# Mb Think > Combined research, decision, and codification workflow. Use when: (1) Exploring a question before committing (2) Making a decision that needs documentation (3) User says research, decide, figure out, explore, codify, enrich, retire stale source, sharpen this offer, improve the offer, add context, keyword gate, analyze this VSL, extract the pitch, script teardown, objection mining, or sales video research (4) Updating reference files based on decisions (5) User wants to add testimonials, angles, proof, mechanisms, objections, guarantees, or pitch context. Supports modes: full flow, research-only, keyword-gate, decide-only, codify. - Skill: `noontide-co/mb-think` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 27 files) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add noontide-co/mb-think` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/noontide-co/mb-think/raw - Safety review: pending - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: Docs & Writing - Author: noontide-co (https://skillmd.com/u/noontide-co) - Updated: 2026-09-17 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/noontide-co/mb-think --- # Think Research, decide, and codify knowledge into reference files. ## Don't Overthink Think This skill is for: **"I don't know what happens next. I just need to start."** Something came your way — a video, a voice memo, a vague feeling, a problem to solve. You don't need a plan. Just start. The skill finds the overlap between your interest and your offer. **Re-invoke often.** Saying `/mb-think` again is normal. It reloads context. Do it after: - Reading a large transcript (burns tokens) - Compaction (context window reset) - Switching focus - Anytime you feel lost **Save progress at natural boundaries.** After a research batch, accepted decision, codify pass, or major reference-file update, ask whether to checkpoint. Run `mb checkpoint --plan --json`, show the proposed message, validate with `mb checkpoint --validate "..." --json`, then save with `mb checkpoint --message "..." --yes` only after approval; no hidden checkpoints. **Shared source:** The portable thinking workflow contract lives in `workflows/mb-think/workflow.md`. This Claude skill is the Claude Code shell over that source. **Shared contract markers:** Keep these aligned with the shared source. Required commands: - `mb status --json --peek` - `mb start --json` - `mb doctor repair --plan` - `mb connect doctor --json` - `mb checkpoint --plan --json` Required fact paths: - `money_path` - `money_path.objects.offer` - `money_path.objects.proof` - `money_path.objects.proof.quality` - `money_path.objects.product_ladder` - `money_path.objects.cta_path` - `money_path.objects.channel_strategy` - `money_path.objects.active_push` - `money_path.objects.outcome_feedback_loop` - `money_path.ranked_actions` - `validation.file_contracts` - `content_strategy` - `ranked_actions` - `update` - `readiness` - `drift.items` - `books` - `runtime.codex_cli` - `runtime.claude_code` Approval gates: `updates_repairs_migrations`, `file_writes`, `checkpoint`, `provider_mutation`, `publishing_or_spend`, `customer_contact`, `private_data`, `destructive_operations`, `structured_collection`, and `public_issue_or_proposal`. Public/private boundaries: `no_secrets`, `no_raw_provider_exports`, `no_raw_transcripts`, `no_customer_member_data`, `no_private_runtime_settings`, `no_private_dms_or_gated_communities`, and `no_raw_finance_legal_records`. Core route: research depth recommendation, parallel research files for source-specific research files when multiple source types are needed, decision, codify, stale source cleanup, public/private handling, checkpoint plan, checkpoint approval, and explicit write approval. Do not tell Codex users to run Claude Code entrypoints. When research identifies a reusable growth mechanic such as a comment-keyword, DM-keyword, public reply/link, resource delivery, provider setup recipe, or approval gate, route the durable plan into `pushes//playbooks/.md` with `type: playbook`. Playbooks are plans, approval records, safe provider-state notes, validation evidence, and outcome hooks. They are not provider execution. When the operator asks for a researched brief, site brief, launch brief, or research meant to feed `/mb-ads`, `/mb-site`, or push playbooks, support: ```text /mb-think --brief-format=grok-8 ``` Load [references/grok-8-brief-format.md](references/grok-8-brief-format.md). This