Claude Code Skills · page 125

Checks whether installed skills are compatible with the current OpenClaw version and flags skills that require runtime features not present in your installation.

Diagnoses silent skill discovery failures — YAML parse errors, path violations, schema mismatches — so broken skills don't disappear without a trace.

Manages named skill profiles (loadouts) so you can switch between focused skill sets and prevent system prompt bloat from too many active skills.

Tracks cumulative API spend against a monthly budget and pauses non-essential automations when thresholds are crossed

Gracefully hands off incomplete tasks across agent restarts. Use when work must be paused mid-task.

Analyzes skill descriptions for trigger quality — scores clarity, keyword density, and specificity, then suggests rewrites that improve discovery accuracy.

Chains multiple skills into a named multi-step workflow with conditions and state tracking. Use when a recurring task requires the same sequence of skills every time.

Detects drift or tampering in SOUL.md, AGENTS.md, MEMORY.md, and other critical workspace files and prompts recovery

Use Gemini CLI for long-context codebase exploration, architecture review, refactor impact analysis, documentation synthesis, or structured data analysis when the host should hand off a large cross-file problem instead of solving it file-by-file.

Major art movements and their historical context for art education. Covers 12 movements from the Renaissance to contemporary art, their defining characteristics, key artists, signature works, and the intellectual/social forces that produced them. Use when analyzing artworks in historical context, understanding stylistic lineages, identifying influences across periods, or connecting studio practice to art-historical precedent.

Color theory principles for art education. Covers the three color properties (hue, saturation, value), color mixing systems (subtractive and additive), color relationships (complementary, analogous, triadic, split-complementary), color temperature, simultaneous contrast and the relativity of color perception, and practical palette construction. Use when analyzing color in artworks, planning color schemes, understanding optical phenomena in painting, or investigating Albers's Interaction of Color experiments.

The creative process in art from idea to exhibition. Covers five phases of creative work (inspiration, incubation, exploration, execution, reflection), sketchbook practice, artist statements, critique methodology (formal and conceptual), portfolio development, and the studio as a working environment. Use when guiding students through project development, facilitating critique sessions, developing artist statements, curating portfolios, or understanding how professional artists structure their creative practice.

Digital art tools, techniques, and workflows for art education. Covers raster and vector workflows, digital painting, photo manipulation, generative and procedural art, 3D modeling and rendering, pixel art, the relationship between traditional skills and digital execution, and ethical considerations of AI-generated imagery. Use when working with digital tools, evaluating digital art, or bridging traditional art concepts into digital practice.

Observational drawing and visual perception techniques for art education. Covers contour drawing, gesture drawing, negative space, proportion and measurement, value mapping, spatial depth cues, and the cognitive shift from symbolic to perceptual seeing. Use when teaching drawing fundamentals, analyzing observational accuracy, or developing visual literacy in any medium.

Three-dimensional art and sculptural thinking for art education. Covers additive and subtractive sculptural processes, armature construction, modeling in clay, carving principles, casting and moldmaking, assemblage and found-object sculpture, installation art as expanded sculpture, and the conceptual transition from pictorial to spatial thinking. Use when working with three-dimensional media, analyzing sculptural form, understanding spatial composition, or investigating the relationship between sculpture and site.

Celestial coordinate systems and sky positioning. Covers horizon (altitude-azimuth), equatorial (right ascension-declination), ecliptic, and galactic systems; epoch and precession; coordinate transformations; planisphere use; and practical sky-locating from any latitude and date. Use when locating objects, planning observations, converting catalog coordinates, or teaching the geometry of the sky.

Observational cosmology from Hubble's law to the CMB. Covers redshift, Hubble expansion, the cosmological parameters, the cosmic microwave background, large-scale structure, galaxy rotation curves and dark matter, Type Ia SNe and dark energy, and the current state of Lambda-CDM. Use when reasoning about the large-scale universe, interpreting cosmological surveys, or teaching the Big Bang evidence chain.

The cosmic distance ladder from radar ranging to Hubble flow. Covers parallax, spectroscopic parallax, cluster main-sequence fitting, Cepheid and RR Lyrae period-luminosity relations, Type Ia supernovae, Tully-Fisher, surface brightness fluctuation, and redshift-distance relations. Use when estimating, cross-checking, or critiquing any astronomical distance from a parsec to a gigaparsec.

Practical naked-eye and binocular sky observing. Covers dark adaptation, limiting magnitude, constellation recognition, star hopping, the messier and Caldwell catalogs accessible without a telescope, the Moon, planets, meteor showers, aurorae, and the ethics and habits of observing under light-polluted and dark skies. Use when teaching someone to find their way around the sky, planning a naked-eye session, or choosing a first binocular tour.

Classical orbital mechanics from Kepler to Hohmann. Covers the six orbital elements, Kepler's three laws, vis-viva, orbit types (circular, elliptical, parabolic, hyperbolic), transfer orbits, gravity assists, the two-body problem, and practical methods for computing ephemerides. Use when reasoning about planet motion, spacecraft trajectories, comet orbits, exoplanet transits, or binary star dynamics.

