New: 98,000+ skills indexed from GitHub repos with 100+ stars · every skill safety-checkedBrowse top skillsTop skills
Esc to closeBrowse all skills
Submit a skillBrowse skills
Submit a skillBrowse skills

Agent skill

Thinking Model Combination

by tjboudreaux in tjboudreaux/cc-thinking-skills

When one mental model leaves a material blind spot on a multi-domain or high-stakes problem, sequence complementary models with named roles and a conflict rule.

MITAuto-check passed

Install Thinking Model Combination

skills CLI
$ npx skills add tjboudreaux/cc-thinking-skills --skill thinking-model-combination -a claude-code

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

GitHub CLI
$ gh skill install tjboudreaux/cc-thinking-skills thinking-model-combination --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/tjboudreaux/cc-thinking-skills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/thinking-model-combination .claude/skills/thinking-model-combination && 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
thinking-model-combination
GitHub stars
1.6k
Token cost
~898 tokens
SKILL.md length
403 words
Files
1
Skills in repo
26
Repo updated
First seen
Licence
MIT

At a glance

When one mental model leaves a material blind spot on a multi-domain or high-stakes problem, sequence complementary models with named roles and a conflict rule.

  • Works in 5 steps: State the unknown and the gap. Write the… → Pick 2–3 models with distinct roles. For… → Lock the relation and conflict rule… → …
  • SKILL.md covers When to Use, When NOT to Use, Procedure and Output, plus 1 more section
  • Instructions only: no scripts, shell commands, URLs or credentials in SKILL.md

What it does

Thinking Model Combination is an agent skill from tjboudreaux/cc-thinking-skills. When one mental model leaves a material blind spot on a multi-domain or high-stakes problem, sequence complementary models with named roles and a conflict rule.

Its SKILL.md is about 900 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: 28 eval-informed mental models and critical-thinking skills for Claude Code, GitHub Copilot, Codex, Cursor, and other Agent Skills-compatible tools. The licence is MIT.

Example prompts

  • “/thinking-model-combination”

Workflow steps

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

  1. State the unknown and the gap. Write the decision question. If one model already covers it, stop and use that model alone. Otherwise name…
  2. Pick 2–3 models with distinct roles. For each, record: model id, role (narrow / decide / stress / cost / …), and the unique question it…
  3. Lock the relation and conflict rule before applying. Choose pattern: sequential, parallel, nested (macro→meso→micro), or adversarial…
  4. Apply each model fully for its role only. Capture one key insight per model plus what only that model revealed. Do not re-run a model that…
  5. Synthesize once. Record convergence, divergence, how the conflict rule resolves divergence, and a single combined recommendation with…

What it can do on your machine

Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit 7b8fece. 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

Thinking Model Combination loads about 898 tokens when it runs. Until then it costs about 47 tokens; SKILL.md has 403 words of instructions outside code blocks.

Always · name and description, kept in context so the agent knows when to use it
~47
When it runs · the whole SKILL.md, loaded when a task matches
~898

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 tjboudreaux/cc-thinking-skills at commit 7b8fece, republished under its MIT licence (© tjboudreaux). 403 words, ~898 tokens.

Download SKILL.mdSave it as .claude/skills/thinking-model-combination/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder).
name
thinking-model-combination
description
When one mental model leaves a material blind spot on a multi-domain or high-stakes problem, sequence complementary models with named roles and a conflict rule.
disable-model-invocation
true

Model Combination

Core rule: Combine only when each model answers a different named question. Cap at three, name the conflict rule before applying, then synthesize once.

When to Use

  • One model already applied (or clearly primary) still leaves a material blind spot that another mechanism covers.
  • Problem spans domains (e.g. risk + choice + system structure) and stakes justify multi-lens work.
  • You need independent checks, not confirmation of the same conclusion.
  • You can name a distinct role per model before running them.

When NOT to Use

  • A single catalog skill fully answers the unknown — apply that skill alone.
  • Routine, local, or fully reversible work where multi-lens cost exceeds upside.
  • You cannot state what unique question each extra model answers (checkbox / model soup).
  • Near-duplicate mechanisms (two diagnosis skills that ask the same causal question).
  • Time budget cannot support genuine synthesis — prefer one honest model over contradictory partials.

