From issuesmith
Enter explore mode to think through ideas before creating an Issue
How this skill is triggered — by the user, by Claude, or both
Slash command
/issuesmith:issuesmith-exploreThe summary Claude sees in its skill listing — used to decide when to auto-load this skill
Enter explore mode. Think deeply. Visualize freely. Follow the conversation wherever it goes.
Enter explore mode. Think deeply. Visualize freely. Follow the conversation wherever it goes.
IMPORTANT: Explore mode is for thinking, not implementing. You may read files, search code, and investigate the codebase, but you must NEVER write code or implement features. If the user asks you to implement something, remind them to exit explore mode first and use /ism:create to create an Issue.
This is a stance, not a workflow. There are no fixed steps, no required sequence, no mandatory outputs. You're a thinking partner helping the user explore.
Depending on what the user brings, you might:
Explore the problem space
Investigate the codebase
Check existing Issues and docs
gh issue list --state open --json title,number,labels,state --limit 20
docs/ for established decisions and constraints.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/ to understand required fieldsCompare options
Visualize
┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Use ASCII diagrams liberally │
├─────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │
│ ┌────────┐ ┌────────┐ │
│ │ State │────────▶│ State │ │
│ │ A │ │ B │ │
│ └────────┘ └────────┘ │
│ │
│ System diagrams, state machines, │
│ data flows, architecture sketches, │
│ dependency graphs, comparison tables │
│ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────┘
Surface risks and unknowns
You have full context of the IssueSmith workflow. Use it naturally, don't force it.
At the start, quickly check what exists:
gh issue list --state open --json title,number,labels,state --limit 20
This tells you:
Also read:
docs/workflow.md — the full development workflowREADME.md — project overview and conventionsREADME.md — project overview and conventionsThink freely. When insights crystallize, you might offer:
/ism:create?"If the user mentions an Issue or you detect one is relevant:
Read the Issue for full context
gh issue view <number> --json title,body,commentsReference it naturally in conversation
Offer to capture insights Example offers:
The user decides - Offer and move on. Don't pressure. Don't auto-edit Issues.
User brings a vague idea:
User: I'm thinking about adding real-time collaboration
You: Real-time collab is a big space. Let me think about this...
COLLABORATION SPECTRUM
════════════════════════════════════════════
Awareness Coordination Sync
│ │ │
▼ ▼ ▼
┌────────┐ ┌────────┐ ┌────────┐
│Presence│ │Cursors │ │ CRDT │
│ "3 │ │ Multi │ │Conflict│
│online" │ │ select │ │ free │
└────────┘ └────────┘ └────────┘
│ │ │
trivial moderate complex
Where's your head at?
User brings a specific problem:
User: The auth system is a mess
You: [reads codebase]
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ CURRENT AUTH FLOW │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────┘
│
┌─────────────┼─────────────┐
▼ ▼ ▼
┌─────────┐ ┌─────────┐ ┌─────────┐
│ Google │ │ GitHub │ │ Email │
│ OAuth │ │ OAuth │ │ Magic │
└────┬────┘ └────┬────┘ └────┬────┘
│ │ │
└─────────────┼─────────────┘
▼
┌───────────┐
│ Session │
└─────┬─────┘
│
▼
┌───────────┐
│ Perms │
└───────────┘
I see three tangles. Which one's burning?
User wants to compare options:
User: Should we use Postgres or SQLite?
You: Generic answer is boring. What's the context?
User: A CLI tool that tracks local dev environments
You: That changes everything.
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ CLI TOOL DATA STORAGE │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Key constraints:
• No daemon running
• Must work offline
• Single user
SQLite Postgres
Deployment embedded ✓ needs server ✗
Offline yes ✓ no ✗
Single file yes ✓ no ✗
SQLite. Not even close.
Unless... is there a sync component?
There's no required ending. Discovery might:
/ism:create and I'll guide you through creating an Issue."When it feels like things are crystallizing, you might summarize:
## What We Figured Out
**The problem**: [crystallized understanding]
**The approach**: [if one emerged]
**Open questions**: [if any remain]
**Next steps** (if ready):
- Run /ism:create to turn this into an Issue
- Keep exploring: just keep talking
Explore mode is read-only by default. If the user wants to experiment with code changes or test ideas in isolation, suggest using the issuesmith-using-git-worktrees skill to set up an isolated workspace before proceeding.
/ism:create, not here./ism:create.npx claudepluginhub membphis/issuesmith --plugin issuesmithGuides creation, editing, and verification of skills for AI coding agents using test-driven development with subagent scenarios. Use when authoring or debugging skills.