# Credible Claims And Safe Authority

> Use authority, numbers, and institutional credibility without exaggerating or creating legal, ethical, or reputational risk.

- Skill: `arthurzakirov/credible-claims-and-safe-authority` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add arthurzakirov/credible-claims-and-safe-authority`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/arthurzakirov/credible-claims-and-safe-authority/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Coding & Dev Tools
- Author: ArthurZakirov (https://skillmd.com/u/arthurzakirov)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/arthurzakirov/credible-claims-and-safe-authority

---


# Credible Claims and Safe Authority Skill

## Purpose

Use authority, numbers, and institutional credibility without exaggerating or creating legal, ethical, or reputational risk.

## Claim Safety Ladder

From safest to riskiest:

1. Direct factual claim
   - "Built and deployed X."
2. Quantified but bounded claim
   - "Surfaced 770 addressable hours."
3. Shared-outcome claim
   - "Helped the team maintain velocity."
4. Inference claim
   - "This suggests a higher-leverage roadmap."
5. Borrowed authority claim
   - "Adapted from public guidance by X."
6. Endorsement-like claim
   - "X recommends this." Only use if explicitly true.

## Use Careful Language For

### Addressable Opportunity vs Guaranteed Savings

Say:

```text
surfaced 770 addressable hours
```

Avoid:

```text
saved 770 hours
```

unless the hours were actually saved.

### Team Outcomes

Say:

```text
helped maintain team velocity
```

Avoid:

```text
single-handedly maintained team velocity
```

unless that is provably true.

### Institutional Authority

Say:

```text
at a World Economic Forum-recognized AI scale-up
```

Avoid:

```text
World Economic Forum-backed
```

unless backed is accurate.

### Inspired by Credible People

Say:

```text
adapted from practices learned from a senior engineering lead
```

Avoid:

```text
Google's official method
```

unless it is official.

## Quote Usage

When using quotes:

- Keep excerpts short.
- Use brackets `[...]` to omit irrelevant parts.
- Preserve meaning.
- Attribute clearly.
- Do not make a quote sound broader than it is.

## Checklist

- Is every number explainable?
- Could a former colleague agree the claim is fair?
- Is borrowed authority framed as origin/context, not endorsement?
- Are "helped," "solo-built," and "led" used precisely?
- Does the claim stay impressive without becoming misleading?