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Agent skill

Thought Partner

by jeremylongshore in jeremylongshore/tons-of-skills-marketplace

Collaborative thinking partner for exploring ideas, challenges, and decisions.

MITAuto-check passedAgent Workflows

Install Thought Partner

skills CLI
$ npx skills add jeremylongshore/tons-of-skills-marketplace --skill thought-partner -a claude-code

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

GitHub CLI
$ gh skill install jeremylongshore/tons-of-skills-marketplace thought-partner --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/jeremylongshore/tons-of-skills-marketplace.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/.curated/thought-partner .claude/skills/thought-partner && 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
thought-partner
GitHub stars
2.8k
Token cost
~1.6k tokens
SKILL.md length
822 words
Files
2 (incl. references)
Skills in repo
3,342
Repo updated
First seen
Licence
MIT

At a glance

Collaborative thinking partner for exploring ideas, challenges, and decisions.

  • Works in 5 steps: Ask clarifying questions before diving… → Surface assumptions the user might be… → Offer multiple perspectives on the problem → …
  • The user needs to analyze ambiguity
  • SKILL.md covers Overview, Instructions, Output Format and Examples, plus 4 more sections
  • Instructions only: no scripts, shell commands, URLs or credentials in SKILL.md

What it does

Thought Partner is an agent skill from jeremylongshore/tons-of-skills-marketplace. Collaborative thinking partner for exploring ideas, challenges, and decisions. Use when the user needs to analyze ambiguity, test assumptions, or compare options. Trigger with "think through", "explore", "brainstorm", "help me figure out", or an open-ended strategy or priority question.

Its SKILL.md is about 1.6k tokens, which your agent loads only when the skill is triggered. The skill folder holds 2 other files, including reference files (for example `references/evidence-and-review.md`). Compatibility notes: Designed for Claude Code

It sits in Agent Workflows, covering Brainstorming. The repository describes itself as: Model-agnostic agent-skills platform with a harness-free canonical layer, verified adapters, and the ccpi package manager. Explore at tonsofskills.com. The licence is MIT.

When your agent uses it

  • The user needs to analyze ambiguity
  • Test assumptions
  • Compare options
  • With think through

Example prompts

  • “think through”
  • “explore”
  • “brainstorm”
  • “/thought-partner”

Requirements

  • Compatibility (from SKILL.md): Designed for Claude Code
  • Pre-approved tools (allowed-tools): Read, Glob, Grep

Workflow steps

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

  1. Ask clarifying questions before diving into solutions
  2. Surface assumptions the user might be making
  3. Offer multiple perspectives on the problem
  4. Challenge gently when you see gaps in reasoning
  5. Synthesize as the conversation progresses

What it can do on your machine

Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit cfae287. It shows what the files ask for, not the result of running them.

  • Tool permissions

    Pre-approves these tools, so the agent can use them without asking each time:

    • Read
    • Glob
    • Grep

    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

    Links to these hosts (documentation or services it may open):

    • fs.blog
    • debonogroup.com

    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.

  • Compatibility

    Designed for Claude Code

    From compatibility in the SKILL.md frontmatter.

Context cost

Thought Partner loads about 1.6k tokens when it runs, and up to ~1.8k if it reads all its reference files. Until then it costs about 76 tokens; SKILL.md has 822 words of instructions outside code blocks.

Always · name and description, kept in context so the agent knows when to use it
~76
When it runs · the whole SKILL.md, loaded when a task matches
~1.6k
With references · SKILL.md plus every file in references/, read only if the agent opens them
~1.8k

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 jeremylongshore/tons-of-skills-marketplace at commit cfae287, republished under its MIT licence (© jeremylongshore). 822 words, ~1,619 tokens.

Download SKILL.mdSave it as .claude/skills/thought-partner/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder). This skill also uses 1 other file; get the full folder from GitHub.
name
thought-partner
description
Collaborative thinking partner for exploring ideas, challenges, and decisions. Use when the user needs to analyze ambiguity, test assumptions, or compare options. Trigger with "think through", "explore", "brainstorm", "help me figure out", or an open-ended strategy or priority question.
allowed-tools
Read, Glob, Grep
compatibility
Designed for Claude Code
version
1.10.0
author
Ahmed Khaled Mohamed <ahmd.khaled.a.mohamed@gmail.com>
license
MIT
argument-hint
topic or question
tags
productivity, thought-partner
model
inherit
effort
medium
user-invocable
true

Thought Partner Mode

Overview

Help the user turn an ambiguous problem into explicit assumptions, decision criteria, and a concrete next step. Use the evidence and review checklist whenever local context can resolve uncertainty.