Stellar spectral analysis from first light to chemical abundance. Covers continuum emission and absorption, the OBAFGKM classification sequence, luminosity classes, line identification, Doppler shifts, curve-of-growth abundance analysis, and the astrophysical conclusions that follow from a spectrum. Use when classifying a star, measuring radial velocity, inferring composition or temperature, or teaching why the Sun is mostly hydrogen.

Business ethics, corporate governance, and stakeholder responsibility for firms operating in complex social and regulatory environments. Covers ethical frameworks applied to business, stakeholder vs shareholder theory, board structure and fiduciary duty, conflicts of interest, whistleblowing, CSR and ESG, and the distinction between legal compliance and ethical conduct. Use when evaluating a decision with ethical stakes, designing a governance structure, or diagnosing a corporate scandal.

Contracts, commercial law, and intellectual property essentials for founders, managers, and knowledge workers. Covers the elements of contract formation, common contract types, property rights, consumer protection, employment law basics, and the four IP regimes — patents, copyrights, trademarks, and trade secrets. Use when drafting or reviewing an agreement, protecting an invention or brand, evaluating a licensing deal, or understanding regulatory exposure.

Corporate finance fundamentals for evaluating business decisions under cost, time, and risk constraints. Covers time value of money, net present value, internal rate of return, payback period, break-even analysis, cost-benefit analysis, debt vs equity, working capital, and the basic financial statements. Use when evaluating an investment, sizing a funding round, structuring a capital stack, or reading a balance sheet.

Entrepreneurship, innovation, and disruption for starting, scaling, and defending new ventures. Covers opportunity recognition, jobs-to-be-done, the disruptive innovation framework, sustaining vs disruptive innovation, platform businesses, network effects, minimum viable product, customer development, and the startup lifecycle from idea to exit. Use when evaluating a venture idea, positioning a new product, interpreting a competitive threat, or designing a platform.

Operations management and lean production techniques for turning inputs into outputs under variability. Covers the Toyota Production System, seven wastes, just-in-time, kanban, jidoka, single-minute die exchange, 5 Whys, value stream mapping, bottleneck theory, and the distinction between mass production and flexible production. Use when diagnosing operational waste, designing production flows, setting up quality systems, or comparing batch-and-queue to one-piece flow.

Organizational strategy and management theory for business decision-making. Covers objectives-based management, the knowledge-worker firm, decentralization, the five management tasks, strategy-as-practice, managerial roles, and the distinction between efficiency and effectiveness. Use when structuring an organization, setting objectives, allocating decision rights, or critiquing a strategy document.

Spectroscopy, chromatography, titration, elemental analysis, X-ray crystallography, and mass spectrometry for chemical identification and quantitation. Covers UV-Vis and IR spectroscopy, NMR fundamentals, gas and liquid chromatography, gravimetric and volumetric analysis, diffraction methods, separation techniques, and quantitative error analysis. Use when identifying unknown substances, determining purity, measuring concentrations, or interpreting analytical data.

Atomic theory, periodic table organization, electron configuration, periodic trends, and isotopes/radioactivity. Covers Dalton through quantum mechanical models, electron shell filling (Aufbau, Hund, Pauli), periodic law and block structure, trend prediction (electronegativity, ionization energy, atomic radius, electron affinity), isotope notation, nuclear stability, and radioactive decay modes. Use when teaching, problem-solving, or reasoning about atomic-level chemistry.

Ionic, covalent, and metallic bonding, Lewis structures, VSEPR theory, molecular geometry, polarity, and intermolecular forces. Covers octet rule and exceptions, formal charge, resonance, sigma/pi bonds, orbital hybridization, electronegativity-driven bond classification, VSEPR electron-domain and molecular geometries, dipole moments, and the four intermolecular force types (London dispersion, dipole-dipole, hydrogen bonding, ion-dipole). Use when predicting molecular shapes, bond properties, or physical behavior from molecular structure.

States of matter, phase transitions, kinetic molecular theory, atmospheric chemistry, green chemistry, and sustainable synthesis. Covers solid/liquid/gas/plasma properties, phase diagrams, vapor pressure, gas laws, ozone chemistry, greenhouse effect, the 12 principles of green chemistry, atom economy, solvent selection, and catalysis for sustainability. Use when reasoning about material properties, environmental chemistry, or designing greener chemical processes.

Carbon chemistry, functional groups, IUPAC nomenclature, isomerism, reaction mechanisms (substitution, elimination, addition), polymers, and biochemistry basics. Covers hydrocarbon classes (alkanes, alkenes, alkynes, aromatics), common functional groups (alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, carboxylic acids, esters, amines, amides), stereochemistry, condensation and addition polymerization, and the four biomolecule classes (carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, nucleic acids). Use when analyzing organic structures, predicting reaction products, or connecting chemistry to biology.

Balancing chemical equations, reaction classification, stoichiometric calculations, acid-base chemistry, oxidation-reduction (redox) reactions, and thermochemistry. Covers conservation of mass, mole ratios, limiting reagents, percent yield, Bronsted-Lowry and Lewis acid-base theory, pH calculations, oxidation states, half-reaction balancing, enthalpy, Hess's law, and calorimetry. Use when solving quantitative chemistry problems involving reactions, energy changes, or solution chemistry.

