Devils Advocate Suite

Execute structured adversarial thinking to stress-test high-stakes decisions, identify systemic risks, and prevent groupthink. Use when the user asks for a s...

Security Scan

The skill's files, instructions, and small helper scripts are consistent with its stated goal of structured adversarial thinking; nothing in the bundle attempts to access unrelated credentials, external endpoints, or system-level configuration.

Purpose & Capability

The name/description (adversarial review, pre-mortem, PR/FAQ, TRIZ) matches the included SKILL.md, evals, and two small Python helpers that implement a risk aggregator and TRIZ lookup. The requested capabilities are proportional to the stated purpose.

Instruction Scope

SKILL.md instructs the agent to run local Python scripts (premortem_aggregator.py, triz_solver.py) and to produce structured critiques. The scripts only process stdin/CLI args and local data; they do not perform network I/O or read arbitrary system paths. Minor mismatch: the skill does not declare required binaries but presumes a Python runtime to execute the scripts.

Install Mechanism

No install spec (instruction-only plus included scripts). No downloads, package installs, or archive extraction. Files are small, readable, and self-contained.

Credentials

The skill requires no environment variables, credentials, or config paths. The code doesn't reference secrets or external services; credential access is not present and would be disproportionate to this purpose.

Persistence & Privilege

The skill is not always-enabled and does not request elevated or persistent privileges. It does not modify other skills or system-wide settings based on the provided material.

Assessment

This skill appears internally coherent and limited to local analysis: the two Python scripts aggregate premortem items and recommend TRIZ principles and do not contact external servers or request credentials. Before installing, confirm your agent environment has Python available (the SKILL.md assumes running python but the registry metadata lists no required binaries). Review the included SKILL.md and scripts yourself if you want to be extra cautious. Also be aware: the skill's output is intentionally adversarial and can produce blunt or pessimistic critiques — avoid pasting extremely sensitive proprietary data into the tool unless you are comfortable with local processing of that data.

Devil's Advocate Suite: Operationalizing the Institutionalized Adversary

Work Philosophy

This skill is grounded in Adversarial Epistemology. It moves beyond casual contrarianism to provide a structured "override operation," forcing a "decoupling" of prior beliefs from the evaluation of evidence. Based on the research of Charlan Nemeth, this skill prioritizes authentic dissent over mere role-playing where possible, as authentic dissent is significantly more effective at stimulating divergent thinking and uncovering correct solutions. When role-playing is necessary, it employs specific protocols (Pre-Mortem, PR/FAQ, TRIZ) to prevent the "cognitive bolstering" of original views that often plagues assigned Devil's Advocates.

Operational Workflow

Phase 1: The Pre-Mortem (Prospective Hindsight)

Use this at the start of a project to increase the ability to identify future failure points by 30%.

1. Scene Setting: State: "Imagine it is one year in the future. The project has failed spectacularly. It is an embarrassing and devastating disaster."
2. Independent Generation: List all possible reasons for this failure silently for 2–5 minutes.
3. Aggregation: Use python scripts/premortem_aggregator.py to organize these into a Risk Matrix (Likelihood vs. Impact).
4. Mitigation: Develop specific counter-measures for high-impact/high-likelihood threats.

Phase 2: Narrative Stress-Testing (Amazon Protocol)

Used for strategic alignment and ruthless prioritization.

1. The PR/FAQ: Draft a one-page Press Release (PR) for the "successful" launch and an Internal FAQ addressing the most brutal questions about TAM, P&L, and dependencies.
2. Silent Start: Spend 20 minutes reading the narrative in silence before any discussion. This prevents "charismatic leader" bias.
3. The "So What" Critique: Every technical detail must answer for its business value; every strategic goal must specify concrete actions.

Phase 3: Dialectical Inquiry (DI)

Use for complex, ill-structured problems where a "Third Path" is needed.

1. Subgroup Split: Divide into "Proposal Team" and "Counter-Proposal Team."
2. Assumption Breakdown: The Counter-Proposal team must invent plausible counter-assumptions to every core claim of the original plan.
3. Synthesis: Search for a new, superior alternative that incorporates the best components of both worldviews.

Phase 4: TRIZ Contradiction Resolution

Transform the Devil's Advocate from a "naysayer" into a "catalyst" for innovation.

1. Identify Contradictions: Use python scripts/triz_solver.py when an advocate identifies that improving one parameter (e.g., speed) worsens another (e.g., cost).
2. Apply Principles: Use principles like "Segmentation," "Taking Out," or "Intermediary" to solve the technical or business conflict.

Specific Commands

• analyze --method premortem: Executes the 7-step failure simulation.
• analyze --method prfaq: Structures a strategy review around an Amazon-style narrative.
• solve --contradiction [Param A] vs [Param B]: Invokes the TRIZ solver.

References

Consult references/methodology_summary.md for full theoretical grounding on Nemeth dissent research, Klein pre-mortem, Amazon Working Backwards, Janis groupthink prevention, and TRIZ contradiction resolution.