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grug-brained-dev

Use when reviewing PRs, simplifying over-engineered code, judging architecture, or renaming unclear concepts — inline fake helpers, delete meatless ceremony, rename lying names, merge over-split files, reject premature abstraction, say no to speculative config/modes/layers, then end with the smallest safe next change. Triggers when code is too fancy, too abstract, too clever, too many files/helpers/layers, or too well-factored but painful to change. Embody Grug brain: complexity very bad, small words, no consultant speak, no hard pivot to opposite dogma.

72

1.65x
Quality

63%

Does it follow best practices?

Impact

81%

1.65x

Average score across 3 eval scenarios

SecuritybySnyk

Passed

No known issues

Fix and improve this skill with Tessl

tessl review fix ./grug-brained-dev/SKILL.md
SKILL.md
Quality
Evals
Security

Quality

Content

27%

Reviews the quality of instructions and guidance provided to agents. Good implementation is clear, handles edge cases, and produces reliable results.

The skill has a creative and memorable voice that effectively communicates an anti-complexity philosophy, and the structured output format is genuinely useful. However, it is severely over-long for what it teaches — most content restates general software engineering wisdom (testing, APIs, refactoring, naming) in Grug dialect without adding novel insight Claude doesn't already possess. The lack of concrete before/after code examples and the monolithic structure significantly reduce its practical value as a skill file.

Suggestions

Cut the skill to ~100 lines: remove sections that restate general engineering knowledge (APIs, Tests, Tools/logs/types, Demon doors, Expressions) and keep only the Grug-specific review methodology, questions checklist, and output format.

Add 1-2 concrete before/after code examples showing a specific transformation (e.g., inlining a fake helper, renaming a lying name) to make the skill more actionable.

Split detailed hunting heuristics into a separate GRUG_CHECKLIST.md reference file, keeping SKILL.md as a concise overview with the voice instructions, core questions, and output template.

Add an explicit workflow sequence at the top: numbered steps from 'adopt voice' through 'output report' with a validation checkpoint (e.g., 'verify tests pass after each bonk').

DimensionReasoningScore

Conciseness

The skill is extremely verbose at ~400+ lines. While the Grug voice is intentional, vast amounts of content explain concepts Claude already knows (what complexity is, what tests are, what APIs are, what refactoring is). The philosophical framing and storytelling consume enormous token budget. Many sections (APIs, Tests, Tools/logs/types, Demon doors) rehash general software engineering wisdom in Grug voice without adding novel, actionable guidance.

1 / 3

Actionability

The skill provides concrete output format templates and specific questions to ask during review, which is genuinely actionable. However, most guidance is philosophical rather than executable — there are no concrete code examples of transformations (e.g., before/after inlining a helper), no specific commands, and the 'What Grug hunts' sections are heuristic checklists rather than precise procedures. The output template at the end is the strongest actionable element.

2 / 3

Workflow Clarity

The skill has a discernible workflow: adopt voice → ask questions → identify meat/demons → judge each item → output structured report → end with smallest bonk. However, the sequence is scattered across many sections rather than presented as a clear ordered process. The 'Plan as bonks' section and output format provide some structure, but there's no explicit validation checkpoint (e.g., 'verify tests pass after each bonk before proceeding').

2 / 3

Progressive Disclosure

This is a monolithic wall of text with no references to external files and no clear separation of overview vs. detailed content. The entire skill is inline with no bundle files. Content like the detailed 'Demon doors' section, the extensive 'What Grug hunts' subsections, and the philosophical preamble could be split into separate reference files. The skill would benefit enormously from a concise overview pointing to detailed guides.

1 / 3

Total

6

/

12

Passed

Description

100%

Based on the skill's description, can an agent find and select it at the right time? Clear, specific descriptions lead to better discovery.

This is an excellent skill description that clearly communicates a distinctive philosophy (Grug-brain simplification), lists numerous concrete actions, and provides rich trigger terms covering multiple natural ways a user might invoke it. The dual 'Use when' and 'Triggers when' clauses ensure strong completeness. The only minor concern is the slightly unconventional tone ('meatless ceremony', 'lying names'), but these actually serve to reinforce the skill's unique identity and reduce conflict risk.

DimensionReasoningScore

Specificity

Lists multiple specific concrete actions: 'inline fake helpers', 'delete meatless ceremony', 'rename lying names', 'merge over-split files', 'reject premature abstraction', 'say no to speculative config/modes/layers', 'end with the smallest safe next change'. These are highly specific, actionable directives.

3 / 3

Completeness

Clearly answers both 'what' (inline fake helpers, delete ceremony, rename, merge files, reject premature abstraction) and 'when' with explicit triggers ('Use when reviewing PRs, simplifying over-engineered code...', 'Triggers when code is too fancy, too abstract, too clever...'). Has both a 'Use when' and a 'Triggers when' clause.

3 / 3

Trigger Term Quality

Excellent coverage of natural trigger terms users would say: 'reviewing PRs', 'simplifying over-engineered code', 'architecture', 'renaming', 'too fancy', 'too abstract', 'too clever', 'too many files/helpers/layers', 'too well-factored but painful to change'. These match how developers naturally describe code quality concerns.

3 / 3

Distinctiveness Conflict Risk

Highly distinctive with a clear niche: anti-complexity code review with a specific 'Grug brain' philosophy. The combination of simplification focus, the specific persona, and the enumerated anti-patterns (premature abstraction, over-split files, speculative config) makes it very unlikely to conflict with other skills like general code review or refactoring skills.

3 / 3

Total

12

/

12

Passed

Validation

90%

Checks the skill against the spec for correct structure and formatting. All validation checks must pass before discovery and implementation can be scored.

Validation10 / 11 Passed

Validation for skill structure

CriteriaDescriptionResult

skill_md_line_count

SKILL.md is long (561 lines); consider splitting into references/ and linking

Warning

Total

10

/

11

Passed

Repository
joshuadavidthomas/agent-skills
Reviewed

Table of Contents

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