Identity, authentication, authorization, and token management for cloud platforms. Covers Keystone-style scoped tokens, OAuth 2.0 flows, OpenID Connect, JWT structure and pitfalls, federation with SAML/OIDC, service-to-service auth with mTLS and SPIFFE, principle of least privilege, IAM role design, and the service catalog pattern (public/internal/admin endpoints). Use when designing authn/authz for a multi-tenant cloud service, integrating with an identity provider, or reviewing IAM policies for over-privilege.

Distributed consensus algorithms and logical time for cloud and multi-node systems. Covers Lamport clocks, vector clocks, FLP impossibility, Paxos (basic, multi, fast), Raft, Viewstamped Replication, Byzantine fault tolerance basics, quorum reads/writes (N/R/W), leader election, and TLA+ specification style. Use when designing replicated state machines, picking a consensus protocol, reasoning about split-brain and quorum loss, or writing formal specs for distributed coordination.

Distributed storage systems design and operation for cloud platforms. Covers the GFS/HDFS block-and-master pattern, object storage (Swift/S3) with consistent hashing and eventual consistency, block storage semantics, replication vs erasure coding, the CAP theorem in practice, read-repair and anti-entropy, snapshot chains, and the GFS/BigTable/Spanner evolution. Use when designing a storage subsystem, choosing between object/block/file, or reviewing a replication and consistency strategy.

Networking fundamentals as they apply to cloud infrastructure — virtual networks, subnets, routers, NAT, floating IPs, security groups, VLAN/VXLAN segmentation, load balancing, SDN concepts, and how Neutron-style cloud networks sit on top of physical topology. Covers TCP behavior at scale, congestion control, tail latency, overlay networks, and the operational gotchas that come from network layering. Use when designing cloud network topology, debugging cross-AZ latency, or reviewing a proposed VPC/SG design.

Reliability engineering for cloud systems — SLIs, SLOs, error budgets, SRE practices, runbooks, incident response, on-call rotation, blameless postmortems, chaos engineering, and the NASA Systems Engineering methodology (MCR/SRR/PDR/CDR/ORR phase gates, TAID verification, requirements tracing) adapted to cloud operations. Use when establishing SLOs for a new service, running an incident, writing a runbook, preparing a launch readiness review, or bringing NASA SE discipline to cloud deployments.

Service-oriented and microservices architecture patterns for cloud-scale systems. Covers service boundaries, API versioning and backward compatibility, eventual consistency at the API layer, idempotency keys, saga and choreography patterns, bulkheads, circuit breakers, service meshes, and the Vogels "you build it, you run it" operating principle. Use when designing service decomposition, API contracts, inter-service communication, or reviewing a proposed microservices architecture for coupling and resilience.

Algorithms and data structures from first principles through advanced analysis. Covers sorting (bubble, insertion, selection, merge, quick, heap, radix), searching (linear, binary, BFS, DFS, Dijkstra, A*), fundamental data structures (arrays, linked lists, stacks, queues, hash tables, trees, heaps, graphs, tries), complexity analysis (Big-O, Big-Omega, Big-Theta, amortized), recurrence relations, and algorithm design paradigms (divide-and-conquer, greedy, dynamic programming, backtracking). Use when analyzing, selecting, implementing, or comparing algorithms and data structures.

Computational thinking as a problem-solving discipline independent of programming languages. Covers the four pillars (decomposition, pattern recognition, abstraction, algorithm design), computational problem-solving methodology (understand, decompose, generalize, formalize, verify), abstraction levels (from hardware through user interface), modeling and simulation, automata and formal languages (DFA, NFA, regular expressions, context-free grammars, Turing machines), computational complexity classes (P, NP, NP-complete, undecidable), and constructionist pedagogy (learning by building, Logo, Scratch, physical computing). Use when approaching unfamiliar problems, teaching problem-solving strategies, analyzing problem complexity, or bridging between domain knowledge and computational solutions.

Use when the user reports a bug they can't reproduce, asks where to start debugging, or mentions a Heisenbug / production-only failure. Drives the observe→hypothesize→predict→test→iterate scientific method.

Core programming concepts from variables through recursion. Covers data types (integers, floats, strings, booleans, arrays, objects), variables and scope (lexical, dynamic, block, function, global), control flow (conditionals, loops, pattern matching), functions (parameters, return values, closures, higher-order functions), recursion (base cases, call stack, tail recursion, mutual recursion), type systems (static vs dynamic, strong vs weak, type inference, generics), and error handling (exceptions, Result types, defensive programming). Use when teaching, reviewing, or diagnosing issues with fundamental programming constructs.

Software design principles, patterns, and architecture from SOLID through distributed systems. Covers the five SOLID principles with violations and fixes, DRY/KISS/YAGNI heuristics, separation of concerns, 12 GoF design patterns organized by intent (creational, structural, behavioral), architectural patterns (MVC, MVP, MVVM, layered, hexagonal, microservices, event-driven), coupling and cohesion metrics, dependency injection, and the design decision framework for choosing between competing approaches. Use when making design decisions, reviewing architecture, refactoring code, or teaching software engineering principles.