mode structures findings across eight categories: business/offering, ICP, journey, competitive landscape, brand story, technical requirements, content assets, and metrics/constraints. Use it as an opt-in format, not the default unless the operator chooses it. --- ## Two Modes of Work | Mode | You're doing | Examples | |------|--------------|----------| | **Enriching the core** | Pulling insights → reference files | Mining videos, making decisions, updating offer.md, **building content-strategy.md** | | **Creating for the world** | Reference files → output | Ads, scripts, courses, code, posts | `/mb-think` is for **enriching the core**. When you're ready to create, use `/mb-ads`, `/mb-organic`, `/mb-site`, or just ask. --- ## Pull Latest Updates See **[references/pull-engine-updates.md](references/pull-engine-updates.md)** for the standard Main Branch update check. Run it at the start of every /mb-think invocation. --- ## CLI Facts First Provider readiness comes from `mb` first. Run or reuse: ```bash mb status --json --peek mb connect doctor --json ``` Use those facts for GitHub, Google/Workspace, Meta Ads, and other provider repair language. Apify research remains MCP-first for now: treat it as an agent-side research tool surface unless a later CLI contract exposes stable provider-readiness facts. Runtime-local tool checks happen only after a selected research path needs them and `mb` cannot inspect the tool directly. **Quick gist:** On first `/mb-think` invocation, read status/connect facts. When the user's intent needs a runtime-local tool, check only that tool, cache session knowledge, and offer the `mb connect` repair command or a fallback. Surface a missing-tool option once per session per tool. See **[references/tool-detection.md](references/tool-detection.md)** for the full status-value table, staleness rules, per-tool detection methods (Apify, Gemini, Grok, whisper, Nano Banana, Meta ad account context, document tools), required config-update format, and the intent-based tool surfacing matrix. For self-healing semantics (stale false handling, status-change messaging, true-tool degradation), see [tool-status-self-healing.md](references/tool-status-self-healing.md). --- ## Offer Context Resolution Before loading reference files, resolve the active offer and target file type with `.claude/reference/business-primitives/offer-bet-push-proof.md`: 1. If a future `mb` JSON field exposes active offer state, use it. 2. Do not treat `.vip/local.yaml` as the source of truth for active-offer state. If legacy state exists, confirm the offer with the user instead of silently routing. 3. If an offer is selected and `core/offers/[offer]/offer.md` exists, load it as the active offer. 4. If no offer is selected AND `core/offers/` exists: ask which offer. 5. If no `core/offers/` folder: use `core/offer.md` (single-offer mode) 6. If the repo does not have `core/`, do not infer current offer context from old paths. Run `mb doctor repair --plan`; use `reference/*` only as legacy migration input. **Always-core files:** `soul.md`, `voice.md`, `content-strategy.md`. See [codify-phase.md](references/codify-phase.md) for content strategy layers. **Offer-aware files:** `offer.md`, `audience.md` **Proof files:** company-wide proof uses `core/proof/testimonials.md`, `core/proof/typicality.md`, and `core/proof/angles/`; offer-specific proof uses matching files under `core/offers//proof/`. When codifying proof, make permission, offer-link, outcome, timeframe, metric, and typicality facts explicit so `money_path.objects.proof.quality` can see them; use `permissioned_public: false` for internal proof awaiting public permission. If status reports `money_path.objects.proof.quality.public_marketing.status: blocked`, collect permission before ads, pages, or public claims use that proof. When `validation.file_contracts` reports offer gaps, use the findings as the intake checklist and fill missing audience, promise, mechanism, proof, price/value, or next-step context only after operator approval. For a live idea, ask whether it is something to keep selling or something to test before deciding. Use `bets/` for the time-boxed wager, offer files for durable sellable truth, `pushes/` for coordinated execution, and `decisions/` for accepted rationale that changes durable truth. --- ## Where Files Go All files save to YOUR business repo, not