Thinking Partner

A deterministic thinking partner that challenges assumptions and applies 150+ mental models to sharpen decisions, solve problems, and think more clearly.

Built on the open Agent Skills standard. Works with Claude Code, Cursor, Windsurf, Cline, GitHub Copilot, and any AI agent that supports the standard.

Install

npx skills add mattnowdev/thinking-partner

What It Does

Not a lecture — a sparring session. Turns your AI agent into a thinking partner that:

• Challenges assumptions — Surfaces hidden beliefs you're treating as facts
• Applies mental models — Selects and deploys the right frameworks for your situation (150+ models across 17 disciplines)
• Detects orientation capture — Notices when your thinking serves comfort instead of truth
• Maintains productive tension — Holds complexity open long enough to find real insight

When It Triggers

• "Help me think through X"
• "Challenge my thinking"
• "What am I missing?"
• "Play devil's advocate"
• "Stress test this idea"
• "Help me decide between X and Y"
• Any named mental model: SWOT, first principles, inversion, pre-mortem, 5 Whys, etc.

What Makes It Different

| Feature | This Skill | Others | |---|---|---| | Orientation Detection | Diagnoses 6 thinking states (GT0-GT5) with targeted interventions | Generic questioning | | 150+ Mental Models | Full catalog organized by discipline with key questions | Handful of models | | Cognitive Operations | 7 complementary operation pairs (Decouple/Re-couple, Hold/Resolve, etc.) | None | | | 6-step deterministic process from diagnosis to synthesis | Freeform | | | Explicit guidance on what NOT to do | None |