Systems programming from memory management through networking. Covers memory models (stack vs heap, manual allocation, garbage collection, ownership/borrowing), concurrency (threads, mutexes, channels, async/await, actor model, data races vs race conditions), operating system concepts (processes, virtual memory, page tables, system calls, file descriptors, signals), compilation (lexing, parsing, code generation, linking, static vs dynamic libraries), networking fundamentals (TCP/IP, sockets, HTTP, DNS, TLS), and the hardware-software boundary (caches, cache lines, false sharing, memory-mapped I/O). Use when working with low-level code, diagnosing system-level bugs, understanding performance characteristics, or bridging between high-level languages and machine behavior.

Active listening techniques for effective communication. Covers attending behaviors, paraphrasing, reflective listening, clarifying questions, empathic response, barriers to listening, listening in conflict, and cross-cultural listening. Use when building listening skills, improving understanding in conversation, mediating disputes, or analyzing communication breakdowns.

Conflict resolution strategies and mediation techniques for interpersonal and group communication. Covers conflict styles (Thomas-Kilmann model), interest-based negotiation (Fisher and Ury), de-escalation techniques, mediation process, restorative practices, workplace conflict, and cross-cultural conflict norms. Use when mediating disputes, analyzing conflict dynamics, preparing for difficult conversations, or building conflict-competent communication cultures.

Interpersonal communication theory and practice for one-on-one and small group interaction. Covers communication models (linear, transactional, constructivist), self-disclosure and Johari Window, relational dialectics, communication climate, supportive versus defensive communication, feedback models, and adapting style across relationships and contexts. Use when analyzing communication dynamics, improving relationships, giving feedback, or understanding communication breakdowns between individuals.

Media literacy and critical analysis of media messages across platforms and formats. Covers media ecology (McLuhan), encoding/decoding (Hall), news literacy, digital media analysis, propaganda techniques, algorithmic curation, visual rhetoric, and ethical media consumption. Use when analyzing media messages, evaluating news sources, understanding how media technology shapes communication, detecting propaganda, or studying the relationship between medium and message.

Persuasion and rhetorical analysis grounded in classical and modern frameworks. Covers Aristotle's three appeals (ethos, pathos, logos), rhetorical situation (audience, purpose, context), argument structure (Toulmin model), logical fallacies, persuasive writing, propaganda analysis, and ethical persuasion. Use when constructing arguments, analyzing rhetoric, evaluating persuasive messages, detecting fallacies, or studying the relationship between language and power.

Public speaking and oral presentation skills for effective communication. Covers speech structure (introduction, body, conclusion), delivery techniques (projection, pace, pause, gesture), audience analysis, impromptu and extemporaneous methods, managing anxiety, visual aids, and persuasive versus informative speaking. Use when preparing speeches, practicing delivery, analyzing presentations, or building confidence in oral communication.

Systematic evaluation of arguments for structure, validity, soundness, and charitable interpretation. Covers premise identification, conclusion extraction, argument mapping, steel-manning, and the distinction between validity (form) and soundness (form plus true premises). Use when assessing an argument, reconstructing an opponent's position fairly, or preparing a rebuttal.

Recognition and mitigation of systematic reasoning errors documented in the heuristics and biases tradition. Covers confirmation bias, availability, anchoring, representativeness, framing effects, hindsight bias, overconfidence, and motivated reasoning. Each bias is presented with its mechanism, diagnostic signal, and structured mitigation. Use when you suspect your own or another reasoner's conclusions may be shaped by systematic cognitive distortion rather than evidence.

Techniques for generating novel ideas, reframing problems, and escaping fixed mental models. Covers lateral thinking (de Bono), Six Thinking Hats, random stimulation, provocation operators (PO), analogical transfer, assumption challenging, and divergent-then-convergent thinking cycles. Use when the goal is to produce new options or perspectives rather than evaluate existing ones.

Structured approaches to decisions under uncertainty and complexity. Covers expected value, decision trees, multi-criteria decision analysis, System 1 vs System 2 allocation, pre-mortems, reversible vs irreversible decisions, and the distinction between good decisions and good outcomes. Use when choosing among alternatives with uncertain or multi-dimensional consequences, especially when the stakes justify a deliberate rather than intuitive process.

Evaluating the quality, provenance, and relevance of evidence that supports or undermines a claim. Covers source credibility, sampling quality, study design, levels of evidence (anecdote to meta-analysis), base rate integration, distinguishing primary from secondary sources, and calibrating belief to evidence strength. Use when the question is not whether an argument is valid but whether its premises are actually supported by the available data.

Deductive and inductive reasoning, formal and informal logical structure, validity, soundness, and rules of inference. Covers propositional logic, quantified reasoning, syllogisms, common inference patterns (modus ponens, modus tollens, hypothetical syllogism, disjunctive syllogism), and the distinction between deductive certainty and inductive probability. Use when the question is not whether a premise is true but whether the reasoning from premises to conclusion is logically valid.

Grammar of graphics, chart type selection, color theory, interactive visualization, dashboards, and the principles of honest, effective data display. Covers Tufte's data-ink ratio, Bertin's visual variables, perceptual principles, accessibility, small multiples, annotation, and the full workflow from exploratory plots to publication-quality graphics. Use when creating charts, designing dashboards, critiquing visualizations, or choosing how to display data.

