NickCrew

Use when tests have race conditions, timing dependencies, or inconsistent pass/fail behavior - replaces arbitrary timeouts with condition polling to wait for actual state changes, eliminating flaky tests from timing guesses

Drives the cortex skills recommend-feedback-rate loop. Use when a context change occurs (new file types, domain shift, task pivot) or when a task completes and skill effectiveness should be recorded.

Task tracking system for agents via Backlog.md CLI. Use when creating deferred issues during implementation, filing audit findings, working assigned tasks, or managing project work. Optimized for agent workflows: structured issue filing, priority/labeling system, and task completion tracking.

Guide for creating effective skills. This skill should be used when users want to create a new skill (or update an existing skill) that extends Codex's capabilities with specialized knowledge, workflows, or tool integrations.

Install Codex skills into $CODEX_HOME/skills from a curated list or a GitHub repo path. Use when a user asks to list installable skills, install a curated skill, or install a skill from another repo (including private repos).

API Gateway patterns for routing, authentication, rate limiting, and service composition in microservices architectures. Use when implementing API gateways, building BFF layers, or managing service-to-service communication at scale.

Python asyncio and concurrent programming patterns for high-performance applications. Use when building async APIs, concurrent systems, or I/O-bound applications requiring non-blocking operations.

Use this skill when a working tree contains uncommitted changes that need to be split into a sequence of atomic commits — typically after a long session, an agent hand-off, a rebase resolution, or anytime `git status` shows mixed work that was not committed as it landed. The skill assumes the agent has fresh context and did not author most of the diff, so it treats the working tree as evidence to

Regulatory compliance auditing across GDPR, HIPAA, PCI DSS, SOC 2, and ISO frameworks with automated evidence collection and gap analysis. Use when conducting compliance assessments, preparing for certifications, or implementing regulatory controls.

Fast, high-signal accessibility triage for pages, components, or PRs targeting WCAG 2.2 AA compliance.

Comprehensive REST and GraphQL API design patterns with versioning, pagination, error handling, and HATEOAS principles. Use when designing APIs, defining endpoints, or architecting service contracts requiring production-grade patterns.

User-invoked structural review for subtle AI tells in prose artifacts — rhythm patterns, rhetorical reflexes, hedging cadence, performative emphasis, and the structural shapes that mark text as machine-generated even after surface tells are cleaned up. Produces a findings report citing each tell by line with a fix-direction, then offers a rewrite pass. Use on artifacts that matter: public READMEs,

Use this skill when creating data visualizations, selecting the right chart type, or generating chart code. Trigger phrases: ''build a chart'', ''visualize this data'', ''create a graph'', ''plot these numbers'', ''which chart should I use for''. Not for building interactive dashboards, designing UI components, or creating infographics with design tools like Figma.

Use this skill when writing persuasive, conversion-focused copy—landing pages, product descriptions, ads, sales emails, or any content designed to move someone to action. Trigger phrases: ''write copy for my landing page'', ''describe this product'', ''write an ad for''. Do NOT use for informational content, technical documentation, or long-form editorial writing.

Database schema design patterns and optimization strategies for relational and NoSQL databases. Use when designing database schemas, optimizing query performance, or implementing data persistence layers at scale.

Evaluate documentation information architecture: navigation paths, discoverability, progressive disclosure, cross-linking, and mental model alignment. This skill should be used when restructuring docs, adding new sections, or when users report difficulty finding information.

Use when implementation is complete, all tests pass, and you need to decide how to integrate the work - guides completion of development work by presenting structured options for merge, PR, or cleanup

Complete operational workflow for implementer agents (Codex, Gemini, etc.) making code changes and writing tests. Drives all work through atomic commits — each loop operates on the smallest complete, reviewable change. Defines the Code Change Loop, Test Writing Loop, Lint Gate, and Issue Filing process with circuit breakers, severity levels, and escalation rules. Requires `cortex git commit` for a

Build a complete brand library for a product — visual asset render pipeline, brand documentation set (BRAND, COPY, MANIFESTO, BIOS, FAQ, GLOSSARY, TONE, PRICING), open-source convention files (README, CONTRIBUTING, SECURITY, CODE_OF_CONDUCT), and a self-contained press kit. This skill should be used when the user asks to "build a brand library / brand kit / press kit / brand assets" for a product,

Use when explaining code, concepts, or system behavior to a specific audience level - provides a structured explanation workflow with depth control and validation steps.

Structured plan-writing skill adapted from obra/superpowers. Produces actionable plans that map directly to cortex workflows and tasks.

Brief description of what this skill does and provides. Use when [clear trigger condition that indicates this skill should activate]. Keep under 200 words.

Consult Claude specialist agents during implementation for codebase understanding, pattern checking, security review, debugging help, and more. Use this skill whenever you're unsure about conventions, stuck on a failure, or need expert input before writing code. Does not replace the formal review gates in agent-loops — this is for mid-implementation consultation.

