How do I install the Aod Lens skill?

Run npx skillmds@latest add davidmatousek/aod-lens in your terminal (requires Node.js), paste this page's agent-chat prompt into Claude, Cursor, or any MCP-connected agent, or download the SKILL.md file and copy it into your agent's skills directory.

Is Aod Lens safe to use?

This skill has not completed SkillMD's automated safety review yet. Independent scanners report: SkillSpector: PASS, Skill Scanner: PASS. Capability flags: docs only. SkillMD never runs a skill's scripts for you; review the SKILL.md before installing.

Which AI agents work with Aod Lens?

This skill is tagged as working with Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex. SKILL.md is an open format, so most agents that read a skills directory can load it too.

Is Aod Lens free to use?

Yes. Installing skills from SkillMD is free, and the skill stays under its author's original license.

Who published Aod Lens?

davidmatousek (@davidmatousek) published this skill. Their other Agent Skills are listed on their SkillMD profile.

Aod Lens by davidmatousek — Agent Skill

Name: Aod Lens
Rating: 4.2 (5 reviews)
Author: davidmatousek

Aod Lens

Routes to 14 structured thinking methodologies (lenses) for systematic analysis. Use this skill when you need to think through problems, apply thinking lenses, reason through decisions, or perform systematic analysis. Auto-selects appropriate lens based on context - 5 Whys for failures, Pre-Mortem for risks, First Principles for assumptions, Systems Thinking for architecture, Four Causes for understanding, Cargo Cult Detection for validation, Golden Mean for calibration.

davidmatousek Updated Sep 10, 2026

File contents

Thinking Lens Skill

Router that selects and applies thinking methodologies from docs/core_principles/.

Keyword → Lens Routing

Keywords	Lens	File
"failed", "broke", "why did", "root cause"	5 Whys	`01-FIVE_WHYS_METHODOLOGY.md`
"assumptions", "fundamentally", "from scratch"	First Principles	`02-FIRST_PRINCIPLES.md`
"risks", "could go wrong", "before we start"	Pre-Mortem	`03-PRE_MORTEM.md`
"guarantee failure", "avoid", "anti-patterns"	Inversion	`04-INVERSION.md`
"prioritize", "most value", "80/20"	Pareto Analysis	`05-PARETO_ANALYSIS.md`
"architecture", "interact", "components"	Systems Thinking	`06-SYSTEMS_THINKING.md`
"consequences", "downstream", "side effects"	Second-Order Effects	`07-SECOND_ORDER_EFFECTS.md`
"blocked", "bottleneck", "dependencies"	Constraint Analysis	`08-CONSTRAINT_ANALYSIS.md`
"challenge", "critique", "wrong with this"	Devil's Advocate	`09-DEVILS_ADVOCATE.md`
"compare", "choose between", "options"	Comparative Analysis	`10-COMPARATIVE_ANALYSIS.md`
"trade-off", "giving up", "sacrifice"	Opportunity Cost	`11-OPPORTUNITY_COST.md`
"explain", "purpose", "why does this exist", "complete picture"	Four Causes	`12-FOUR_CAUSES.md`
"going through motions", "process theater", "cargo cult", "actually working", "vibe coding"	Cargo Cult Detection	`13-CARGO_CULT_DETECTION.md`
"how much", "balance", "calibrate", "sweet spot", "too much", "too little", "spectrum"	Golden Mean	`14-GOLDEN_MEAN.md`

Workflow

Route: Match user keywords to lens using table above
Load: Read full methodology from docs/core_principles/[FILE]
Apply: Follow the step-by-step process and use template from that file

If ambiguous, ask:

"Would you like to focus on risks (Pre-Mortem), root cause (5 Whys), or trade-offs (Opportunity Cost)?"