Data cleaning, transformation, reshaping, joins, missing data handling, and tidy data principles. Covers the full pipeline from raw ingestion to analysis-ready datasets -- type coercion, deduplication, outlier detection, normalization, melting/pivoting, regex extraction, and reproducible transformation chains. Use when preparing, cleaning, or transforming data for analysis.

Bias detection and mitigation, fairness metrics, privacy frameworks, consent models, transparency requirements, and accountability structures for data science practice. Covers algorithmic bias sources, disparate impact testing, differential privacy, GDPR principles, model cards, datasheets for datasets, responsible AI frameworks, and the organizational governance needed to make ethics actionable. Use when auditing models for bias, designing privacy-preserving systems, establishing governance processes, or evaluating the social impact of data-driven decisions.

A/B testing, randomization, sample size calculation, confounding control, and causal inference for data science. Covers the full experimental lifecycle from hypothesis formulation through power analysis, randomization strategies, blocking, factorial designs, sequential testing, and the potential outcomes framework for causal claims. Use when designing experiments, planning A/B tests, calculating sample sizes, or reasoning about causation from data.

Supervised and unsupervised learning, bias-variance tradeoff, cross-validation, decision trees, ensemble methods, neural network fundamentals, and the practitioner's workflow from problem framing through deployment. Covers classification, regression, clustering, dimensionality reduction, regularization, hyperparameter tuning, and evaluation metrics. Use when building predictive models, selecting algorithms, or understanding the machine learning pipeline.

Regression analysis, ANOVA, generalized linear models, Bayesian methods, and model selection. Covers the full modeling workflow from problem formulation through diagnostics -- linear regression, logistic regression, Poisson regression, mixed-effects models, prior specification, posterior inference, AIC/BIC comparison, cross-validation for model selection, and assumption checking. Use when fitting models, testing hypotheses, or selecting among competing statistical explanations.

Crafts professional git commit messages following Conventional Commits. Use when committing changes or writing commit messages.

Reviews code for bugs, style, and best practices. Use when reviewing PRs or checking code quality.

Thinking frameworks for decisions and problem analysis. Use when evaluating options, root causes, or prioritizing.

Generates test cases for functions and components. Use when writing tests or creating test suites.

TypeScript best practices and patterns. Use when writing TypeScript, fixing type errors, or working with generics.

Understanding how algorithmic systems shape what users see, know, and do -- from recommendation feeds to search ranking to credit scoring to hiring software. Covers the mechanics of recommendation systems, algorithmic bias and its sources, personalization's effects on information diets, opacity and accountability, AI limitations (hallucination, confident wrongness), and the human-in-the-loop question. Use when a learner needs to think critically about why particular content reached them.

Understanding how digital systems actually work -- hardware, operating systems, networks, and information representation -- at a depth sufficient to reason about them rather than just use them. Covers CPU/RAM/storage/GPU roles, what an OS does, how packets travel the internet, and how computers represent numbers, text, images, and sound as binary. Use when a learner needs to build a mental model of computing rather than memorize menu paths.

Understanding and managing what digital services collect, store, share, and infer about you. Covers password security and entropy, multi-factor authentication, privacy settings, data minimization, the difference between first-party and third-party tracking, cookies and fingerprinting, privacy laws (GDPR, CCPA), and how to respond to data breaches. Use when helping a learner make informed decisions about what to share, with whom, and under what terms.

Being a constructive participant in networked communities. Covers digital footprint management, online etiquette and professional communication, collaborative tools, attribution and copyright, cyberbullying recognition and response, and the responsibilities that come with amplification. Use when helping learners think about how to behave online -- not what is technically allowed, but what is actually healthy for themselves and their communities.

Evaluating online information for credibility, accuracy, and context. Covers the SIFT method (Stop, Investigate, Find, Trace), lateral reading, reverse image search, primary source verification, and common misinformation tactics. Use when assessing the trustworthiness of a web page, article, video, social media post, or any digital claim before relying on it or sharing it.

Producing digital media -- writing, images, video, audio, presentations, and multimedia -- with an understanding of craft, audience, accessibility, and ethics. Covers composition principles, copyright-safe sourcing, accessibility features (alt text, captions, contrast), remix culture, attribution practices, and the difference between creating for yourself, for a small audience, and for the open web. Use when helping a learner move from media consumer to media producer.

Systematic departures from rational choice theory and their implications for economic analysis and policy. Covers cognitive heuristics (anchoring, availability, representativeness), biases (loss aversion, status quo, overconfidence), prospect theory (reference dependence, probability weighting, diminishing sensitivity), nudge theory and choice architecture, and the integration of psychological findings into economic models. Use when analyzing decision-making under uncertainty, evaluating policy interventions that exploit behavioral patterns, or assessing where standard rational-agent models break down.

Economics of low-income countries and the structural transformation from agrarian poverty to industrial prosperity. Covers growth models (Solow, endogenous growth, unified growth theory), the role of institutions (inclusive vs. extractive), inequality measurement and dynamics (Gini, Lorenz curve, Kuznets), poverty traps and their mechanisms (nutritional, financial, geographical), foreign aid debates, and the capability approach as an alternative development metric. Use when analyzing why some countries are rich and others poor, evaluating development interventions, or reasoning about the relationships between growth, inequality, institutions, and human well-being.

