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Agent skill

Pm Brain

by phuryn in phuryn/pm-brain

Initialize a PM Brain — a markdown-native second brain for a product operator (PM, product lead, founder, or anyone accountable for one product or initiative) doing judgment-heavy work with…

MITAuto-check passedKnowledge Management

Install Pm Brain

skills CLI
$ npx skills add phuryn/pm-brain --skill pm-brain -a claude-code

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

GitHub CLI
$ gh skill install phuryn/pm-brain pm-brain --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/phuryn/pm-brain.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/.claude/skills/pm-brain .claude/skills/pm-brain && 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
pm-brain
GitHub stars
894
Token cost
~2.1k tokens
SKILL.md length
931 words
Files
86
Skills in repo
1
Repo updated
First seen
Licence
MIT

At a glance

Initialize a PM Brain — a markdown-native second brain for a product operator (PM, product lead, founder, or anyone accountable for one product or initiative) doing judgment-heavy work with…

  • Works in 8 steps: Detect mode → If migration mode → Run the interview → …
  • Invoked via /pm-brain
  • SKILL.md covers Architectural split, When to invoke, Workflow and Anti-patterns, plus 1 more section
  • Runs Python scripts from its folder; calls git

What it does

Pm Brain is an agent skill from phuryn/pm-brain. Initialize a PM Brain — a markdown-native second brain for a product operator (PM, product lead, founder, or anyone accountable for one product or initiative) doing judgment-heavy work with scattered inputs. Detects greenfield vs. migration mode, runs a focused interview, copies the deterministic scaffold into the working directory, populates placeholders from interview answers, runs a self-test, and commits. Use when invoked via /pm-brain or when the user asks to set up a PM Brain.

Its SKILL.md is about 2.1k tokens, which your agent loads only when the skill is triggered. The skill folder holds 90 other files (for example `prompts/interview.md`, `prompts/migration.md` and `prompts/mode-detection.md`).

It sits in Knowledge Management, covering Second brain and Project scaffolding. The repository describes itself as: PM Brain OS: The Second Brain for Product Managers, Made of Markdown. The licence is MIT.

When your agent uses it

  • Invoked via /pm-brain
  • The user asks to set up a PM Brain

Example prompts

  • “/pm-brain”

Requirements

  • Python 3

Workflow steps

8 steps, taken from the step headings in SKILL.md.

  1. Detect mode
  2. If migration mode
  3. Run the interview
  4. Copy the scaffold
  5. Populate placeholders from interview answers
  6. Post-scaffold self-test
  7. Commit
  8. Hand off

What it can do on your machine

Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit 6dcc1a7. 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

    Ships script files (Python, from the files we listed), which the agent can run.

    Shell commands in SKILL.md call:

    • git

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

  • Network

    No URLs in SKILL.md. Its commands use git, which can reach the network depending on how they are called.

    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

Pm Brain loads about 2.1k tokens when it runs. Until then it costs about 125 tokens; SKILL.md has 931 words of instructions outside code blocks.

Always · name and description, kept in context so the agent knows when to use it
~125
When it runs · the whole SKILL.md, loaded when a task matches
~2.1k

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 phuryn/pm-brain at commit 6dcc1a7, republished under its MIT licence (© phuryn). 931 words, ~2,101 tokens.

Download SKILL.mdSave it as .claude/skills/pm-brain/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder). This skill also uses 85 other files; get the full folder from GitHub.
name
pm-brain
description
Initialize a PM Brain — a markdown-native second brain for a product operator (PM, product lead, founder, or anyone accountable for one product or initiative) doing judgment-heavy work with scattered inputs. Detects greenfield vs. migration mode, runs a focused interview, copies the deterministic scaffold into the working directory, populates placeholders from interview answers, runs a self-test, and commits. Use when invoked via `/pm-brain` or when the user asks to set up a PM Brain.

PM Brain — Skill

This skill scaffolds and initializes a PM Brain in the current working directory. The scaffold is deterministic (static files copied as-is from scaffold/). The reasoning is adaptive (loaded from prompts/ per phase).

Architectural split

LayerWhere it livesWhy
Static structure — schemas, CLAUDE.md, INDEX.md, folder tree, file templatesscaffold/Deterministic. Same every time. No generation needed.
Adaptive reasoning — mode detection, migration, interview, post-scaffold self-testprompts/Probabilistic. Depends on what's in the directory and what the PM says.
Orchestration — when to do whatThis fileGlue.

Behavior evolves independently from structure. Schemas can change without touching reasoning. Reasoning can improve without rewriting schemas.

When to invoke

  • Operator runs /pm-brain (or pastes a setup request like "set up a PM Brain here").
  • Operator asks to add a PM Brain to an existing directory of PM artifacts.

Do not invoke this skill for routine PM Brain operations after init (ingestion, prep, review). Those are handled by the seeded CLAUDE.md operating manual in the target repo.

Workflow

1. Detect mode

Load prompts/mode-detection.md. Inspect the current working directory. Decide: greenfield (empty), migration (PM artifacts present), or active-repo (working repo — pause and ask).

