers/skills/plan-refactor ~/.claude/skills/plan-refactor

plan-release

RELEASE-INDEX BUILDER — Sequence elaborated epics into specs/release-plan.yaml with WSJF ordering and BCP baselines. NOT a planning-spine substitute: it does not scope work (scope-work) or write story tasks (plan-work). Use after elaborate-...

Install

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/danielvm-git/bigpowers
cp -r bigpowers/skills/plan-release ~/.claude/skills/plan-release

plan-tests

Design a risk-scaled test architecture for an epic before implementation begins. Produces prioritized scenarios, test level distribution, and fixture plans based on TEA and bigpowers principles.

Install

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/danielvm-git/bigpowers
cp -r bigpowers/skills/plan-tests ~/.claude/skills/plan-tests

plan-work

Install

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/danielvm-git/bigpowers
cp -r bigpowers/skills/plan-work ~/.claude/skills/plan-work

publish-package

Package registry publishing for npm, crates.io, PyPI, and Homebrew. Verifies prerequisites, runs the publish command, confirms success, and surfaces actionable error hints on failure.

Install

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/danielvm-git/bigpowers
cp -r bigpowers/skills/publish-package ~/.claude/skills/publish-package

quick-fix

Install

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/danielvm-git/bigpowers
cp -r bigpowers/skills/quick-fix ~/.claude/skills/quick-fix

release-branch

Make the merge/PR/keep/discard decision for a feature branch, verify coverage gates, create the PR with gh, and clean up the worktree. Use when a feature is done and ready to ship, or when user says "release", "merge", or "open a PR".

Install

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/danielvm-git/bigpowers
cp -r bigpowers/skills/release-branch ~/.claude/skills/release-branch

request-review

Install

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/danielvm-git/bigpowers
cp -r bigpowers/skills/request-review ~/.claude/skills/request-review

research-first

Look-before-build — search registries, repo, existing skills, and web for prior art before implementing. Appends Prior Art to the spec. Use after survey-context and before elaborate-spec, when adding dependencies, or when the task may alrea...

Install

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/danielvm-git/bigpowers
cp -r bigpowers/skills/research-first ~/.claude/skills/research-first

reset-baseline

Restore the project to a known clean state between agent runs or experiments. Use between benchmark runs, after a failed spike, or when user wants a clean working tree.

Install

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/danielvm-git/bigpowers
cp -r bigpowers/skills/reset-baseline ~/.claude/skills/reset-baseline

respond-review

Act on a reviewer agent's feedback systematically — categorize findings, apply fixes, verify tests still pass. Use after request-review returns a report, or when user wants to work through code review findings.

Install

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/danielvm-git/bigpowers
cp -r bigpowers/skills/respond-review ~/.claude/skills/respond-review

run-benchmark

Run skill quality benchmarks from specs/benchmarks/ definitions — N-run with/without-skill delta grading, train/validation split, pass@k + benchmark.json reports. Use before and after evolve-skill to prove quality changes are improvements,...

Install

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/danielvm-git/bigpowers
cp -r bigpowers/skills/run-benchmark ~/.claude/skills/run-benchmark

run-evals

Install

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/danielvm-git/bigpowers
cp -r bigpowers/skills/run-evals ~/.claude/skills/run-evals

run-planning

DISCOVER-PHASE ADVANCER — Drive the discover-phase checklist (specs/planning-status.yaml) through survey-context → scope-work → research-first → elaborate-spec → plan-release → slice-tasks. NOT a duplicate of plan-work or the planning spine...

Install

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/danielvm-git/bigpowers
cp -r bigpowers/skills/run-planning ~/.claude/skills/run-planning

scope-work

PLANNING SPINE STEP 1 of 3 — Scope the work: define what is in and out of scope and save as specs/product/SCOPE_LATEST.yaml. Use before slice-tasks or plan-release on any new initiative. Not a substitute for slice-tasks (step 2) or plan-wor...