Quick Reference

Problem Type	Lens
Something failed	5 Whys
Planning something risky	Pre-Mortem
Choosing between options	Comparative Analysis
Understanding a system	Systems Thinking
Prioritizing work	Pareto Analysis
Understanding why something exists	Four Causes
Checking if a practice is actually working	Cargo Cult Detection
Finding the right balance/amount	Golden Mean
Not sure	Pre-Mortem (safest default)

Hand-offs

Situation	Route To
Need to fix code after analysis	`debugger` skill
Document root cause in KB	`retrospective` skill
Security issue found	`security-pattern-scanner` skill

Lens Index

See docs/core_principles/00-THINKING_LENSES_INDEX.md for complete guide.

---name: aod-lensdescription: Routes to 14 structured thinking methodologies (lenses) for systematic analysis. Use this skill when you need to think through problems, apply thinking lenses, reason through decisions, or perform systematic analysis. Auto-selects appropriate lens based on context - 5 Whys for failures, Pre-Mortem for risks, First Principles for assumptions, Systems Thinking for architecture, Four Causes for understanding, Cargo Cult Detection for validation, Golden Mean for calibration.---# Thinking Lens SkillRouter that selects and applies thinking methodologies from `docs/core_principles/`.## Keyword → Lens Routing| Keywords | Lens | File ||----------|------|------|| "failed", "broke", "why did", "root cause" | 5 Whys | `01-FIVE_WHYS_METHODOLOGY.md` || "assumptions", "fundamentally", "from scratch" | First Principles | `02-FIRST_PRINCIPLES.md` || "risks", "could go wrong", "before we start" | Pre-Mortem | `03-PRE_MORTEM.md` || "guarantee failure", "avoid", "anti-patterns" | Inversion | `04-INVERSION.md` || "prioritize", "most value", "80/20" | Pareto Analysis | `05-PARETO_ANALYSIS.md` || "architecture", "interact", "components" | Systems Thinking | `06-SYSTEMS_THINKING.md` || "consequences", "downstream", "side effects" | Second-Order Effects | `07-SECOND_ORDER_EFFECTS.md` || "blocked", "bottleneck", "dependencies" | Constraint Analysis | `08-CONSTRAINT_ANALYSIS.md` || "challenge", "critique", "wrong with this" | Devil's Advocate | `09-DEVILS_ADVOCATE.md` || "compare", "choose between", "options" | Comparative Analysis | `10-COMPARATIVE_ANALYSIS.md` || "trade-off", "giving up", "sacrifice" | Opportunity Cost | `11-OPPORTUNITY_COST.md` || "explain", "purpose", "why does this exist", "complete picture" | Four Causes | `12-FOUR_CAUSES.md` || "going through motions", "process theater", "cargo cult", "actually working", "vibe coding" | Cargo Cult Detection | `13-CARGO_CULT_DETECTION.md` || "how much", "balance", "calibrate", "sweet spot", "too much", "too little", "spectrum" | Golden Mean | `14-GOLDEN_MEAN.md` |## Workflow1. **Route**: Match user keywords to lens using table above2. **Load**: Read full methodology from `docs/core_principles/[FILE]`3. **Apply**: Follow the step-by-step process and use template from that fileIf ambiguous, ask:> "Would you like to focus on **risks** (Pre-Mortem), **root cause** (5 Whys), or **trade-offs** (Opportunity Cost)?"## Quick Reference| Problem Type | Lens ||--------------|------|| Something failed | 5 Whys || Planning something risky | Pre-Mortem || Choosing between options | Comparative Analysis || Understanding a system | Systems Thinking || Prioritizing work | Pareto Analysis || Understanding why something exists | Four Causes || Checking if a practice is actually working | Cargo Cult Detection || Finding the right balance/amount | Golden Mean || Not sure | Pre-Mortem (safest default) |## Hand-offs| Situation | Route To ||-----------|----------|| Need to fix code after analysis | `debugger` skill || Document root cause in KB | `retrospective` skill || Security issue found | `security-pattern-scanner` skill |## Lens IndexSee `docs/core_principles/00-THINKING_LENSES_INDEX.md` for complete guide.

Frequently asked questions