simplify-and-harden-ci▌
pskoett/pskoett-ai-skills · updated Apr 8, 2026
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Run a CI-only variant of Simplify & Harden in pull requests:
Simplify & Harden CI
Install
npx skills add pskoett/pskoett-ai-skills/skills/simplify-and-harden-ci
Purpose
Run a CI-only variant of Simplify & Harden in pull requests:
- No code mutation in CI
- Review only changed files
- Emit structured findings
- Optionally block merge based on severity gates
Use simplify-and-harden for interactive/local coding sessions.
Context Limitation (Important)
CI agents do not have the same peak implementation context as the coding agent that wrote the change. Treat CI findings as structured review signals, not as full intent-aware rewrites.
Implications:
- Prefer scan/report and merge gating
- Do not auto-apply code changes in CI
- Escalate ambiguous findings to interactive review
Prerequisites
- GitHub Actions enabled for the repository
- GitHub CLI authenticated (
gh auth status) gh-awinstalled locally for authoring/validation:
gh extension install github/gh-aw
- In GitHub Actions jobs, install the CLI with:
- uses: github/gh-aw/actions/setup-cli@main
with:
version: v0.2.0-beta
CI Contract
The CI skill must enforce:
- Scope lock: review only files changed in the PR
- Headless execution: report findings, do not apply patches/refactors
- Structured output: emit
simplify_and_hardensummary payload - Gate policy:
critical: fail check when critical harden findings existadvisory(optional): fail check when advisory findings are configured to block
Authoring Workflow (gh-aw)
Example-only template lives in references/workflow-example.md.
Keep it outside .github/workflows until you explicitly want automation enabled.
When ready to enable:
- Copy
references/workflow-example.mdtemplate block into.github/workflows/simplify-and-harden-ci.md. - Compile and validate workflow:
gh aw compile --validate --strict
- Trigger and push workflow changes:
gh aw run simplify-and-harden-ci --push
- Check status/logs in GitHub Actions and ensure PR feedback is posted.
Prompt Template (CI)
Use this prompt body in your gh-aw workflow:
Run Simplify & Harden in CI (headless mode) for this pull request.
Rules:
1) Review only files changed in this PR.
2) Do not modify repository files.
3) Before reporting findings, re-read all changed code with "fresh eyes" and actively look for obvious bugs, errors, confusing logic, brittle assumptions, naming issues, and missed hardening opportunities.
4) Simplify pass: detect dead code, naming clarity issues, control-flow complexity, unnecessary API surface, and over-abstraction.
5) Harden pass: detect input-validation gaps, injection vectors, auth/authz issues, secret exposure, data leaks, and concurrency risks.
6) Document pass: suggest non-obvious rationale comments as findings (do not edit files).
7) Emit structured YAML under key `simplify_and_harden`, including:
- simplify findings
- harden findings (critical/advisory split)
- summary counts
- `review_followup_required`
- learning loop candidates for self-improvement ingestion
8) If blocking policy is enabled and matching findings exist, mark the run as failed.
Recommended Outputs
- PR comment with concise findings and severity ordering
- Check run summary with pass/fail reason
- Machine-readable YAML artifact for downstream automation
Integration with Self-Improvement
Forward simplify_and_harden.learning_loop.candidates into
.learnings/LEARNINGS.md via the self-improvement workflow so recurrent
patterns can be promoted into durable agent context rules.
How to use simplify-and-harden-ci on Cursor
AI-first code editor with Composer
Prerequisites
Before installing skills in Cursor, ensure your development environment meets these requirements:
- ›Cursor installed and configured on your development machine
- ›Node.js version 16.0+ with npm package manager (verify with
node --version) - ›Active project directory or workspace where you want to add simplify-and-harden-ci
Execute installation command
Execute the skills CLI command in your project's root directory to begin installation:
The skills CLI fetches simplify-and-harden-ci from GitHub repository pskoett/pskoett-ai-skills and configures it for Cursor.
Select Cursor when prompted
The CLI will show a list of available agents. Use arrow keys to navigate and space to select Cursor:
Verify installation
Confirm successful installation by checking the skill directory location:
Reload or restart Cursor to activate simplify-and-harden-ci. Access the skill through slash commands (e.g., /simplify-and-harden-ci) or your agent's skill management interface.
Security & Verification Notice
We perform automated surface-level scans (Gen AI Scanner, Socket, Snyk) during installation. These checks detect common vulnerabilities but do not guarantee complete security. Always review skill source code and verify the publisher's reputation before production use.
Skills execute code in your development environment. Always verify the publisher's identity, review recent commits, and test in isolated environments before production deployment.