Announce the detected mode to the operator in one line. For active-repo mode, do not proceed without confirmation.

2. If migration mode

Load prompts/migration.md. Copy (do not move) pre-existing PM artifacts into a source/ folder. Bulk-ingest with epistemic caution. Record cross-document conflicts for the post-scaffold contradictions block.

3. Run the interview

Load prompts/interview.md. Ask the 5 batches (greenfield) or only the gaps not covered by source artifacts (migration). Confirm back what you heard before scaffolding.

4. Copy the scaffold

Copy every file and folder from scaffold/ into the current working directory — including the hidden .claude/ directory (hooks + per-brain settings) and dotfiles (.gitignore, .gitkeep). Preserve structure.

Use the form of copy that picks up dotfiles by default:

  • Bash: cp -R scaffold/. <dest>/ (the trailing /. is what makes dotfiles come along)
  • PowerShell: Copy-Item -Recurse -Force scaffold\* <dest>\ followed by Copy-Item -Recurse -Force scaffold\.* <dest>\ (the second pass picks up .claude/ and .gitignore; Copy-Item -Recurse scaffold\* alone will silently drop them)

After copying, verify the install by listing the destination — .claude/, .gitignore, and every top-level area folder (hypotheses/, decisions/, source/, ingestion/, knowledge/, stakeholders/, rules/, maintenance/, docs/) must all be present. If .claude/ is missing the hook won't fire on agent writes and schema violations will go uncaught — re-do the copy.

Critical rules:

  • Copy in place. The current working directory is the project root. Do not create a nested subfolder.
  • Preserve .gitkeep files in empty folders.
  • Preserve .claude/hooks/validate_brain_file.py and .claude/settings.json exactly as shipped — they're what makes schema enforcement happen in-loop as the agent edits brain files.
  • Do not modify scaffold files at the source. If you need to change a template permanently, edit scaffold/ and re-version the skill.
5. Populate placeholders from interview answers

Walk the copied files and substitute interview answers. Use the full Batch → file mapping in prompts/interview.md § What the answers feed — that table is the canonical destination map. Every Batch answer has a documented home; do not silently drop any.

Highlights:

  • knowledge/strategy.md — north-star metric, priorities (Batch A). Non-goals start empty if PM didn't volunteer them; flag in next moves.
  • knowledge/product/features/<slug>.md — one file per active feature (Batch C Q1), populated from the feature schema.
  • knowledge/product/roadmap.md — Now / Next sections from Batch C.
  • stakeholders/<slug>.md — one file per stakeholder (Batch B Q1); influence + friction tagged from Batch B Q2.
  • knowledge/org/team.md, knowledge/org/rituals.md, knowledge/org/tools.md — from Batch B Q3 + Batch D Q1.
  • knowledge/market/landscape.md and/or trends.md — from Batch D Q3.
  • rules/discovery.md, rules/data.md — from Batch D Q1-2.
  • CLAUDE.md § Operating preferences — autonomy mode + maintenance cadence (Batch E Q1-2).
  • CLAUDE.md § Off-limits — Batch E Q3.

For schema-templated files: copy the schema structure as-is, fill in what the interview provided, leave the rest with the placeholder comments intact.

Provenance: every populated field should be traceable back to either a Batch question or a source artifact. When a value came from a source artifact, link to it inline.

Show full SKILL.md (278 more words)Show less
6. Post-scaffold self-test

Load prompts/post-scaffold.md. Run:

  1. Routing self-test (can you route each of the 4 ingestion modes?).
  2. Link verification (walk every internal markdown link, fix broken ones).
  3. Surface 3-5 immediate next moves.
  4. Surface 1-3 contradictions found during scaffolding (or say explicitly "none found").
  5. Print the self-test receipt.
7. Commit
  • Run git rev-parse --is-inside-work-tree in the current working directory.
  • If already a repo: stage all scaffolded files. Single commit titled feat: initialize PM brain.
  • If not a repo: git init in the current working directory, then stage and commit.
  • Never push remotely. PM controls publication.
  • If any git step fails, surface the error and stop. No destructive recovery.
8. Hand off

Lead with the habit loop, not the scaffold. See prompts/post-scaffold.md § 7 for the exact ordering:

  1. The three habit actions (ingest today / prep next 1:1 / /review Friday) — specific slug + day.
  2. 1-3 contradictions surfaced (or "none found").
  3. 2-3 scaffold gaps worth filling.
  4. One paragraph on what was built.

Do not lead with a folder map or "your scaffold is ready." Lead with what produces value in the next 24 hours.

Then stop and wait for the operator's first real task.

Anti-patterns

  • Regenerating scaffold content. The whole point of scaffold/ is that it's deterministic. If you find yourself rewriting CLAUDE.md or a schema from scratch during init, stop — copy from scaffold/ instead.
  • Creating a nested pm-brain/ subfolder. The current working directory is the project root.
  • Skipping the self-test. Broken links are memory corruption, not cosmetic.
  • Inventing contradictions. If migration mode found no genuine conflicts, say so. Don't fabricate.
  • Pushing remotely. PM controls when and where this gets published.