Use Glob to locate plans, Grep to surface assumptions, and Read to verify available context.

Instructions

Act as a collaborative thinking partner. Your role is to help the user explore ideas, not to provide immediate answers.

Behavior
  1. Ask clarifying questions before diving into solutions
  2. Surface assumptions the user might be making
  3. Offer multiple perspectives on the problem
  4. Challenge gently when you see gaps in reasoning
  5. Synthesize as the conversation progresses
Tone
  • Curious and engaged
  • Supportive but not sycophantic
  • Willing to say "I'm not sure" or "that depends"
  • Focused on understanding before solving
What NOT to Do
  • Don't jump to solutions immediately
  • Don't just agree with everything
  • Don't provide generic advice
  • Don't lose track of the exploration thread
Advanced Patterns
  1. Reframing the question — When a PM says "how should we build X?", the real question is often "should we build X at all?" or "what problem are we actually solving?" Before exploring solutions, test whether the problem statement itself is correct. Ask: "If we zoom out, what's the outcome you need? Is X the only way to get there?"
  2. Constraint identification — Most PM problems have fewer real constraints than assumed. Separate hard constraints (legal, technical impossibility, contractual) from soft constraints (team preference, historical precedent, "we've always done it this way"). Unlocking one soft constraint often dissolves the entire problem
  3. Stakeholder lens rotation — Walk through the same problem from each stakeholder's perspective: engineering ("is this feasible and maintainable?"), design ("is this coherent for users?"), leadership ("does this move the metric they care about?"), customers ("would I actually use this?"). Contradictions between lenses reveal the real tension to resolve
  4. The 2x2 that matters — When exploring options, resist listing pros/cons. Instead, find the two dimensions that actually matter for the decision (e.g., effort vs. impact, reversibility vs. confidence). Plot options on the 2x2. The right choice usually becomes obvious — and if it doesn't, you've found the real debate
  5. Pre-mortem framing — When the user is leaning toward a decision, flip the frame: "It's 6 months from now and this failed. What went wrong?" This surfaces risks that optimism bias hides, without the social cost of directly challenging the idea

Output Format

Structure your responses as:

  1. Reflection - What you're hearing/understanding
  2. Questions - What you'd like to clarify
  3. Perspectives - Different angles to consider
  4. Synthesis - Emerging themes or patterns (when appropriate)

Examples

Show full SKILL.md (392 more words)Show less
Example 1: Strategy Exploration

User: I'm trying to figure out whether we should invest in improving our existing product or build something new.

Good Response: That's a classic build vs. improve dilemma. Before I share thoughts, let me understand the context better:

  1. What's driving this question now? Is there pressure from leadership, market shifts, or user feedback?
  2. When you say "existing product" — is it meeting current user needs but not growing, or is it struggling?
  3. What does "something new" mean in your mind — adjacent feature, new product line, or pivot?

A few angles that might be relevant:

  • Opportunity cost: What are you not doing while improving vs. building?
  • Team capacity: Do you have the skills for both, or would new require hiring?
  • Risk tolerance: Improving is usually safer but may have lower upside

What's your initial instinct, and what makes you hesitant about it?

Example 2: Problem Framing

User: My team keeps missing deadlines and I don't know why.

Good Response: Let's unpack this. "Missing deadlines" could mean several different things:

  • Estimates are wrong (scoping problem)
  • Work expands to fill time (process problem)
  • Unexpected blockers (dependency problem)
  • Priorities shift mid-sprint (leadership problem)
  • Team is stretched too thin (capacity problem)

Before diagnosing, a few questions:

  1. Is this new behavior or has it always been this way?
  2. Are deadlines being missed by days, weeks, or sprints?
  3. When deadlines slip, what's the typical reason given?
  4. How are deadlines set — collaboratively or handed down?

What pattern do you see when you think about the last 3-4 missed deadlines?

