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Agent skill

Ownership Gate

by DanielPodolsky in DanielPodolsky/ownyourcode

Verifies junior truly understands code they wrote through line-by-line walkthrough.

MITAuto-check passed

Install Ownership Gate

skills CLI
$ npx skills add DanielPodolsky/ownyourcode --skill ownership-gate -a claude-code

Project install by default; add -g for ~/.claude/skills/.

GitHub CLI
$ gh skill install DanielPodolsky/ownyourcode ownership-gate --agent claude-code

Project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).

Manual copy
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/DanielPodolsky/ownyourcode.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/.claude/skills/gates/ownership .claude/skills/ownership-gate && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.claude/skills/ instead of .claude/skills for a personal install. The folder must contain SKILL.md.

Claude Code skills documentation · loads skills from .claude/skills/

Facts

Skill name
ownership-gate
GitHub stars
290
Used in
1 other repo
Token cost
~1k tokens
SKILL.md length
434 words
Files
1
Skills in repo
19
Repo updated
First seen
Licence
MIT

At a glance

Verifies junior truly understands code they wrote through line-by-line walkthrough.

  • Works in 4 steps: Point to the confusion: "Let's focus on… → Break it down: "What data comes in? What… → Connect to concepts: "This is a… → …
  • SKILL.md covers Purpose, Gate Status, Gate Questions and Response Templates, plus 3 more sections
  • Instructions only: no scripts, shell commands, URLs or credentials in SKILL.md

What it does

Ownership Gate is an agent skill from DanielPodolsky/ownyourcode. Verifies junior truly understands code they wrote through line-by-line walkthrough. BLOCKING gate that must pass to complete any task. Triggered during /own:done flow.

Its SKILL.md is about 1k tokens, which your agent loads only when the skill is triggered. It is a single SKILL.md file with no bundled scripts.

The repository describes itself as: Claude Code workflow for AI-mentored development. Work efficiently with Spec-Driven Development and the 6 Gates. Built to fight cognitive offloading — for developers using AI to… The licence is MIT.

Example prompts

  • “Use the ownership-gate skill to verify junior truly understands code they wrote through line-by-line walkthrough”
  • “/ownership-gate”

Workflow steps

4 steps, taken from the first numbered list in SKILL.md.

  1. Point to the confusion: "Let's focus on this function. What does line X do?"
  2. Break it down: "What data comes in? What comes out?"
  3. Connect to concepts: "This is a [pattern]. Have you seen this before?"
  4. Rebuild understanding: "Now, can you walk through it again?"

What it can do on your machine

Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit bd1f17c. It shows what the files ask for, not the result of running them.

  • Tool permissions

    Pre-approves nothing: there is no allowed-tools line, so your agent's usual permission prompts apply.

    From allowed-tools in the SKILL.md frontmatter.

  • Runs code

    No scripts in the folder and no shell commands in SKILL.md.

    From the folder's file list and the shell code blocks in SKILL.md.

  • Network

    No URLs in SKILL.md.

    From URLs in SKILL.md, links to its own repository left out.

  • Credentials

    Names no API keys, tokens, secrets or passwords.

    From names ending in _API_KEY, _TOKEN, _SECRET, _KEY or _PASSWORD in SKILL.md.

Context cost

Ownership Gate loads about 1k tokens when it runs. Until then it costs about 46 tokens; SKILL.md has 434 words of instructions outside code blocks.

Always · name and description, kept in context so the agent knows when to use it
~46
When it runs · the whole SKILL.md, loaded when a task matches
~1k

Estimates: characters ÷ 4, the usual rule of thumb; real counts depend on the model's tokenizer. Scripts and assets cost tokens only if the agent reads them.

Safety

Auto-check passed

The automated check found no risky patterns in SKILL.md.

Automated static check — not a guarantee. Review scripts before installing. It scans the text of SKILL.md for risky patterns (piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files, hidden Unicode, destructive commands); files beside SKILL.md are not scanned.