Procedure

  1. State the unknown and the gap. Write the decision question. If one model already covers it, stop and use that model alone. Otherwise name the specific blind spot (e.g. "failure modes unexamined", "displaced alternative unknown").
  2. Pick 2–3 models with distinct roles. For each, record: model id, role (narrow / decide / stress / cost / …), and the unique question it answers. Drop any model that only rephrases another. Prefer sequential pipeline (narrow → stress → decide) over parallel unless independent concurrent checks are required.
  3. Lock the relation and conflict rule before applying. Choose pattern: sequential, parallel, nested (macro→meso→micro), or adversarial (for/against). Predeclare the tiebreaker (e.g. reversibility class, evidence strength, ruin constraint, primary decision owner). Incompatible worldviews run sequential or adversarial — never blended.
  4. Apply each model fully for its role only. Capture one key insight per model plus what only that model revealed. Do not re-run a model that adds no new insight.
  5. Synthesize once. Record convergence, divergence, how the conflict rule resolves divergence, and a single combined recommendation with residual uncertainty. Stop when the recommendation is decision-ready or when further models would only reconfirm.
Show full SKILL.md (75 more words)Show less

Output

text
problem: <decision question>
gap: <named blind spot justifying combination>
pattern: sequential | parallel | nested | adversarial
models:
  - id: <skill>
    role: <named job>
    unique_question: <what only this answers>
    insight: <key finding>
conflict_rule: <predeclared tiebreaker>
convergence: <where models agree>
divergence: <where they conflict + resolution>
recommendation: <single decision-ready answer>
stop_reason: gap_closed | single_model_suffices | budget

Verification

  • Falsify / stop: Remove a model only when it changes none of the recommendation, supporting evidence, confidence, residual risks, or mitigations; then re-synthesize with fewer. If no predeclared conflict rule exists and models disagree, do not average — pick one primary model or stop and re-route.
  • Over-application guard: Never exceed three models. Never add a model for thoroughness theater. If the first adequate single model already closes the gap, combination is wrong for this task.

© tjboudreaux, 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 skills/thinking-model-combination of tjboudreaux/cc-thinking-skills.

Open the folder on GitHubat commit 7b8fece

Compare with similar skills

Thinking Model Combination 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.

Thinking Model Combination compared with similar skills
SkillStarsUsed inTokensAuto-checkLicenceRepo updated
Thinking Model Combination this skilltjboudreaux/cc-thinking-skills1.6k—~898Automated safety check: PassMIT
Review Hog Blind Spots GeneralPostHog/posthog40k—~475Automated safety check: PassCustom licence
Blind Spot Scanlijigang/ljg-skills7.5k—~1.7kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Leave Managementsickn33/agentic-awesome-skills47k1 repos~3.7kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Investor Materialsaffaan-m/ECC276k3 repos~268Automated safety check: PassMIT
SpotLeoYeAI/openclaw-master-skills2.2k—~6.2kAutomated safety check: PassMIT

Similar skills

  • Review Hog Blind Spots General

    PostHog/posthog

    Official

    The general blind-spot check for PostHog Review, the final sweep that runs after every enabled review perspective has reviewed a chunk.

    40k GitHub stars~475 tokensUpdated today
    Auto-check passed

  • Blind Spot Scan

    lijigang/ljg-skills

    Reads yesterday's AI conversations, identifies one thinking blind spot, picks a WeRead book chapter to address it and writes an analysis note.

    7.5k GitHub stars~1.7k tokensUpdated yesterday
    Knowledge ManagementAuto-check passed

  • Leave Management

    sickn33/agentic-awesome-skills

    Leave register: request, leave type, employee and department, manager and approver, start and end dates, days requested, leave balances, handover notes and status.

    47k GitHub starsUsed in 1 repo~3.7k tokens
    Auto-check passed

  • Investor Materials

    affaan-m/ECC

    创建和更新宣传文稿、一页简介、投资者备忘录、加速器申请、财务模型和融资材料。当用户需要面向投资者的文件、预测、资金用途表、里程碑计划或必须在多个融资资产中保持内部一致性的材料时使用。

    276k GitHub starsUsed in 3 repos~268 tokens
    Auto-check passed

  • Spot

    LeoYeAI/openclaw-master-skills

    Binance Spot request using the Binance API. An agent skill from LeoYeAI/openclaw-master-skills.