Theory and policy of international economic exchange. Covers comparative advantage (Ricardo, Heckscher-Ohlin), gains from trade, trade policy instruments (tariffs, quotas, subsidies), exchange rate determination, balance of payments, globalization dynamics, trade agreements, and the political economy of protectionism. Use when analyzing why countries trade, who wins and loses from trade, how exchange rates move, or the effects of trade policy interventions.

Analysis of aggregate economic phenomena -- GDP measurement, inflation dynamics, unemployment theory, monetary policy (central banks, interest rates, money supply), fiscal policy (government spending, taxation, debt), and the business cycle. Covers Keynesian, monetarist, and new classical perspectives. Use when analyzing national or global economic conditions, policy debates, economic growth, recessions, or the interaction between monetary and fiscal authorities.

Foundations of individual economic decision-making, market structures, and strategic interaction. Covers supply and demand analysis, price elasticity, consumer and producer surplus, market structures (perfect competition, monopoly, oligopoly, monopolistic competition), game theory (Nash equilibrium, dominant strategies, repeated games), and welfare economics. Use when analyzing individual markets, firm behavior, pricing strategies, consumer choice, or strategic interactions between economic agents.

Economic analysis of government intervention -- taxation (incidence, efficiency, optimal design), regulation (cost-benefit, market failure correction), externalities (Pigouvian taxation, cap-and-trade, Coasian bargaining), and public goods provision (non-rivalry, non-excludability, free-rider problem). Covers welfare analysis of policy interventions, government failure, and the institutional context of policy-making. Use when evaluating policy proposals, analyzing tax effects, assessing regulatory design, or reasoning about the appropriate scope of government action.

Systematic analysis of DC and AC linear circuits using Ohm's law, Kirchhoff's laws, node and mesh methods, Thevenin and Norton equivalents, phasor analysis, and Bode plots. Covers series and parallel reduction, superposition, source transformation, impedance in the frequency domain, first and second order transient response, and the conversion between time domain and phasor representations. Use when quantitatively predicting voltages, currents, power, gain, phase, or time response of any lumped-element linear circuit.

Design and analysis of combinational and sequential digital circuits using Boolean algebra, truth tables, K-maps, CMOS gate implementation, flip-flops, registers, counters, and finite state machines. Covers De Morgan's theorems, canonical sum-of-products and product-of-sums forms, minimization techniques, propagation delay, setup and hold times, metastability, synchronous design discipline, and FSM encoding. Use when designing, minimizing, verifying, or debugging any circuit whose signals take only discrete logic values.

Embedded firmware development for microcontrollers including memory-mapped I/O, GPIO, interrupts, timers, UART/SPI/I2C serial protocols, PWM generation, ADC sampling, interrupt-driven versus polled architectures, RTOS fundamentals, and the bring-up sequence from power-on reset through first printf. Covers AVR/Arduino, ARM Cortex-M, and ESP32 patterns. Use when writing, porting, debugging, or reviewing firmware that directly manipulates hardware peripherals.

Physical principles underlying diodes, bipolar junction transistors, and MOSFETs — carrier concentrations, drift and diffusion, the pn junction, forward and reverse bias, the Shockley diode equation, BJT operating regions, MOSFET threshold and saturation, small-signal models, and temperature effects. Use when reasoning about device-level behavior, designing bias networks, selecting transistor operating points, interpreting datasheets, or diagnosing nonlinear device failures.

Foundations of digital signal processing — sampling, aliasing, the Nyquist criterion, quantization, convolution, the discrete Fourier transform, FFT, FIR and IIR filter design, windowing, spectral leakage, and practical issues in fixed-point versus floating-point implementation. Use when designing filters, analyzing spectra, choosing sample rates, reasoning about aliasing, or implementing DSP algorithms on a microcontroller, DSP chip, or host CPU.

Bench instruments and measurement techniques for electronics — digital multimeter, oscilloscope, logic analyzer, spectrum analyzer, function generator, power supply, and their proper use. Covers probing technique, ground loops, loading effects, trigger modes, FFT mode pitfalls, signal integrity, noise budget analysis, and debugging workflows from "it doesn't work" to "here is the failure mechanism." Use when measuring, debugging, or characterizing any electronic circuit or firmware-hardware interaction.

Engineering design cycle covering requirements elicitation, specifications writing, constraint identification, iterative prototyping, and design communication. Spans the full loop from problem definition through ideation, analysis, prototyping, testing, and redesign. Includes morphological charts, TRIZ, Pugh matrices, design reviews, and the distinction between functional and non-functional requirements. Use when framing engineering problems, generating design alternatives, writing specifications, or running design reviews.

Engineering ethics covering safety, professional codes of conduct, public welfare responsibility, whistleblowing, case studies (Challenger, Columbia, Hyatt Regency, Bhopal, Therac-25), and the ethical dimensions of design decisions. Includes the NSPE Code of Ethics, the iron ring tradition, risk communication, informed consent in engineering, and the duty to dissent. Use when analyzing ethical dimensions of engineering decisions, teaching professional responsibility, or reviewing designs for safety and public welfare.