Files in this skill

pm-brain-skill/
├── SKILL.md              # This file. Orchestration.
├── scaffold/             # Deterministic static structure. Copy as-is.
│   ├── .claude/          # Per-brain Claude Code config (hooks + settings)
│   │   ├── hooks/
│   │   │   └── validate_brain_file.py   # PostToolUse schema validator
│   │   ├── commands/     # Slash commands shipped with the brain
│   │   └── settings.json # Wires the hook to Write|Edit
│   ├── .gitignore
│   ├── CLAUDE.md
│   ├── INDEX.md
│   ├── README.md
│   ├── knowledge/        # strategy, product, users, market, org
│   ├── stakeholders/
│   ├── hypotheses/
│   ├── decisions/
│   ├── rules/
│   ├── source/           # Verbatim audit anchors
│   ├── ingestion/        # Synthesized records
│   ├── maintenance/
│   └── docs/
└── prompts/              # Adaptive reasoning. Loaded per phase.
    ├── mode-detection.md
    ├── migration.md
    ├── interview.md
    └── post-scaffold.md

© phuryn, 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 85 other files in .claude/skills/pm-brain of phuryn/pm-brain.

  • SKILL.md
  • prompts/interview.md
  • prompts/migration.md
  • prompts/mode-detection.md
  • prompts/post-scaffold.md
  • scaffold/.claude/commands/INDEX.md
  • scaffold/.claude/commands/decide.md
  • scaffold/.claude/commands/hypothesize.md
  • scaffold/.claude/commands/ideate.md
  • scaffold/.claude/commands/ingest.md
  • scaffold/.claude/commands/plan.md
  • scaffold/.claude/commands/prep.md
  • scaffold/.claude/commands/review.md
  • scaffold/.claude/commands/risk.md
  • scaffold/.claude/commands/strategy-check.md
  • scaffold/.claude/hooks/validate_brain_file.py
  • … and 70 more

Open the folder on GitHubat commit 6dcc1a7

Compare with similar skills

Pm Brain 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.

Pm Brain compared with similar skills
SkillStarsUsed inTokensAuto-checkLicenceRepo updated
Pm Brain this skillphuryn/pm-brain894—~2.1kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Setupiurykrieger/claude-bedrock1051 repos~11kAutomated safety check: NotesMIT
Bounded AutoresearchAgriciDaniel/claude-obsidian15k1 repos~1.6kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Second BrainNicholasSpisak/second-brain7361 repos~1.5kAutomated safety check: NotesNone
3D Brainnateherkai/AIS-OS1.6k—~2.1kAutomated safety check: PassCustom licence
LLM Wikilewislulu/llm-wiki-skill655—~3.7kAutomated safety check: PassNone

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Categories

Questions about Pm Brain

What does Pm Brain do?

Initialize a PM Brain — a markdown-native second brain for a product operator (PM, product lead, founder, or anyone accountable for one product or initiative) doing judgment-heavy work with…. Pm Brain is an agent skill from phuryn/pm-brain. Initialize a PM Brain — a markdown-native second brain for a product operator (PM, product lead, founder, or anyone accountable for one product or initiative) doing judgment-heavy work with scattered inputs.

When should I use Pm Brain?

Pm Brain fits situations like: invoked via /pm-brain; the user asks to set up a PM Brain.

How do I install Pm Brain in Claude Code?

Run `npx skills add phuryn/pm-brain --skill pm-brain -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (.claude/skills/pm-brain in phuryn/pm-brain) into .claude/skills/pm-brain in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.

How do I install Pm Brain in Codex?

Run `npx skills add phuryn/pm-brain --skill pm-brain -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (.claude/skills/pm-brain in phuryn/pm-brain) into .agents/skills/pm-brain in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.

Can I use Pm Brain 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 phuryn/pm-brain --skill pm-brain -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/pm-brain, .gemini/skills/pm-brain, .github/skills/pm-brain and .opencode/skills/pm-brain in your project.

What does Pm Brain need to run?

Going by SKILL.md and its folder, Pm Brain needs Python for the scripts in its folder and the command-line tools its instructions call (git). Our summary lists: Python 3.

Does Pm Brain access the network?

SKILL.md contains no URLs. Its commands use git, which can reach the network depending on how they are called. This is read from the text; nothing was executed.

Is Pm Brain 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 Pm Brain use?

Pm Brain 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 Pm Brain use?

About 2.1k tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 8.4k 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 Pm Brain?

Skills that share tags, products or a category with Pm Brain: Setup (iurykrieger/claude-bedrock, 105 stars), Bounded Autoresearch (AgriciDaniel/claude-obsidian, 15k stars), Second Brain (NicholasSpisak/second-brain, 736 stars) and 3D Brain (nateherkai/AIS-OS, 1.6k stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.

Who maintains Pm Brain?

phuryn (a GitHub user) maintains it in phuryn/pm-brain, which has 894 GitHub stars. The repository was last updated on May 20, 2026.

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