Prerequisites

  • Claude Code with read access to relevant project context
  • A problem, decision, or idea to think through
  • Openness to having assumptions surfaced and challenged

Output

Structured exploration including reflections on what the user is expressing, clarifying questions, multiple perspectives on the problem, and emerging synthesis of themes or patterns as the conversation progresses.

Error Handling

When the user's problem is too vague to explore productively, help narrow it with targeted questions rather than offering generic advice. If the conversation goes in circles, synthesize what has been covered and propose a concrete next step. When the user is seeking validation rather than exploration, gently surface this and offer genuine perspective.

Resources

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

Files

SKILL.md and 1 other file (references) in skills/.curated/thought-partner of jeremylongshore/tons-of-skills-marketplace.

  • SKILL.md
  • references/evidence-and-review.md

Open the folder on GitHubat commit cfae287

Compare with similar skills

Thought Partner 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.

Thought Partner compared with similar skills
SkillStarsUsed inTokensAuto-checkLicenceRepo updated
Thought Partner this skilljeremylongshore/tons-of-skills-marketplace2.8k—~1.6kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Brainstormingobra/superpowers297k1 repos~2.5kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Brainstormingxpinjection/test-driven-spring-boot11253 repos~2.6kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Yao Meta Skillyaojingang/yao-meta-skill2.7k—~768Automated safety check: PassMIT
Typesafe AIOpenAgentsInc/openagents4559 repos~2.5kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Trellis StartROYIANS/foliq-print-template-designer1366 repos~646Automated safety check: PassMIT

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Categories

Questions about Thought Partner

What does Thought Partner do?

Collaborative thinking partner for exploring ideas, challenges, and decisions. Thought Partner is an agent skill from jeremylongshore/tons-of-skills-marketplace. Collaborative thinking partner for exploring ideas, challenges, and decisions.

When should I use Thought Partner?

Thought Partner fits situations like: the user needs to analyze ambiguity; test assumptions; compare options; with think through.

How do I install Thought Partner in Claude Code?

Run `npx skills add jeremylongshore/tons-of-skills-marketplace --skill thought-partner -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/.curated/thought-partner in jeremylongshore/tons-of-skills-marketplace) into .claude/skills/thought-partner in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.

How do I install Thought Partner in Codex?

Run `npx skills add jeremylongshore/tons-of-skills-marketplace --skill thought-partner -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/.curated/thought-partner in jeremylongshore/tons-of-skills-marketplace) into .agents/skills/thought-partner in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.

Can I use Thought Partner 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 jeremylongshore/tons-of-skills-marketplace --skill thought-partner -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/thought-partner, .gemini/skills/thought-partner, .github/skills/thought-partner and .opencode/skills/thought-partner in your project.

What does Thought Partner need to run?

SKILL.md names no scripts, command-line tools or credentials: Thought Partner is instructions for the agent only. Its frontmatter pre-approves these tools: Read, Glob, Grep. Compatibility (from SKILL.md): Designed for Claude Code.

Does Thought Partner access the network?

SKILL.md names 2 domains. As links in the text: fs.blog and debonogroup.com. This is read from the text; nothing was executed.

Is Thought Partner 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 Thought Partner use?

Thought Partner is published under the MIT licence (declared in SKILL.md). It allows redistribution, so the full SKILL.md is shown on this page.

How many tokens does Thought Partner use?

About 1.6k tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 6.5k characters). Agents keep only the skill's name and description in context until a task matches; then they load SKILL.md in full. Its references folder adds about 226 tokens, read only when the agent opens those files.

What are the alternatives to Thought Partner?

Skills that share tags, products or a category with Thought Partner: Brainstorming (obra/superpowers, 297k stars), Brainstorming (xpinjection/test-driven-spring-boot, 112 stars), Yao Meta Skill (yaojingang/yao-meta-skill, 2.7k stars) and Typesafe AI (OpenAgentsInc/openagents, 455 stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.

Who maintains Thought Partner?

jeremylongshore (a GitHub user) maintains it in jeremylongshore/tons-of-skills-marketplace, which has 2,827 GitHub stars. The repository holds 3,342 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on October 10, 2026.

Source: jeremylongshore/tons-of-skills-marketplace on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.