CAD fundamentals, 3D printing (FDM/SLA/SLS), CNC machining, workshop skills, rapid prototyping methodology, and testing of physical prototypes. Covers fidelity levels, material selection for prototypes, dimensional tolerancing, assembly planning, and the iterate-test loop. Use when building prototypes, selecting fabrication methods, planning physical tests, or choosing between prototyping technologies.

Use whenever the user wants to find, shortlist, vet, or enrich US AI/ML/data consulting firms (consultancies) — AI/ML development, MLOps, generative AI / LLM apps (RAG, chatbots, agents), computer vision, NLP, recommendation systems, data engineering, BI/analytics. Triggers on "find an AI/ML consulting firm to build our recommendation engine", "shortlist three RAG/LLM consultancies for an enterprise chatbot", "compare three AI/ML consulting firms with strong ratings", or "pull contact info for these 8 AI consultancy domains", even when described indirectly (we want to use AI for X, deploy ML to production). Drives the ServiceGraph API (api.servicegraph.co) — a 100k+ US firm catalog filterable by industry, services, location, size, ratings. Defer to find-software-developer for general app/backend work where AI is just a feature. Skip in-house ML/data hires, LLM/AI-tool comparisons (ChatGPT vs Claude), "how do I fine-tune X" DIY questions, AI courses for individuals, non-US firms, individual freelancers.

Use whenever the user wants to find, rank, or shortlist directories and listing sites where they can submit an AI product — an AI tool, AI app, AI agent, or agent skill / plugin — to get backlinks, referral traffic, and discovery. Triggers on "where can I list my AI tool", "directories to submit my AI agent", "agent-skills directories", "best AI tool directories for backlinks", "where do I get my GPT/Claude app discovered", or "pull submission details for these AI-directory domains", even when described indirectly (we built an AI agent, where do we get it in front of people). Drives the ServiceGraph API (api.servicegraph.co) — a catalog of 1,000+ product directories enriched with Domain Rating, backlinks, and organic traffic. Defer to find-mcp-directories for MCP-server listings specifically, and to find-product-directories for general SaaS/software/app launches with no AI angle. Skip finding an AI consultancy/agency to hire (use find-ai-consultancy), comparing AI products ("ChatGPT vs Claude"), building an AI tool (do-the-work), and AI link-building *services*.

Use whenever the user wants to find, shortlist, vet, or enrich US accounting and tax firms (CPA firms) — financial-statement audit, SOC 1/2 audit, corporate tax, bookkeeping for businesses, advisory/fractional CFO, M&A diligence, 409A valuations, R&D tax credits, IPO readiness, sales-and-use tax. Triggers on "find me a CPA firm for our delaware c-corp series A audit", "shortlist three audit firms with SaaS experience", "we need a tax advisor for our M&A", or "pull contact info for these 10 accounting firm domains", even when described indirectly (audit our books, fractional CFO support, file our 1120). Drives the ServiceGraph API (api.servicegraph.co) — a 100k+ US firm catalog filterable by industry, services, location, size, ratings. Skip personal/consumer tax preparation (1040, individual estate, retirement planning), in-house controller/CFO hires, "how do I file my taxes" DIY questions, accounting-software comparisons (QuickBooks vs Xero), non-US firms, individual freelance bookkeepers.

Use whenever the user wants to find, shortlist, vet, or enrich US cybersecurity firms — pen-testing/red team, security audits, vCISO, SOC 2 readiness, incident response, managed SOC, IAM, cloud security, and AppSec. Triggers on "find me a pen-testing firm for our SOC 2 audit", "shortlist three vCISO services for our healthcare-tech startup", "we need an incident response retainer", or "pull contact info for these 8 security firm domains", even when described indirectly (we got breached, prepare us for the compliance audit, get us SOC 2 ready). Drives the ServiceGraph API (api.servicegraph.co) — a 100k+ US firm catalog filterable by industry, services, location, size, ratings. Skip in-house security hires, "how do I patch CVE-X" or "configure firewall Y" DIY questions, security-product reviews (CrowdStrike vs SentinelOne, etc.), generic security knowledge questions, consumer/personal security advice, non-US firms, individual freelancers and bug-bounty hunters.

Use whenever the user wants to find, shortlist, vet, or enrich US design and creative agencies — graphic design, UX/UI, product design, brand identity, packaging, illustration, motion design, and creative direction. Triggers on "find me a UX/UI design agency for our SaaS product", "shortlist three brand-identity studios in NY", "packaging design firm for a CPG launch", or "pull contact info for these 10 design studio domains", even when described indirectly (brand refresh, design our app, build our visual system). Drives the ServiceGraph API (api.servicegraph.co) — a 100k+ US firm catalog filterable by industry, services, location, size, ratings. Defer to find-marketing-agency for marketing-led engagements where design is one of several services. Defer to find-web-developer when the deliverable is a built website. Skip in-house designer hires, "design me a logo" DIY asks, design-software comparisons, consumer/personal-design (weddings, hobby projects), non-US firms, individual freelancers.

