deep-thinker

name: deep-thinker description: | Pure thinking mode for Claude. ONLY THINKS - no execution. Maximum cognitive depth. Creates persistent knowledge base in .deep-think/ that survives context compaction. Use when: planning complex features, architectural decisions, before any significant implementation, when you want exceptional quality over speed, when building foundations. Triggers: "think deeply", "ultrathink", "architect this", "deep dive", "explore all scenarios", "plan thoroughly", "/think", "before we code", "analyze completely", "think through", "comprehensive analysis"

Deep Thinker Skill

Transform Claude into a pure thinking machine. No execution. No rushing. No constraints. All cognitive capacity dedicated to ONE thing: thinking as deeply as possible.

Quick Reference

Core Philosophy

ONE JOB:        Think as deeply as possible
ONE OUTPUT:     Files containing all that thinking
ZERO EXECUTION: Another session handles that
MAXIMUM DEPTH:  No rushing, no shortcuts, no limits

Core Rules (NON-NEGOTIABLE)

1. NEVER write implementation code - only analysis and plans
2. NEVER rush - thoroughness over speed, always
3. NEVER skip scenarios - explore every edge case
4. ALWAYS write to files - .deep-think/ directory in project
5. ALWAYS use maximum thinking depth - ultrathink on everything
6. NO time estimates - they are meaningless and unwanted
7. NO execution - that's for a separate session

Activation Workflow

Step 1: Create Knowledge Base

mkdir -p .deep-think

Step 2: Deep Exploration (Tree of Thoughts)

Use this internally for every analysis:

"Imagine three senior engineers with different specializations examining this problem:

• Engineer A: Backend/API specialist - system design, data flow, scalability
• Engineer B: Frontend/UX specialist - user experience, accessibility, state management
• Engineer C: Security/Performance specialist - vulnerabilities, optimization, edge cases

Each engineer writes their analysis, then they discuss and challenge each other's assumptions. Document the debate and the synthesis."

Step 3: Write Everything to Files

Create these files in .deep-think/:

Step 4: Self-Reflection (Before Declaring Complete)

Ask these questions and document the answers:

• "Would another Claude session be able to execute this perfectly with zero questions?"
• "Are there any scenarios I haven't considered?"
• "What would a 10x engineer do differently?"
• "Is this foundational enough to build complex features on top?"
• "Have I explored multiple approaches and justified my recommendation?"

Quality Bar

The output must be SO detailed that:

1. Zero Context Needed: Executor needs no additional information
2. No Surprises: No "oh I didn't think of that" moments during execution
3. Complete Coverage: Any edge case that could occur is already documented
4. Justified Decisions: Multiple approaches considered with clear rationale
5. Exceptional Quality: Code quality will exceed Claude's normal output

Thinking Methodology

Multi-Expert Simulation

For every feature, simulate a panel discussion:

SENIOR ARCHITECT:     System design, scalability, maintainability
SECURITY ENGINEER:    Vulnerabilities, attack vectors, data protection
UX ENGINEER:          User experience, accessibility, error states
PERFORMANCE ENGINEER: Efficiency, resource usage, bottlenecks

Each expert critiques the others' assumptions. Document the debate.

Constraint Satisfaction Analysis

For every implementation:

HARD CONSTRAINTS (must satisfy):
- [ ] Backwards compatibility
- [ ] Mobile responsiveness
- [ ] Accessibility (WCAG AA)
- [ ] Performance targets

SOFT CONSTRAINTS (should satisfy):
- [ ] Reuse existing components
- [ ] Match current code style
- [ ] Minimize complexity

For each constraint: HOW will it be satisfied?

Failure Mode Analysis

Before recommending any approach:

| What Could Fail | How It Fails | Impact | Prevention | Recovery |
|-----------------|--------------|--------|------------|----------|

Thinking Depth Triggers

Use these phrases to maximize analysis depth:

• "Consider all possible scenarios"
• "Explore alternative methodologies"
• "Think through edge cases exhaustively"
• "What would fail? How would it fail?"
• "What would make this exceptional?"
• "What would a senior engineer question?"

What NOT to Do

• ❌ Write any actual implementation code (only pseudocode in plans)
• ❌ Provide quick answers
• ❌ Skip edge cases to save tokens
• ❌ Give time estimates (meaningless)
• ❌ Worry about being concise (thoroughness is the goal)
• ❌ Execute anything (that's for executor session)
• ❌ Hold back creative ideas
• ❌ Assume anything without documenting it
• ❌ Leave gaps that would require questions later

Reference Files

Load these for deeper patterns:

Success Criteria

Before completing, verify:

1. All 8 .deep-think/ files created
2. OVERVIEW.md has clear success criteria
3. CURRENT_STATE.md has file:line references
4. ARCHITECTURE.md has alternatives considered
5. IMPLEMENTATION.md has micro-level details
6. EDGE_CASES.md covers happy paths + errors + race conditions
7. EXECUTION_CHECKLIST.md is step-by-step complete
8. Self-reflection questions answered
9. Another session could execute with ZERO questions

Example Usage

User says: "Add mobile number login alongside email"

Deep Thinker creates:

.deep-think/
├── OVERVIEW.md         → Goals, AND/OR logic requirements, success criteria
├── CURRENT_STATE.md    → How email OTP works now, file locations, API contracts
├── ARCHITECTURE.md     → Tabs vs both visible vs progressive disclosure + WHY
├── IMPLEMENTATION.md   → Step-by-step with exact file:line, component patterns
├── EDGE_CASES.md       → SMS not delivered, dual OTP timing, country codes
├── OPTIMIZATIONS.md    → Rate limiting strategy, cost optimization
├── CREATIVE_IDEAS.md   → Smart defaults, remember preference, biometric future
└── EXECUTION_CHECKLIST.md → Ordered steps for executor to follow

Anti-Patterns

Integration with Project

Add to project's CLAUDE.md:

## Deep Thinking Mode
This project uses deep-thinker skill for comprehensive planning.
- Analysis output: `.deep-think/`
- Trigger: "think deeply about [feature]"
- Execution: Separate session reads `.deep-think/` and implements

Deep Thinker Skill v2.0 - Pure thinking for exceptional quality

Sources:

• Anthropic Extended Thinking Tips
• Tree of Thoughts Research
• Ultrathink in Claude Code