SKILL.md

The full file from DanielPodolsky/ownyourcode at commit bd1f17c, republished under its MIT licence (© DanielPodolsky). 434 words, ~1,016 tokens.

Download SKILL.mdSave it as .claude/skills/ownership-gate/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder).
name
ownership-gate
description
Verifies junior truly understands code they wrote through line-by-line walkthrough. BLOCKING gate that must pass to complete any task. Triggered during /own:done flow.

Gate 1: Ownership Verification

"If you can't explain it, you don't own it. And code you don't own will haunt you in interviews."

Purpose

This gate ensures the junior truly understands the code they've written. It's the only gate that can BLOCK task completion, because ownership is non-negotiable.

Gate Status

  • BLOCKED — Junior cannot explain the code → Must review and understand before proceeding
  • PASS — Junior demonstrates clear understanding

Gate Questions

Ask these questions in sequence. If the junior struggles significantly, mark as BLOCKED.

Question 1: Walk-Through

"Walk me through what this code does, step by step."

Looking for:

  • Accurate description of the flow
  • Understanding of data transformations
  • Awareness of async operations
  • Correct terminology

Red flags:

  • "I'm not sure, I just copied this pattern"
  • "The AI suggested this"
  • Significant inaccuracies in description
Question 2: Why This Approach

"Why did you choose this approach? What alternatives did you consider?"

Looking for:

  • Awareness of trade-offs
  • Consideration of alternatives
  • Reasoning about the decision
  • Connection to requirements

Red flags:

  • "It was the first thing that worked"
  • "This is how it's done"
  • No awareness of alternatives
Question 3: Change Scenario

"If the requirements changed to [specific scenario], what would you modify?"

Looking for:

  • Understanding of which parts are flexible
  • Awareness of dependencies
  • Ability to reason about modifications
  • Confidence in the architecture

Red flags:

  • "I'd have to rewrite everything"
  • Complete uncertainty about where to change
  • Inability to identify the affected areas
Question 4: Edge Case

"What happens if [edge case specific to their code]?"

Looking for:

  • Awareness of edge cases
  • Understanding of failure modes
  • Knowledge of error handling in the code

Red flags:

  • "I didn't think about that"
  • Complete surprise at the scenario
  • No error handling for obvious cases
Show full SKILL.md (153 more words)Show less

Response Templates

If BLOCKED
🛑 OWNERSHIP GATE: BLOCKED

I noticed some gaps in understanding this code. Before we proceed:

1. **Review these sections:** [specific lines/functions]
2. **Understand the flow:** Trace through with sample data
3. **Research if needed:** [specific concept to review]

This isn't about perfection — it's about ensuring YOU own this code.
Take 15-20 minutes to review, then let's try again.

Remember: In an interview, you'll need to explain this confidently.
If PASS
✅ OWNERSHIP GATE: PASSED

You clearly understand what you built and why. Nice work.

Key points you demonstrated:
- [Specific thing they explained well]
- [Understanding they showed]

Moving to the next gate...

Socratic Recovery

If the junior struggles, don't just block them. Guide them:

  1. Point to the confusion: "Let's focus on this function. What does line X do?"
  2. Break it down: "What data comes in? What comes out?"
  3. Connect to concepts: "This is a [pattern]. Have you seen this before?"
  4. Rebuild understanding: "Now, can you walk through it again?"

Only BLOCK if they still cannot explain after guided review.

Why This Gate Matters

Without OwnershipWith Ownership
Copy-paste without understandingLearn patterns for reuse
Can't debug when it breaksCan reason about failures
Fails in interviewsTells compelling stories
Dependent on AIIndependent problem solver

Interview Connection

"Every code review is interview prep."

After passing this gate, note:

  • What concept did they explain well? (Future interview talking point)
  • What initially confused them? (Area for deeper learning)
  • What pattern did they use? (Add to their vocabulary)

© DanielPodolsky, MIT. Rendered from Markdown: HTML in the file is shown as text, images as links, and headings moved down two levels. Raw file

Files

Just SKILL.md in .claude/skills/gates/ownership of DanielPodolsky/ownyourcode.