the Main Branch engine. ``` your-business-repo/ <- Files saved here ├── research/ <- Research output ├── decisions/ <- Decision output ├── core/ <- Brand-level codify updates │ ├── offers/ <- Per-offer codify updates │ ├── proof/ <- Testimonials, typicality, angles │ ├── brand/ <- Visual identity and brand systems │ └── operations/ <- Fulfillment, classroom, funnel, membership notes mainbranch/ (engine) <- Never modified ``` --- ## Route by Intent Detect mode from user's natural language: | User Says | Mode | Reference | |-----------|------|-----------| | "figure out", "explore", "I'm trying to..." | Full Flow | - | | "research", "investigate", "what do we know about" | Research | [research-phase.md](references/research-phase.md) | | "--brief-format=grok-8", "researched brief", "site brief", "launch brief" | Research Brief | [grok-8-brief-format.md](references/grok-8-brief-format.md) | | "sharpen this offer", "improve the offer", "make this offer convert", "pressure-test this offer" | Full Flow | `.claude/reference/conversion/offer-sharpening.md` | | "what are people saying", "sentiment", "X/Twitter", "trending" | Research (Grok) | [grok-social.md](references/grok-social.md) | | "analyze this VSL", "extract the pitch", "script teardown", "objection mining" | Research | [sales-video-research.md](references/sales-video-research.md) | | "winning ads", "review mining", "customer language", "competitor ads", "comment mining" | Research | [winning-ad-research.md](references/winning-ad-research.md) | | "keyword gate", "kill or build this offer", "search demand", "buyer intent", "validate paid traffic demand" | Keyword Gate Research | [keyword-gate.md](references/keyword-gate.md) | | "decide", "we chose", "document decision" | Decide | [decide-phase.md](references/decide-phase.md) | | "codify", "apply", "update reference files" | Codify | [codify-phase.md](references/codify-phase.md) | | "add context", "enrich", "I have new info" | Codify | [codify-phase.md](references/codify-phase.md) | | "mine these transcripts", "ingest community posts", "process call recordings", "use Drive/provider exports", "mixed account sources" | Source ingestion privacy rail | [source-ingestion.md](references/source-ingestion.md) | | "this source/claim/angle is stale", "old source", "obsolete claim", "retire this", "stop using that proof" | Stale-source cleanup | [stale-source-cleanup.md](references/stale-source-cleanup.md) | | "content strategy", "pillars", "what platforms", "content plan", "cadence", "channel strategy", "account strategy", "founder voice", "weekly content plan" | Full Flow (codify to the right content strategy layer) | [codify-phase.md](references/codify-phase.md) | | "where was I", "continue", "pick up" | Recovery | [recovery.md](references/recovery.md) | | "here's a PDF", "ingest this", "convert this document", file path (.pdf/.docx/.pptx) | Document Ingestion | [document-ingestion.md](references/document-ingestion.md) | For offer, audience, proof, CTA, content strategy, ads/pages, and positioning requests, use [research-depth-ladder.md](references/research-depth-ladder.md) before selecting source tools. If unclear, ask: "Are you exploring a question, documenting a decision, or updating reference files?" --- ## Research Routing by Intent When routing to research mode, detect research TYPE from user intent: | User Intent | Trigger Phrases | Primary Tool | Fallback | |-------------|-----------------|--------------|----------| | YouTube research | YouTube URL, "transcribe video", "what does [creator] say" | Apify | Ask for manual transcript | | X/Twitter sentiment | "what are people saying", "sentiment on X", "Twitter discourse" | Grok | WebSearch site:x.com | | Deep web research | "deep research", "comprehensive analysis", "research everything" | Gemini | Multi-source WebSearch | | Local transcription | Local file path (.mp4, .m4a), "transcribe my recording" | whisper | CLI mlx_whisper or whisper-cli | | Instagram mining | Instagram handle, "mine [handle]", "competitor posts" | Apify | Manual screenshots | | Ad account research | "ad performance", "what's working", "check CPA", "audit my ads" | Verified Meta ad account context | Manual Ads Manager check | | Winning-ad research | "customer language", "competitor ads", "review mining", "script teardown", "comment mining" | WebSearch + Apify/Grok when configured | Manual exports, screenshots, pasted transcripts | | Keyword gate | "keyword gate", "kill or build", "search demand", "buyer intent", "paid traffic demand" | SERP/search sidecar + Keyword Planner CSV when available | WebSearch + operator-provided exports | | General research | Default, "research [topic]", "what do we know" | WebSearch + codebase | Always available | **Multiple types needed at once?