using-superpowers
Use when starting any conversation - establishes how to find and use skills, requiring Skill tool invocation before ANY response including clarifying questions
32
26%
Does it follow best practices?
Impact
—
No eval scenarios have been run
Passed
No known issues
Optimize this skill with Tessl
npx tessl skill review --optimize ./skills/using-superpowers/SKILL.mdQuality
Discovery
17%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 description is a meta-level system instruction rather than a proper skill description. It lacks concrete actions, natural user trigger terms, and domain specificity. Its 'use for any conversation' scope makes it maximally conflicting with all other skills and provides no useful signal for skill selection.
Suggestions
Replace the overly broad trigger 'any conversation' with specific scenarios where this skill is uniquely needed, such as 'Use when the user asks what skills are available, how to use a skill, or requests a list of capabilities'.
Add concrete actions the skill performs, e.g., 'Lists available skills, searches skill descriptions by keyword, and provides usage instructions for specific skills'.
Include natural user trigger terms like 'what can you do', 'list skills', 'help me find a tool', 'available capabilities' to improve keyword matching.
| Dimension | Reasoning | Score |
|---|---|---|
Specificity | The description does not list any concrete actions or capabilities. 'Establishes how to find and use skills' is abstract and meta-level, not describing what the skill actually does in terms of user-facing tasks. | 1 / 3 |
Completeness | It has a 'when' clause ('Use when starting any conversation') but the 'what' is extremely vague — it only says it 'establishes how to find and use skills' without explaining what concrete value it provides. The 'when' is also overly broad (every conversation). | 2 / 3 |
Trigger Term Quality | There are no natural user keywords present. Users would never say 'starting any conversation' or 'Skill tool invocation' — these are internal system concepts, not terms a user would use in a request. | 1 / 3 |
Distinctiveness Conflict Risk | Triggering on 'any conversation' means this would conflict with every other skill. It has no distinct niche or specific domain — it's a catch-all meta-skill that would fire indiscriminately. | 1 / 3 |
Total | 5 / 12 Passed |
Implementation
35%Reviews the quality of instructions and guidance provided to agents. Good implementation is clear, handles edge cases, and produces reliable results.
This skill's core message — 'always check for applicable skills before responding' — is sound but delivered with extreme verbosity and repetition. The Red Flags table, EXTREMELY-IMPORTANT block, and repeated '1% chance' language all convey the same instruction, wasting significant token budget. The skill catalog is the most valuable section, providing concrete, well-organized references, but the surrounding content could be reduced by 50-60% without losing any information.
Suggestions
Consolidate the repeated 'always check skills' messaging: remove the Red Flags table (or reduce to 2-3 entries) and the EXTREMELY-IMPORTANT block, keeping just the single clear rule statement and the flow diagram.
Add a concrete example of actual Skill tool invocation syntax showing input and expected output, rather than just describing the concept abstractly.
Move the full skills catalog to a separate reference file (e.g., CATALOG.md) and keep only a brief summary with categories in the main SKILL.md.
Add error handling guidance: what to do when a skill doesn't apply after invocation, when multiple skills conflict, or when skill invocation fails.
| Dimension | Reasoning | Score |
|---|---|---|
Conciseness | Extremely verbose and repetitive. The 'Red Flags' table contains 12 rows that all say the same thing ('check for skills first'). The EXTREMELY-IMPORTANT block, the repeated emphasis on '1% chance', and the extensive rationalization table are all redundant ways of saying 'always check skills first'. The dot graph adds visual complexity without adding clarity beyond the simple rule already stated. | 1 / 3 |
Actionability | The skill catalog with exact tool names is concrete and actionable. The flow diagram and priority ordering provide specific guidance. However, the core instruction is essentially just 'invoke the Skill tool before doing anything' repeated many ways, and there's no executable code example showing actual Skill tool invocation syntax or expected output format. | 2 / 3 |
Workflow Clarity | The dot graph provides a clear sequence for the skill-checking workflow, and the priority ordering (process skills first, then implementation) is helpful. However, there are no validation checkpoints — no guidance on what to do if a skill invocation fails, returns unexpected content, or conflicts with another skill. The flow lacks error handling or feedback loops. | 2 / 3 |
Progressive Disclosure | The skill catalog is well-organized into categories with clear 'When to Use' descriptions, and references to external files like 'references/copilot-tools.md' exist. However, the main body is monolithic — the Red Flags table, the flow diagram, and the extensive catalog could be split into separate reference files. The content that should be an overview is instead a wall of text. | 2 / 3 |
Total | 7 / 12 Passed |
Validation
100%Checks the skill against the spec for correct structure and formatting. All validation checks must pass before discovery and implementation can be scored.
Validation — 11 / 11 Passed
Validation for skill structure
No warnings or errors.
- Repository
- lucianghinda/superpowers-ruby
- Commit
c037ce3
- Reviewed
Table of Contents
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