using-product-superpowers

If you were dispatched as a subagent to execute a specific task, skip this skill. If you think there is even a 1% chance a skill might apply to what you are doing, you ABSOLUTELY MUST invoke the skill.

IF A SKILL APPLIES TO YOUR TASK, YOU DO NOT HAVE A CHOICE. YOU MUST USE IT.

This is not negotiable. This is not optional. You cannot rationalize your way out of this.

Instruction Priority

Product Superpowers skills override default system prompt behavior, but user instructions always take precedence:

1. User's explicit instructions (CLAUDE.md, AGENTS.md, direct requests) — highest priority
2. Product Superpowers skills — override default system behavior where they conflict
3. Default system prompt — lowest priority

If AGENTS.md says "skip PRD, just write the stories" and a skill says "always write a PRD first," follow the user's instructions. The user is in control.

How to Access Skills

In Claude Code: Use the Skill tool. When you invoke a skill, its content is loaded and presented to you — follow it directly. Never use the Read tool on skill files.

In OpenCode: Use the skill tool. Skills are auto-discovered from installed plugins.

Platform Adaptation

Skills use Claude Code tool names. Non-CC platforms: adapt tool names to your platform's equivalents (e.g., TodoWrite → todowrite, Task → subagent dispatch).

Using Skills

The Rule

Invoke relevant or requested skills BEFORE any response or action. Even a 1% chance a skill might apply means that you should invoke the skill to check.

digraph skill_flow {
    "User message received" [shape=doublecircle];
    "Might any skill apply?" [shape=diamond];
    "Invoke Skill tool" [shape=box];
    "Announce: 'Using [skill] to [purpose]'" [shape=box];
    "Has checklist?" [shape=diamond];
    "Create TodoWrite todo per item" [shape=box];
    "Follow skill exactly" [shape=box];
    "Respond (including clarifications)" [shape=doublecircle];

    "User message received" -> "Might any skill apply?";
    "Might any skill apply?" -> "Invoke Skill tool" [label="yes, even 1%"];
    "Might any skill apply?" -> "Respond (including clarifications)" [label="definitely not"];
    "Invoke Skill tool" -> "Announce: 'Using [skill] to [purpose]'";
    "Announce: 'Using [skill] to [purpose]'" -> "Has checklist?";
    "Has checklist?" -> "Create TodoWrite todo per item" [label="yes"];
    "Has checklist?" -> "Follow skill exactly" [label="no"];
    "Create TodoWrite todo per item" -> "Follow skill exactly";
}

Skill Catalog

Core Workflow (process skills — use in order)

Skill	Trigger	Description
product-discovery	New product idea, feature request, "build X"	Understand problem, JTBD, user interviews, opportunity assessment
writing-prd	After discovery approved	Write PRD in Amazon PR/FAQ, SVPG Brief, or Shreyas Doshi format
user-story-writing	After PRD approved	Break PRD into user stories with INVEST, Gherkin acceptance criteria

Decision Making (use throughout)

Skill	Trigger	Description
prioritization	"prioritize", "what should we build first", backlog grooming	Score and order backlog using RICE, ICE, MoSCoW, Kano
roadmapping	"roadmap", "OKRs", "planning", "strategy"	Outcome-based roadmap, Now/Next/Later, OKRs

Execution (use when ready to ship)

Skill	Trigger	Description
design-handoff	"handoff", "design specs", "ready for engineering"	Design specs, tokens, states, accessibility, QA checklist
launch-planning	"launch", "release", "GTM", "go live"	GTM strategy, launch checklists, beta, rollout
stakeholder-management	"update stakeholders", "status report", "executive summary"	Status updates, managing up, conflict resolution
product-analytics	"metrics", "KPIs", "analytics", "A/B test"	North Star, AARRR, feature adoption, experiment design
pm-feedback-synthesis	User interviews, survey responses, support tickets, reviews	Cluster themes, extract evidence, produce actionable insights

Continuous Strategy (use proactively)

Skill	Trigger	Description
competitive-analysis	"competitors", "competitive landscape", "SWOT"	SWOT, Porter's Five Forces, feature comparison
product-strategy	"strategy", "vision", "build vs buy", "PMF"	Vision, mission, build vs buy, PMF assessment
continuous-discovery	"discovery process", "OST", "assumption testing", "user research cadence"	Teresa Torres: OSTs, assumption testing, product trio

Agentic (subagent-powered workflows)

Skill	Trigger	Description
pm-parallel-research	Multiple independent research tasks, 3+ competitors to analyze	Dispatch parallel subagents for concurrent PM research
pm-artifact-review	PRD/stories/roadmap complete, before sharing with stakeholders	Two-stage review (spec compliance + PM quality) via subagent
pm-visual-workspace	Presenting OSTs, story maps, roadmaps, prioritization matrices	Browser-based visual companion for PM diagrams
pm-autonomous-execution	PM plan ready, want agentic execution with review gates	Fresh subagent per task + review between each

Skill Priority

When multiple skills could apply, use this order:

1. Process skills first (product-discovery, writing-prd, user-story-writing) — these determine HOW to approach the task
2. Decision skills second (prioritization, roadmapping) — these guide WHAT to prioritize
3. Execution skills third (design-handoff, launch-planning, stakeholder-management, product-analytics) — these guide SHIPPING
4. Strategy skills fourth (competitive-analysis, product-strategy, continuous-discovery) — these provide ongoing direction
5. Agentic skills (pm-parallel-research, pm-artifact-review, pm-visual-workspace, pm-autonomous-execution) — these leverage subagents for speed and quality

"Let's build feature X" → product-discovery first, then writing-prd, then user-story-writing. "We need to prioritize the backlog" → prioritization. "Let's update the roadmap" → roadmapping.

Skill Types

Rigid: Follow exactly. Don't adapt away discipline.

• product-discovery (hard gate prevents skipping discovery)
• writing-prd (hard gate requires discovery completion)
• user-story-writing (hard gate requires PRD approval)

Flexible: Adapt principles to context.

• prioritization, roadmapping, design-handoff, launch-planning, stakeholder-management, product-analytics, competitive-analysis, product-strategy, continuous-discovery
• pm-parallel-research, pm-artifact-review, pm-visual-workspace, pm-autonomous-execution

The skill itself tells you which.

User Instructions

Instructions say WHAT, not HOW. "Add a login feature" or "Prioritize the backlog" doesn't mean skip workflows.

Red Flags

These thoughts mean STOP — you're rationalizing:

Thought	Reality
"This is just a simple feature"	Every feature starts with discovery.
"I already know what to build"	Knowing the solution ≠ understanding the problem.
"Let me just write the PRD first"	Discovery comes before PRD. Always.
"The user said to skip discovery"	User instructions override. But warn them about the risk.
"I can do discovery in my head"	Discovery must be documented, validated, and approved.
"This doesn't need a formal PRD"	If a skill exists, use it.
"I remember this skill"	Skills evolve. Read current version.
"The skill is overkill for this"	Simple things become complex. Use it.
"I'll just do this one thing first"	Check BEFORE doing anything.
"We already have research"	Has it been structured into a discovery doc? Apply the skill.
"This feels productive"	Undisciplined action wastes time. Skills prevent this.
"I know that framework"	Knowing a concept ≠ using the skill. Invoke it.