** Spawn them as parallel Task agents in a single message. Example: user says "research what [creator] says on YouTube and what people think on X" — spawn one agent for YouTube transcript mining and another for X/Twitter sentiment simultaneously. Each saves its own research file; main conversation synthesizes when both return. ### Routing Logic ``` 1. Parse user message for intent triggers 2. Check if preferred tool is available (from session cache) 3. If multiple sources needed → spawn parallel Task agents (one per source) 4. If single source → use preferred tool directly 5. If not available → offer setup ONCE, then use fallback 6. Never block on missing optional tools ``` ### Fallback Principle Never block on missing optional tools. Use web/codebase search, pasted source material, manual exports, or the provider repair command from `mb connect`. See [references/tool-detection.md](references/tool-detection.md) for exact tool-specific fallback wording. --- ## Active Guidance (Your Job) **Don't just provide templates. Actively move people through the cycle.** On every `/mb-think` invocation, detect state and guide the next step: ```bash # Check for continuity and rationale state ls -lt research/*.md 2>/dev/null | head -3 grep -l "status: proposed\|status: accepted" decisions/*.md 2>/dev/null # Also check content strategy state ls core/content-strategy.md 2>/dev/null ``` | If you find... | Then... | |----------------|---------| | Recent research, no decision | "You have research on [topic]. Ready to make a decision?" | | Proposed decision | "Decision [topic] is proposed. Ready to accept it?" | | Accepted decision (not yet codified) | "Decision [topic] is accepted. Ready to codify the changes into reference files?" | | content-strategy.md exists but empty/thin | "Your content strategy file is a skeleton. Want to fill it in? We can define the known-for target, pillars, asset jobs, and distribution links from your offer, audience, proof, and voice." | | content-strategy.md missing (community biz) | "You don't have a content strategy yet. Want to build one? It'll define what you want to be known for, your pillars, asset jobs, and distribution layers." | | skool-surfaces.md missing (community biz with live Skool) | "Your Skool about page and pricing card copy aren't in reference yet. Want to add them? Skills check this for congruence." | | `core/offers/` exists | Multi-offer repo. Use a future `mb` JSON active-offer field if present. Otherwise ask which offer this research/decision is about; do not silently route from `.vip/local.yaml`. | | Nothing in progress | "What are you trying to figure out?" | **The goal is reference files.** Research and decisions are waypoints. Keep asking: "What needs to happen to get this into reference?" --- ## Full Flow (Default) ``` Research -> Checkpoint -> Decide -> Checkpoint -> Codify ``` ### 1. Define Question > "What specifically are you trying to figure out?" ### 2. Research Gather from codebase, web, user input, local recordings. **When research involves 2+ sources** (e.g., YouTube + web, X/Twitter + codebase, competitor mining + deep research), spawn parallel Task agents in a single message — one agent per source. Use `subagent_type: "general-purpose"` (has Write, Edit, Bash, MCP access). Each agent: - Gets a focused prompt: one source, one research question - Writes its own dated file (e.g., `research/YYYY-MM-DD-topic-yt-mining.md`) - **Verifies the write:** checks the file exists after writing (use Read or ls) - Returns: file path + write status + 5-bullet summary - If write failed: returns the **full research content** so main conversation can write it - Does NOT need the full business context — just the research question and source instructions **After all agents return:** Check that files landed on disk. If any agent reported a write failure or the file doesn't exist, write it from the returned content. Then synthesize across summaries. This keeps heavy content out of your main context window while recovering gracefully from the known Claude Code subagent