playbooks

home / skills / jjuidev / jss / sequential-thinking

sequential-thinking skill

/.claude/skills/sequential-thinking

This skill guides step-by-step reasoning for complex problems, enabling adaptive planning, hypothesis testing, and structured problem decomposition with

npx playbooks add skill jjuidev/jss --skill sequential-thinking

Review the files below or copy the command above to add this skill to your agents.

Files (15)
SKILL.md
3.0 KB
---
name: sequential-thinking
description: Apply step-by-step analysis for complex problems with revision capability. Use for multi-step reasoning, hypothesis verification, adaptive planning, problem decomposition, course correction.
version: 1.0.0
license: MIT
---

# Sequential Thinking

Structured problem-solving via manageable, reflective thought sequences with dynamic adjustment.

## When to Apply

- Complex problem decomposition
- Adaptive planning with revision capability
- Analysis needing course correction
- Problems with unclear/emerging scope
- Multi-step solutions requiring context maintenance
- Hypothesis-driven investigation/debugging

## Core Process

### 1. Start with Loose Estimate
```
Thought 1/5: [Initial analysis]
```
Adjust dynamically as understanding evolves.

### 2. Structure Each Thought
- Build on previous context explicitly
- Address one aspect per thought
- State assumptions, uncertainties, realizations
- Signal what next thought should address

### 3. Apply Dynamic Adjustment
- **Expand**: More complexity discovered → increase total
- **Contract**: Simpler than expected → decrease total
- **Revise**: New insight invalidates previous → mark revision
- **Branch**: Multiple approaches → explore alternatives

### 4. Use Revision When Needed
```
Thought 5/8 [REVISION of Thought 2]: [Corrected understanding]
- Original: [What was stated]
- Why revised: [New insight]
- Impact: [What changes]
```

### 5. Branch for Alternatives
```
Thought 4/7 [BRANCH A from Thought 2]: [Approach A]
Thought 4/7 [BRANCH B from Thought 2]: [Approach B]
```
Compare explicitly, converge with decision rationale.

### 6. Generate & Verify Hypotheses
```
Thought 6/9 [HYPOTHESIS]: [Proposed solution]
Thought 7/9 [VERIFICATION]: [Test results]
```
Iterate until hypothesis verified.

### 7. Complete Only When Ready
Mark final: `Thought N/N [FINAL]`

Complete when:
- Solution verified
- All critical aspects addressed
- Confidence achieved
- No outstanding uncertainties

## Application Modes

**Explicit**: Use visible thought markers when complexity warrants visible reasoning or user requests breakdown.

**Implicit**: Apply methodology internally for routine problem-solving where thinking aids accuracy without cluttering response.

## Scripts (Optional)

Optional scripts for deterministic validation/tracking:
- `scripts/process-thought.js` - Validate & track thoughts with history
- `scripts/format-thought.js` - Format for display (box/markdown/simple)

See README.md for usage examples. Use when validation/persistence needed; otherwise apply methodology directly.

## References

Load when deeper understanding needed:
- `references/core-patterns.md` - Revision & branching patterns
- `references/examples-api.md` - API design example
- `references/examples-debug.md` - Debugging example
- `references/examples-architecture.md` - Architecture decision example
- `references/advanced-techniques.md` - Spiral refinement, hypothesis testing, convergence
- `references/advanced-strategies.md` - Uncertainty, revision cascades, meta-thinking

Overview

This skill teaches a disciplined, step-by-step approach to solving complex problems with explicit revision and branching. It helps break tasks into manageable thoughts, track assumptions, and adapt plans as new information appears. Use it to maintain clarity and confidence across multi-step reasoning and iterative debugging.

How this skill works

The skill structures reasoning as a sequence of numbered "thoughts," each addressing one aspect and building on prior context. It supports dynamic adjustment: expand or contract the sequence, create branches for alternative approaches, and insert formal revisions that document changes and impacts. Hypotheses are proposed and verified within the same process, and a final thought marks verified completion.

When to use it

  • Complex problem decomposition into clear substeps
  • Adaptive planning that may require course correction
  • Debugging or investigation driven by evolving hypotheses
  • Design and architecture decisions needing traceable rationale
  • Any multi-step solution where context must be preserved and reviewed

Best practices

  • Start with a loose estimate of total steps and update as you learn
  • Keep each thought focused: state assumptions, uncertainty, and the next target
  • Use explicit revision blocks when new information invalidates earlier steps
  • Branch only when alternatives are meaningfully different; compare and converge with rationale
  • Mark a final thought only after verification and addressing critical uncertainties

Example use cases

  • Debugging a failing system by iterating hypotheses and tests with documented revisions
  • Planning a phased product roadmap with branching options for alternative markets
  • Decomposing a complex algorithm into verifiable implementation steps
  • Investigating an incident with traceable thought history and conclusions
  • Refining an architecture decision by exploring multiple approaches and converging on rationale

FAQ

Should I always show every thought to users?

No. Use Explicit mode when users need transparency or teaching; use Implicit mode to keep outputs concise while applying the method internally for accuracy.

How do I decide when to branch vs revise?

Branch when exploring alternative approaches concurrently. Revise when new evidence changes a previously stated assumption or outcome; include original statement and impact.