Fast mechanical scan for surface-level AI tells in prose artifacts — banned tokens, punctuation patterns, and stock vocabulary that mark text as machine-generated. Auto-engages on writing tasks (READMEs, technical docs, PR descriptions, tutorials, guides, blog posts, release notes, any prose-as-artifact work). Runs as a near-checklist pass before output is presented; catches the obvious tells that

User-triggered deep architectural analysis of a codebase or scoped subtree across eight modes — information architecture, data flow, integration points, UI surfaces, interaction patterns, data model, control flow, and failure modes. This skill should be used when the user asks to "diagram this codebase," "map the architecture," "show the data flow," "give me an ERD," "trace control flow," "find th

Use this skill when writing blog posts, articles, or long-form web content—from quick how-to guides to in-depth opinion pieces. Trigger phrases: ''write a blog post about'', ''draft an article on'', ''create a post for my blog''. Do NOT use for academic papers, news reporting, or content requiring real-time facts.

Build system optimization covering compilation, caching, incremental builds, and developer tooling. Use when improving build times, configuring CI pipelines, or designing developer tools.

Use when assessing or improving code quality, maintainability, performance, or security hygiene - provides workflows for analysis, code review, and systematic improvements with validation steps.

Flip, remove, or exaggerate assumptions to unlock new solution angles.

Execution discipline that translates plans into tracked tasks with orchestration and verification loops. Use when driving a plan through cortex’s task system, coordinating workstreams across agents, or ensuring every plan item is tracked, executed, and verified.

Use this skill when designing a data dashboard—choosing KPIs, structuring layout, applying visual hierarchy, or deciding which BI tool to use. Trigger phrases: ''design a dashboard'', ''build a KPI dashboard'', ''what should my dashboard show'', ''help me layout a dashboard'', ''dashboard for monitoring''. Not for building chart code from scratch (use chart-builder), writing SQL queries (use sql-a

Use when facing 3+ independent failures that can be investigated without shared state or dependencies - dispatches multiple Claude agents to investigate and fix independent problems concurrently

Use this skill when gathering and documenting business requirements, mapping processes, performing gap analysis, writing business requirements documents (BRDs), or modeling stakeholder impact. Trigger phrases: ''write a business requirements document'', ''map this process'', ''gather requirements for'', ''gap analysis for'', ''AS-IS TO-BE process''. Not for writing user stories (use product-manage

Create beautiful visual art in .png and .pdf documents using design philosophy. Use when the user asks to create a poster, piece of art, design, or other static piece. Create original visual designs, never copying existing artists' work to avoid copyright violations.

Use codanna MCP tools for semantic code search, call graphs, and impact analysis before grep/find.

Automate code review remediation loops with the codex CLI. Requests reviews from codex, classifies findings by severity (P0-P4), fixes critical issues (P0/P1) through iterative cycles, defers quality improvements to backlog, and escalates after 3 review cycles. Use when working with code that needs structured remediation: ''codex review'' in a request triggers this workflow.

Rapid ideation skill adapted from obra/superpowers to kick off cortex sessions. Use when defining scope, aligning on goals, or exploring solution space before coding.

Imagine failure first to surface guardrails and feature mitigations.

Structured disagreement protocols that expose weaknesses, test assumptions, and generate alternatives. Use when stress-testing proposals, playing devil's advocate, challenging architectural decisions, or auditing assumptions before finalizing plans.

Use this skill when you face a complex or high-stakes decision and need a structured framework to evaluate options objectively. Ideal for career choices, product prioritization, vendor selection, or any multi-criteria trade-off. Not for trivial daily decisions or situations that require licensed professional advice.

Use when estimating time, effort, or complexity for features or projects - provides structured estimation workflows with breakdowns, risks, and confidence intervals.

Score concepts on impact/delight/effort and pick a 1-day spike.

Timeboxed divergent ideation that outputs ranked options plus day-one experiments.

Force-fit patterns from other domains to spark novel concepts.

Use this skill when creating, evaluating, or documenting color palettes for brands, products, or design systems. Trigger phrases: ''create a color palette'', ''what colors should I use'', ''brand colors for'', ''accessible color scheme''. Do NOT use for image editing, photo color correction, or print production color matching.

Use this skill when analyzing competitors, building competitive positioning, creating feature comparison matrices, or applying strategic frameworks like SWOT or Porter''s Five Forces. Trigger phrases: ''analyze our competitors'', ''competitive analysis for'', ''how do we compare to'', ''create a feature matrix'', ''SWOT analysis of''. Not for sizing the total market (use market-researcher), writin

CQRS and Event Sourcing patterns for scalable, auditable systems with separated read/write models. Use when building audit-required systems, implementing temporal queries, or designing high-scale applications with complex domain logic.

Use this skill when reviewing, evaluating, or giving structured feedback on UI designs, wireframes, mockups, or design systems. Trigger phrases: ''critique this design'', ''give feedback on my UI'', ''review this wireframe'', ''what''s wrong with this design''. Do NOT use for writing code, implementing designs, or marketing material critique.