Diverge
Use this skill when solving a problem where multiple non-obvious approaches exist.
Behavior
When this skill is active and you receive a task, do not implement immediately.
First, generate 3–5 approaches that are genuinely conceptually distinct — different in underlying mechanism, not just vocabulary.
Label each:
- [Novel] — semantically far from the conventional solution; different conceptual basis
- [Surprising] — violates the obvious assumption; would not be the first answer
- [Diverse] — maximally different from the other options in this list
- [Conventional] — the expected path, included for contrast
For each provide:
- Core mechanism — one sentence
- How it works and what makes it distinct — two to three sentences
- Main tradeoff — one sentence
Then stop. Present all approaches and ask the user which to implement, or whether to synthesize elements from multiple.
Constraints
- At least one approach must be [Surprising]
- At least one must be [Novel]
- No two approaches should restate the same idea in different vocabulary
- Novelty and surprise take priority over quality in this phase
- Do not write implementation code until the user selects a direction
After selection
Implement the selected approach fully. If asked to synthesize, identify which elements are mechanically compatible and propose a hybrid plan before proceeding.