Use whenever the user wants to find, shortlist, vet, or enrich US engineering firms — civil, structural, MEP, mechanical, electrical, geotechnical, transportation, environmental, and manufacturing. **For real-world engineering (buildings, infrastructure, manufacturing) — NOT software engineering.** Triggers on "find civil engineering firms in Florida for transportation", "shortlist three structural engineering firms with high-rise experience", "MEP consultancy for a hospital project", or "pull contact info for these 12 engineering firm domains", even when described indirectly (PE-stamped drawings, building-permit review). Drives the ServiceGraph API (api.servicegraph.co) — a 100k+ US firm catalog filterable by industry, services, location, size, ratings. Defer software-dev / "engineering team" / SaaS-architecture asks to find-software-developer. Skip in-house engineering-manager hires, DIY questions, software-product comparisons (Revit, AutoCAD), non-US firms, individual freelancers.

Use whenever the user wants to find, shortlist, vet, or enrich US B2B law firms — corporate, IP/patent, M&A and securities, employment, commercial litigation, regulatory/compliance, data privacy/cyber, real estate, and tax. Triggers on "find three boutique IP law firms in California", "shortlist M&A counsel for a Series-B fundraise", "patent prosecution for our hardware startup", or "pull contact info for these 10 law firm domains", even when described indirectly (outside counsel, cap-table review, GDPR/SOC2 oversight). Drives the ServiceGraph API (api.servicegraph.co) — a 100k+ US firm catalog filterable by industry, services, location, size, ratings. Skip personal/consumer legal services where the user is the end client (divorce, personal injury, criminal defense, family law, estate planning, wills) — the catalog is B2B-only. Also skip in-house GC hires, "is this NDA enforceable" DIY questions, non-US firms, individual freelancers.

Use whenever the user wants to find, shortlist, vet, or enrich US management consultancies — strategy, operations, executive coaching, leadership development, org-development/change management, PMO/program management, sales/revenue operations consulting. Triggers on "find me three top strategy consultancies in California", "shortlist boutique ops-consulting firms with healthcare experience", "we need an executive coach for our new CEO", or "pull contact info for these 10 consulting firm domains", even when described indirectly (post-merger integration help, change-management partner, fractional COO). Drives the ServiceGraph API (api.servicegraph.co) — a 100k+ US firm catalog filterable by industry, services, location, size, ratings. Skip in-house strategy hires, "help me build a strategy" do-the-work asks, framework comparisons (Lean vs Agile, BCG matrix, etc.), academic/MBA-program questions, life/career coaching for individuals, non-US firms, individual freelancers.

Use whenever the user wants to find, shortlist, vet, or enrich US marketing agencies — including branding, content marketing, PPC/paid media, social media, email marketing, performance/demand-gen, video production, and full-service digital agencies. Triggers on requests like "shortlist three B2B branding agencies in California", "find a PPC shop with ecommerce experience", "we need a content marketing partner for a SaaS launch", or "pull contact info for these 12 agency domains", even when the need is described indirectly. Drives the ServiceGraph API (api.servicegraph.co) — a 100k+ US firm catalog filterable by industry, services, location, size, ratings, and third-party listings. Skip SEO-only asks (use find-seo-agency), web/software-development asks (use find-web-developer or find-software-developer), recruiting an in-house marketing hire, "write me a marketing plan" do-the-work asks, non-US firms, individual freelancers, marketing-software-product recommendations, and consumer/personal-brand asks.

Use whenever the user wants to find, rank, or shortlist directories and registries where they can submit or list an MCP server (Model Context Protocol server) — to get backlinks, referral traffic, and discovery by agent builders. Triggers on "where do I list my MCP server", "best MCP directories", "MCP registries to submit to", "get my MCP server discovered", or "pull submission details for these MCP-directory domains", even when described indirectly (we built an MCP server, where do we publish it). Drives the ServiceGraph API (api.servicegraph.co) — a catalog of 1,000+ product directories enriched with Domain Rating, backlinks, and organic traffic. Defer to find-ai-directories for general AI-tool / AI-agent / agent-skill listings, and to find-product-directories for general SaaS/software launches. Skip building an MCP server or asking how MCP works (DIY), finding a firm to build one (use find-ai-consultancy / find-software-developer), and MCP link-building *services*.

Use whenever the user wants to find, shortlist, vet, or enrich US public-relations and communications agencies — media relations, crisis comms, investor relations (IR), product-launch PR, tech/startup PR, healthcare PR, B2B PR, public affairs, brand reputation, and internal communications. Triggers on "find me a tech PR agency in NY", "shortlist three IR firms for our IPO", "we need crisis comms help for a brand reputation issue", or "pull contact info for these 10 PR firm domains", even when described indirectly (we need press, get us into TechCrunch, manage our brand reputation). Drives the ServiceGraph API (api.servicegraph.co) — a 100k+ US firm catalog filterable by industry, services, location, size, ratings. Defer to find-marketing-agency when scope is broader marketing beyond PR/comms. Skip in-house PR/comms hires, "write me a press release" DIY asks, PR-software comparisons (Cision, Muck Rack), influencer-marketplace questions, non-US firms, individual freelance PR people.