skill-meta-prompt
Craft better prompts using proven optimization techniques — use when your prompt needs refinement
git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/nyldn/claude-octopus /tmp/skill-meta-prompt && cp -r /tmp/skill-meta-prompt/.claude/skills/skill-meta-prompt ~/.claude/skills/skill-meta-promptSKILL.md
# Meta-Prompt Generator Skill ## Overview Generate well-structured, verifiable prompts for any use case. Applies proven meta-prompting techniques to minimize hallucination and maximize effectiveness. ``` ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ META-PROMPT GENERATION │ ├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤ │ │ │ Phase 1: Requirement Gathering │ │ → Understand the primary goal/role │ │ → Clarify expected outputs │ │ → Identify accuracy requirements │ │ ↓ │ │ Phase 2: Task Analysis │ │ → Apply Technique 1: Task Decomposition │ │ → Identify if complex enough for subtasks │ │ → Map dependencies between subtasks │ │ ↓ │ │ Phase 3: Expert Assignment │ │ → Apply Technique 5: Specialized Experts │ │ → Assign personas to subtasks │ │ → Apply Technique 2: Fresh Eyes Review │ │ ↓ │ │ Phase 4: Verification Design │ │ → Apply Technique 3: Iterative Verification │ │ → Build in checking steps │ │ → Apply Technique 4: No Guessing │ │ ↓ │ │ Phase 5: Prompt Assembly │ │ → Structure: Role, Context, Instructions, Constraints, Format │ │ → Add verification hooks │ │ → Include uncertainty disclaimers │ │ ↓ │ │ Phase 6: Output & Iteration │ │ → Present generated prompt │ │ → Offer refinement │ │ │ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ ``` --- ## The Five Techniques ### Technique 1: Task Decomposition **What:** Break complex tasks into smaller, manageable subtasks. **When to use:** - Task has multiple distinct steps - Different expertise needed for different parts - Risk of getting lost in complexity **How to apply:** 1. List all components of the task 2. Identify dependencies (what must happen first) 3. Group related components 4. Order by logical sequence **Example:** ``` Task: "Create a technical blog post about OAuth 2.0" Decomposition: 1. Research Phase - Gather OAuth 2.0 specifications - Find common implementation examples - Identify security best practices 2. Structure Phase - Outline main sections - Plan code examples - Design diagrams/visuals 3. Writing Phase - Write introduction - Write technical sections - Write conclusion/CTA 4. Review Phase - Technical accuracy check - Code example testing - Readability review ``` --- ### Technique 2: Fresh Eyes Review **What:** Use different "experts" for creation vs. validation. Never use the same expert to both create and verify. **When to use:** - Output needs to be accurate - Risk of blind spots from creator - Quality assurance is critical **How to apply:** 1. Assign Creator Expert for initial work 2. Assign different Reviewer Expert for validation 3. Reviewer should not have seen creation process 4. Loop back to Creator if issues found **Example:** ``` Creator: "Expert Technical Writer" produces article Reviewer: "Expert Security Engineer" verifies OAuth claims Reviewer: "Expert Developer" tests code examples NOT: Same expert writes AND reviews their own work ``` --- ### Technique 3: Iterative Verification **What:** Build explicit verification steps into the task, especially for error-prone outputs. **When to use:** - Mathematical calculations - Code generation - Factual claims - Multi-step reasoning **How to apply:** 1. After each significant output, add verification step 2. For calculations: "Now verify this by [alternative method]" 3. For code: "Test this code against [test cases]" 4. For claims: "Confirm this by [citing source]" **Example:** ``` Step 1: Calculate discount price Step 2: VERIFY - recalculate from opposite direction Step 3: If mismatch, identify error and recalculate Step 4: Only proceed when both methods match ``` --- ### Technique 4: No Guessing **What:** Never assume unverified facts. Disclaim uncertainty explicitly. **When to use:** - ALWAYS (this is a default behavior) - Especially for: dates, statistics, quotes, technical specifications **How to apply:** 1. If uncertain, say "I'm not certain about..." 2. If no data, say "I don't have information on..." 3. Ask for sources rather than inventing 4. Distinguish between "likely" and "confirmed" **Disclaimer templates:** ``` "Note: This figure is approximate and should be verified." "I don't have access to [specific data]. Please provide or verify." "This is based on general patterns; your specific case may differ." ``` --- ### Technique 5: Specialized
Backend architect. Delegate only when the user explicitly starts an Octopus workflow.
Cloud architect. Delegate only when the user explicitly starts an Octopus workflow.
Code reviewer. Delegate only when the user explicitly starts an Octopus workflow.
Database architect. Delegate only when the user explicitly starts an Octopus workflow.
Debugger. Delegate only when the user explicitly starts an Octopus workflow.
Documentation architect. Delegate only when the user explicitly starts an Octopus workflow.
Frontend developer. Delegate only when the user explicitly starts an Octopus workflow.
Performance engineer. Delegate only when the user explicitly starts an Octopus workflow.