Install

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/danielvm-git/bigpowers
cp -r bigpowers/skills/scope-work ~/.claude/skills/scope-work

search-skills

Find the right bigpowers skill from natural-language intent using a local lexical index over SKILL.md frontmatter. Use when unsure which skill to invoke, or at start of research-first.

Install

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/danielvm-git/bigpowers
cp -r bigpowers/skills/search-skills ~/.claude/skills/search-skills

security-review

AI-powered security analysis of code changes — traces data flow, detects injection, auth bypass, secrets exposure, and unsafe deserialization across files. Use when reviewing pending changes, before release-branch, during verify-work Phase...

Install

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/danielvm-git/bigpowers
cp -r bigpowers/skills/security-review ~/.claude/skills/security-review

seed-conventions

Generate CLAUDE.md and CONVENTIONS.md for a brand-new project through a brief interview, and create the specs/ directory with evolved bigpowers structure (product/, tech-architecture/, verifications/, epics/archive/). Entry point for greenf...

Install

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/danielvm-git/bigpowers
cp -r bigpowers/skills/seed-conventions ~/.claude/skills/seed-conventions

session-state

Track implementation decisions and progress in specs/state.yaml to prevent context rot. Use at the start of a session to load context, and whenever a significant decision is made or a milestone is reached.

Install

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/danielvm-git/bigpowers
cp -r bigpowers/skills/session-state ~/.claude/skills/session-state

setup-environment

Pre-install dependencies and configure tools before development work begins. Use at session start on a fresh clone, before kickoff-branch, or when user says setup environment or install deps.

Install

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/danielvm-git/bigpowers
cp -r bigpowers/skills/setup-environment ~/.claude/skills/setup-environment

simulate-agents

Run Mock User and Auditor agents against a feature in fresh contexts before human review. Use after verify-work, before request-review, when user wants pre-review simulation.

Install

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/danielvm-git/bigpowers
cp -r bigpowers/skills/simulate-agents ~/.claude/skills/simulate-agents

slice-tasks

PLANNING SPINE STEP 2 of 3 — Slice the work: break a scoped PRD into vertical-slice stories in specs/epics/. Use after scope-work (step 1), before plan-work (step 3). Not a substitute for scope-work or plan-work.

Install

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/danielvm-git/bigpowers
cp -r bigpowers/skills/slice-tasks ~/.claude/skills/slice-tasks

smoke-test

Post-deploy health-check against a live URL. Validates HTTP status, response content, and critical endpoints. Runnable standalone OR as the final step of the deploy skill.

Install

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/danielvm-git/bigpowers
cp -r bigpowers/skills/smoke-test ~/.claude/skills/smoke-test

spike-prototype

Throw-away prototype for unknown problem spaces. Output is learning notes in specs/archive/spikes/SPIKE-<name>.md, not production code. Use when the domain or technology is unexplored, when estimates are impossible without experimentation,...

Install

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/danielvm-git/bigpowers
cp -r bigpowers/skills/spike-prototype ~/.claude/skills/spike-prototype

stocktake-skills

Sequential subagent batch audit of the bigpowers skill catalog — Quick Scan (changed only) or Full (all skills). Use during sustain phase, before a major release, or when catalog drift is suspected.

Install

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/danielvm-git/bigpowers
cp -r bigpowers/skills/stocktake-skills ~/.claude/skills/stocktake-skills

survey-context

Per-task context bootstrap — reads existing specs/ and tech-architecture docs to map the current lifecycle phase and suggest the next skill. Use at the start of any task, when returning after a break, or when unsure what to do next. For der...

Install

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/danielvm-git/bigpowers
cp -r bigpowers/skills/survey-context ~/.claude/skills/survey-context

terse-mode

Fallback ultra-compressed communication mode. Cuts token usage ~75% by dropping filler, articles, and pleasantries while keeping full technical accuracy. Use ONLY when context is critically long and compressing output is necessary to contin...