Open the folder on GitHubat commit bd1f17c

Used in 1 other repository

We found 1 copy of this SKILL.md (exact, near-identical or edited) in other folders, from 1 other GitHub owner. This page covers the copy in DanielPodolsky/ownyourcode, which our catalogue first saw on October 7, 2026.

Compare with similar skills

Ownership Gate next to the 5 skills that share the most tags, products or categories with it. Stars are the repository's; “used in” counts other GitHub owners with a copy.

Ownership Gate compared with similar skills
SkillStarsUsed inTokensAuto-checkLicenceRepo updated
Ownership Gate this skillDanielPodolsky/ownyourcode2901 repos~1kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Verifyasgeirtj/system_prompts_leaks69k—~3kAutomated safety check: PassCC0-1.0
Verify Before CompletionYeachan-Heo/oh-my-claudecode40k—~277Automated safety check: PassMIT
Verify Thiscursor/plugins11k2 repos~693Automated safety check: PassNone
Gate Testsvercel/next.js143k—~2.8kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Spreadsheet Create Verify GateHKUDS/OpenSpace7.8k—~4.3kAutomated safety check: PassMIT

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Questions about Ownership Gate

What does Ownership Gate do?

Verifies junior truly understands code they wrote through line-by-line walkthrough. Ownership Gate is an agent skill from DanielPodolsky/ownyourcode. Verifies junior truly understands code they wrote through line-by-line walkthrough.

How do I install Ownership Gate in Claude Code?

Run `npx skills add DanielPodolsky/ownyourcode --skill ownership-gate -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (.claude/skills/gates/ownership in DanielPodolsky/ownyourcode) into .claude/skills/ownership-gate in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.

How do I install Ownership Gate in Codex?

Run `npx skills add DanielPodolsky/ownyourcode --skill ownership-gate -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (.claude/skills/gates/ownership in DanielPodolsky/ownyourcode) into .agents/skills/ownership-gate in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.

Can I use Ownership Gate in Cursor, Gemini CLI or GitHub Copilot?

Cursor, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot and OpenCode also load SKILL.md folders. With the skills CLI, run `npx skills add DanielPodolsky/ownyourcode --skill ownership-gate -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/ownership-gate, .gemini/skills/ownership-gate, .github/skills/ownership-gate and .opencode/skills/ownership-gate in your project.

What does Ownership Gate need to run?

SKILL.md names no scripts, command-line tools or credentials: Ownership Gate is instructions for the agent only.

Does Ownership Gate access the network?

SKILL.md contains no URLs. Any network use would come from the scripts or tools the agent runs. This is read from the text; nothing was executed.

Is Ownership Gate safe to install?

Our automated static check of SKILL.md found no risky patterns, such as piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files or hidden Unicode. It is not a guarantee. Review the folder before installing.

What licence does Ownership Gate use?

Ownership Gate is published under the MIT licence (the repository's licence). It allows redistribution, so the full SKILL.md is shown on this page.

How many tokens does Ownership Gate use?

About 1k tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 4.1k characters). Agents keep only the skill's name and description in context until a task matches; then they load SKILL.md in full.

What are the alternatives to Ownership Gate?

Skills that share tags, products or a category with Ownership Gate: Verify (asgeirtj/system_prompts_leaks, 69k stars), Verify Before Completion (Yeachan-Heo/oh-my-claudecode, 40k stars), Verify This (cursor/plugins, 11k stars) and Gate Tests (vercel/next.js, 143k stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.

Who maintains Ownership Gate?

DanielPodolsky (a GitHub user) maintains it in DanielPodolsky/ownyourcode, which has 290 GitHub stars. The repository holds 19 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on June 27, 2026.

Source: DanielPodolsky/ownyourcode on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.