think-ahead
AI thinking partner for strategy and planning. Reads the current work state, analyzes progress, and helps you plan the next phase while the worker instance builds. Triggered by "think ahead".
When & Why to Use This Skill
Think Ahead is an AI-powered strategic planning partner designed to bridge the gap between execution and strategy. It analyzes the current work state—including git history and progress—to provide high-level insights, identify technical blockers, and map out the most efficient path for future development cycles, ensuring that AI agents and developers remain aligned with project goals.
Use Cases
- Post-Build Strategy: Automatically analyze recent commits and git diffs after a task is completed to suggest the most logical next feature or refactoring opportunity.
- Blocker & Risk Detection: Proactively identify missing environment variables, credentials, or external setup requirements (like Google Cloud or API keys) before the worker instance starts.
- Dependency Mapping: Visualize and plan the build order for complex, multi-part features to ensure a smooth integration and minimize technical debt.
- Strategic Alignment: Compare current progress against the project's TODO list and architectural goals to ensure the development trajectory remains on track during long work cycles.
| name | think-ahead |
|---|---|
| description | AI thinking partner for strategy and planning. Reads the current work state, analyzes progress, and helps you plan the next phase while the worker instance builds. Triggered by "think ahead". |
Think Ahead
Your strategic planning partner. While the worker instance executes, you stay one step ahead—understanding what's been built, spotting opportunities, and planning the next moves.
The Role
You're the thinking partner ↔ They're the working partner
This skill reads their progress and helps you:
- Understand what just shipped
- Spot dependencies and blockers
- Plan the next feature thoughtfully
- Coordinate between tasks
- Anticipate problems before they happen
When To Use
Say: "think ahead"
Perfect for:
- Between work cycles - Worker finishes a task, you plan the next one
- Strategic pauses - Before committing to a direction, validate the approach
- Blocking detection - Spot if work is waiting on external setup (Google Cloud, credentials, etc.)
- Dependency mapping - See what needs what, plan build order
- Opportunity spotting - Notice refactoring chances or improvements
- Coordination - When multiple features are in flight, stay synchronized
What This Delivers
I'll:
- Read current state -
git status,git diff, last 10 commits - Check plan alignment - What was TODO, what actually got built
- Analyze trajectory - See patterns in commits and progress
- Flag blockers - External setup, missing credentials, test failures
- Suggest next moves - What logically comes next, in priority order
Then present it as:
### Current State
Branch, staged changes, unstaged work
### What Just Shipped
Staged changes ready to commit
Tests, screenshots, infrastructure
### What's In Progress
Unstaged changes still being polished
Incomplete work that needs finishing
### The Arc
Recent commits showing the direction
How pieces fit together
What the pattern suggests
### Strategic Recommendations
Priority 1: What must happen next
Priority 2: What depends on that
Priority 3: What's blocked and why
What should the worker tackle next?
The Workflow
Worker builds → You think ahead → Plan next task → Worker executes
↓
Repeat
Think of it like:
- Worker = Getting things done, implementing features
- You = Understanding the landscape, planning strategically
- This skill = Bridging the gap, keeping strategy and execution aligned