Install

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/danielvm-git/bigpowers
cp -r bigpowers/skills/terse-mode ~/.claude/skills/terse-mode

trace-requirement

Link story IDs from specs/release-plan.yaml + epic capsule directories to the implementing code and tests. Produces specs/TRACEABILITY_LATEST.md. Use when you want to verify coverage of a release plan, audit which stories are implemented, o...

Install

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/danielvm-git/bigpowers
cp -r bigpowers/skills/trace-requirement ~/.claude/skills/trace-requirement

using-bigpowers

One-time bootstrap that introduces the bigpowers skills system, the PMBOK lifecycle arc, and tells you which skill to call first for your situation. Use when starting with bigpowers for the first time, when user asks "where do I start?", or...

Install

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/danielvm-git/bigpowers
cp -r bigpowers/skills/using-bigpowers ~/.claude/skills/using-bigpowers

validate-contracts

Assert data shape consistency across system boundaries — live API responses against JSON Schema, key-set comparison across layers, data shape validation for migrations and exports. Catches silent data corruption before deploy.

Install

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/danielvm-git/bigpowers
cp -r bigpowers/skills/validate-contracts ~/.claude/skills/validate-contracts

validate-fix

Install

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/danielvm-git/bigpowers
cp -r bigpowers/skills/validate-fix ~/.claude/skills/validate-fix

verify-work

Multi-phase UAT gate — cold-start smoke, build, typecheck, lint, tests, step-by-step manual verification, gaps-closure loop. Use after execute-plan or develop-tdd, before audit-code.

Install

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/danielvm-git/bigpowers
cp -r bigpowers/skills/verify-work ~/.claude/skills/verify-work

visual-dashboard

Start a browser-based dashboard that visualizes architecture, implementation plans, and project status. Persists artifacts in .bigpowers/dashboard/. Reads specs/state.yaml, release-plan.yaml, epics, and planning-status via HTTP API or openc...

Install

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/danielvm-git/bigpowers
cp -r bigpowers/skills/visual-dashboard ~/.claude/skills/visual-dashboard

wire-ci

CI pipeline setup with pre-built templates and local validation. Generates GitHub Actions workflows, validates YAML syntax and permissions, supports dry-run via act/gh. The CI equivalent of wire-observability.

Install

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/danielvm-git/bigpowers
cp -r bigpowers/skills/wire-ci ~/.claude/skills/wire-ci

wire-observability

Add structured JSON logging, observability commands, and idempotent setup scripts to a project. Use when a project needs production-readiness instrumentation, when user wants structured logging, or as a production-readiness gate at any phas...

Install

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/danielvm-git/bigpowers
cp -r bigpowers/skills/wire-observability ~/.claude/skills/wire-observability

write-document

Write, organize, and sync high-integrity technical documents using the BMAD methodology. Ensures every document is Bold, Minimal, Actionable, and Durable. Use when creating architectural docs, technical guides, or organizing the specs/ dire...

Install

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/danielvm-git/bigpowers
cp -r bigpowers/skills/write-document ~/.claude/skills/write-document

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Bigpowers: Agentic Engineering Skills for Solo Developers

README

bigpowers — Best-in-Class Agentic Skills

🗺 How to Read This README

🚀 Quick Start

npm (recommended)

Interactive Installer

From source (contributors)

🛠 Prerequisites

✨ Features

🏗 The v2.0.0 Lifecycle

🧠 Philosophical Stack — How These Ideas Concatenate

How to see the concatenation in action

📖 Hierarchy of Truth

📁 Project Structure

🔌 pi Support

Install as a pi package

🔧 MCP Server (Model Context Protocol)

Start the server

Add to Claude Code

Available MCP tools

🔄 Maintenance (Update & Uninstall)

Update

Uninstall

Reinstall

🧪 Development

Tests

🤝 Contributing

Changelog

Links

🙏 Acknowledgements

📄 License

80 skills in this repo

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