arosenkranz /search-first — Research Before You Code
Systematizes the "search for existing solutions before implementing" workflow. Directly addresses the #1 friction pattern: picking the wrong tool/approach on the first attempt.
Trigger
Use this skill when:
- Starting a new feature that likely has existing solutions
- Adding a dependency or integration
- The user asks "add X functionality" and you're about to write code
- Before creating a new utility, helper, or abstraction
Workflow
1. NEED ANALYSIS
Define what functionality is needed
Identify language/framework constraints
Check deployment target (Cloudflare Workers? Homelab Docker?)
2. PARALLEL SEARCH
- Does this already exist in the repo? → rg through modules/tests
- npm / PyPI for packages
- MCP servers available (check settings.json)
- Existing skills in ~/.claude/skills/
- GitHub code search for maintained OSS
3. EVALUATE
Score candidates: functionality, maintenance, community,
docs, license, dependency footprint
4. DECIDE
- Exact match, well-maintained → ADOPT as-is
- Partial match, good foundation → EXTEND with thin wrapper
- Multiple weak matches → COMPOSE 2-3 small packages
- Nothing suitable → BUILD custom, informed by research
5. IMPLEMENT
Install package / Configure MCP / Write minimal custom code
Platform Constraints Check
Before recommending any package, verify compatibility:
| Target | Constraints |
|---|---|
| Cloudflare Workers | No Node.js APIs, ESM only, Web Platform APIs only |
| Raspberry Pi 5 / Docker | ARM64 compatible, low memory footprint |
| Browser / Client | Bundle size matters, tree-shakeable preferred |
Quick Mode (inline)
Before writing a utility, run through:
- Does this already exist in the repo?
- Is this a common problem? → Search npm/PyPI
- Is there an MCP server for it? → Check
~/.claude/settings.json - Is there a skill for it? → Check
~/.claude/skills/ - Is there a maintained GitHub implementation?
Full Mode (agent)
For non-trivial functionality, launch a research agent:
Agent(subagent_type="Explore", prompt="
Research existing tools for: [DESCRIPTION]
Language/framework: [LANG]
Deploy target: [Cloudflare Workers / Docker / Local]
Return: Top 3 candidates with pros/cons
")
Anti-Patterns
- Jumping to code: Writing a utility without checking if one exists
- Ignoring MCP: Not checking if an MCP server already provides the capability
- Over-customizing: Wrapping a library so heavily it loses its benefits
- Dependency bloat: Installing a massive package for one small feature
- Wrong platform: Installing a Node.js-only package for a Cloudflare Workers project