List & Monetize Your Skill
Submit your Claude Code skill and start earning
Use Cases▌
User Story & Requirements Generation
Create detailed user stories, acceptance criteria, and feature specs
Example
Generate user stories for 'password reset feature' with acceptance criteria, edge cases, and test scenarios
Reduce spec writing time by 50%, ensure comprehensive coverage
Competitive Analysis
Research competitors, compare features, identify gaps
Example
Analyze 5 competitor products, create feature comparison matrix, suggest differentiation opportunities
Complete competitive research in 2 hours instead of 2 days
Roadmap Prioritization
Evaluate features using frameworks (RICE, ICE, Kano) and create prioritized backlogs
Example
Score 20 feature ideas using RICE framework, generate prioritized roadmap with rationale
Make data-driven prioritization decisions faster
Stakeholder Communication
Draft PRDs, status updates, and stakeholder presentations
Example
Create executive summary of Q3 roadmap, monthly progress report, feature launch announcement
Save 3-5 hours/week on communication overhead
Implementation Guide▌
Prerequisites
- ›Claude Desktop or compatible AI client
- ›Access to product documentation and roadmap tools (Jira, Notion, etc.)
- ›Understanding of product management frameworks (RICE, Jobs-to-be-Done, etc.)
- ›Stakeholder contact information and communication channels
Time Estimate
30-60 minutes to see productivity improvements
Installation Steps
- 1.Install product management skill
- 2.Start with user story generation for known feature
- 3.Progress to competitive analysis: research 2-3 competitors
- 4.Use for roadmap prioritization: apply RICE/ICE scoring
- 5.Draft stakeholder communications and refine based on feedback
- 6.Build template library for recurring PM tasks
- 7.Share effective prompts with product team
Common Pitfalls
- ⚠Not validating competitive research—verify facts before sharing
- ⚠Accepting user stories without involving engineering team
- ⚠Over-relying on frameworks without qualitative judgment
- ⚠Not customizing outputs to company culture and communication style
- ⚠Skipping stakeholder validation of generated requirements
Best Practices▌
✓ Do
- +Validate research and competitive analysis with real data
- +Collaborate with engineering when generating technical requirements
- +Customize frameworks and templates to your company context
- +Use skill for first drafts, refine with stakeholder input
- +Document successful prompt patterns for PM tasks
- +Combine AI efficiency with human judgment and intuition
✗ Don't
- −Don't publish competitive analysis without fact-checking
- −Don't finalize user stories without engineering review
- −Don't make prioritization decisions solely on AI scoring
- −Don't skip customer validation of generated requirements
- −Don't ignore company-specific context and culture
💡 Pro Tips
- ★Provide context: company goals, constraints, customer feedback
- ★Ask for alternatives: 'Show 3 ways to prioritize this roadmap'
- ★Request stakeholder-specific formatting: 'Executive summary vs. engineering spec'
- ★Use skill for 70% generation + 30% customization to company needs
When to Use This▌
✓ Use When
Use for user story writing, competitive research, roadmap prioritization, stakeholder communication, and PRD drafting. Best for reducing repetitive documentation and research work.
✗ Avoid When
Avoid for strategic product vision (requires deep customer empathy), pricing decisions (needs market and financial expertise), or when face-to-face customer discovery is more valuable than speed.
Learning Path▌
- 1Basic: user stories, feature specs, status updates
- 2Intermediate: competitive analysis, prioritization frameworks, PRDs
- 3Advanced: product strategy, go-to-market planning, OKR setting
- 4Expert: product vision, market positioning, business model innovation
Discussion
Product Hunt–style comments (not star reviews)- No comments yet — start the thread.
Ratings
4.8★★★★★35 reviews- ★★★★★Dhruvi Jain· Dec 20, 2024
Useful defaults in simplify-and-harden-ci — fewer surprises than typical one-off scripts, and it plays nicely with `npx skills` flows.
- ★★★★★Min Garcia· Dec 16, 2024
Keeps context tight: simplify-and-harden-ci is the kind of skill you can hand to a new teammate without a long onboarding doc.
- ★★★★★Kabir Desai· Dec 8, 2024
simplify-and-harden-ci is among the better-maintained entries we tried; worth keeping pinned for repeat workflows.
- ★★★★★Alexander Gill· Nov 27, 2024
simplify-and-harden-ci reduced setup friction for our internal harness; good balance of opinion and flexibility.
- ★★★★★Oshnikdeep· Nov 11, 2024
simplify-and-harden-ci has been reliable in day-to-day use. Documentation quality is above average for community skills.
- ★★★★★Mateo Kapoor· Nov 7, 2024
Registry listing for simplify-and-harden-ci matched our evaluation — installs cleanly and behaves as described in the markdown.
- ★★★★★Camila Rahman· Nov 3, 2024
We added simplify-and-harden-ci from the explainx registry; install was straightforward and the SKILL.md answered most questions upfront.
- ★★★★★Charlotte Garcia· Oct 26, 2024
simplify-and-harden-ci reduced setup friction for our internal harness; good balance of opinion and flexibility.
- ★★★★★Sofia Kim· Oct 22, 2024
simplify-and-harden-ci fits our agent workflows well — practical, well scoped, and easy to wire into existing repos.
- ★★★★★Alexander Choi· Oct 18, 2024
Registry listing for simplify-and-harden-ci matched our evaluation — installs cleanly and behaves as described in the markdown.
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