    2.2k GitHub stars~6.2k tokensUpdated 2 mo ago
    Backend & APIsAuto-check passed

  • Material Design

    sickn33/agentic-awesome-skills

    Web and App implementation guide for Material Design. An agent skill from sickn33/agentic-awesome-skills.

    47k GitHub starsUsed in 1 repo~2.6k tokens
    MobileAuto-check passed

More from tjboudreaux/cc-thinking-skills

All 26 skills in this repo

  • Thinking Bounded Rationality

    tjboudreaux/cc-thinking-skills

    A skill your agent uses when search or investigation could run forever.

    1.6k GitHub stars~703 tokensUpdated 2 mo ago
    Auto-check passed

  • Thinking Circle Of Competence

    tjboudreaux/cc-thinking-skills

    A skill your agent uses when a specific claim may lack grounding.

    1.6k GitHub stars~733 tokensUpdated 2 mo ago
    Auto-check passed

  • Thinking Lindy Effect

    tjboudreaux/cc-thinking-skills

    A skill your agent uses when longevity of a non-perishable option matters.

    1.6k GitHub stars~650 tokensUpdated 2 mo ago
    Auto-check passed

  • Thinking Via Negativa

    tjboudreaux/cc-thinking-skills

    A skill your agent uses when the reflex is to add a feature, layer, or process.

    1.6k GitHub stars~735 tokensUpdated 2 mo ago
    Auto-check passed

  • Thinking Cynefin

    tjboudreaux/cc-thinking-skills

    When the right response mode is unclear, classify the cause-effect domain first; decompose disorder.

    1.6k GitHub stars~651 tokensUpdated 2 mo ago
    Auto-check passed

  • Thinking Five Whys Plus

    tjboudreaux/cc-thinking-skills

    When a fault is localized and the proximate cause is known but the systemic root is not, chain evidence-linked whys with a counterfactual stop and a countermeasure.

    1.6k GitHub stars~881 tokensUpdated 2 mo ago
    Auto-check passed

Questions about Thinking Model Combination

What does Thinking Model Combination do?

When one mental model leaves a material blind spot on a multi-domain or high-stakes problem, sequence complementary models with named roles and a conflict rule. Thinking Model Combination is an agent skill from tjboudreaux/cc-thinking-skills. When one mental model leaves a material blind spot on a multi-domain or high-stakes problem, sequence complementary models with named roles and a conflict rule.

How do I install Thinking Model Combination in Claude Code?

Run `npx skills add tjboudreaux/cc-thinking-skills --skill thinking-model-combination -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/thinking-model-combination in tjboudreaux/cc-thinking-skills) into .claude/skills/thinking-model-combination in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.

How do I install Thinking Model Combination in Codex?

Run `npx skills add tjboudreaux/cc-thinking-skills --skill thinking-model-combination -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/thinking-model-combination in tjboudreaux/cc-thinking-skills) into .agents/skills/thinking-model-combination in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.

Can I use Thinking Model Combination 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 tjboudreaux/cc-thinking-skills --skill thinking-model-combination -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/thinking-model-combination, .gemini/skills/thinking-model-combination, .github/skills/thinking-model-combination and .opencode/skills/thinking-model-combination in your project.

What does Thinking Model Combination need to run?

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

Does Thinking Model Combination 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 Thinking Model Combination 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 Thinking Model Combination use?

Thinking Model Combination 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 Thinking Model Combination use?

About 898 tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 3.6k 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 Thinking Model Combination?

Skills that share tags, products or a category with Thinking Model Combination: Review Hog Blind Spots General (PostHog/posthog, 40k stars), Blind Spot Scan (lijigang/ljg-skills, 7.5k stars), Leave Management (sickn33/agentic-awesome-skills, 47k stars) and Investor Materials (affaan-m/ECC, 276k stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.

Who maintains Thinking Model Combination?

tjboudreaux (a GitHub user) maintains it in tjboudreaux/cc-thinking-skills, which has 1,612 GitHub stars. The repository holds 26 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on August 7, 2026.

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