write persistence bug. **Do NOT run research agents in background** (`run_in_background: true`) — background agents cannot access MCP tools (Apify, etc.) and cannot prompt for permissions. **Mining sources:** Use [research-routing-quick-ref.md](references/research-routing-quick-ref.md) and the source-specific references for tool choice and output suffixes. Authenticated community, calls, Drive/provider exports, and other private source mixes route through [source-ingestion.md](references/source-ingestion.md). ### 3. Synthesize (Required) Every research output needs: - One-sentence summary (20 words max) - Key findings (5-10 bullets) - Implications for reference files - Open questions Synthesis works best when the main conversation is clean — which is exactly what subagents provide. Heavy raw content (transcripts, mined posts) lives in the subagent context windows, and only distilled summaries return to main. For authenticated or private sources, run the source-ingestion rail first and keep raw transcripts/provider payloads out of committed files by default. **For content mining specifically:** AI shows WHAT worked. You must judge WHY. Extract three dimensions from mined content: - **Visual** — Format, production style, patterns - **Audible** — Energy, pacing, delivery - **Emotional** — Primary emotion, identity play **Framework extraction is human judgment work.** AI surfaces the data; you interpret the frameworks. This methodology comes from Koston Williams (6M view video) — the skill isn't copying, it's framework transfer. A competitor's content worked for THEM. Your job is to: 1. See the framework beneath the content 2. Judge whether it transfers to YOUR context 3. Adapt it to YOUR voice and audience 4. Codify what you learned into reference files Don't skip to content generation. Mining → Human Synthesis → Reference Update → THEN Create. ### 4. Checkpoint > "Ready to make a decision, or need more research?" ### 5. Decide Present options with pros/cons. Document choice and rationale. ### 6. What Changes Describe what reference files are affected in the decision file: ```markdown ## What Changes offer.md gets a guarantee section after pricing. A new angle file (risk-reversal.md) captures the guarantee messaging. ``` See [decide-phase.md](references/decide-phase.md) for format details. ### 7. Checkpoint > "Ready to update reference files now, or save for later?" ### 8. Codify Apply changes described in `## What Changes` to reference files. Mark decision as codified. **Codify targets include:** `core/*.md`, active offer/audience files, proof files, `core/content-strategy.md`, `core/marketing/...`, `core/people/...`, `core/team/.md`, `core/operations/funnel/skool-surfaces.md`, `core/product-ladder.md`, and `bets/` only when updating the live wager or verdict. See [codify-phase.md](references/codify-phase.md) for layer-specific rules. --- ## Research Mode ``` /mb-think research "topic" ``` Output: `research/YYYY-MM-DD-topic-claude-code.md` See [references/research-phase.md](references/research-phase.md) for full workflow. For ad, customer, review, competitor, and social-comment mining, use [references/winning-ad-research.md](references/winning-ad-research.md) to keep the research structured before handing off to `/mb-ads` or `/mb-organic`. For broad researched briefs that should feed ads, sites, organic content, or a push playbook, use [references/grok-8-brief-format.md](references/grok-8-brief-format.md) and set `brief_format: grok-8` in frontmatter. For offer-launch demand validation, use [references/keyword-gate.md](references/keyword-gate.md). It writes a dated keyword-gate research file with a Build / Build with caution / Kill verdict, recommended lander cluster, ready-to-buy terms, and negative keyword seeds for `/mb-site` and `/mb-ads`. --- ## Decide Mode ``` /mb-think decide "topic" ``` Output: `decisions/YYYY-MM-DD-topic.md` See [references/decide-phase.md](references/decide-phase.md) for full workflow. --- ## Codify Mode ``` /mb-think codify decisions/YYYY-MM-DD-topic.md ``` Or: "/mb-think add new testimonials to my files" See [references/codify-phase.md](references/codify-phase.md) for full workflow. --- ## Work Continuity Layers | Layer | Scope | Use For | |-------|-------|---------| | **Claude tasks** | Session | Local execution steps and tool progress | | **Decision files** | Durable | Rationale, options, chosen direction, what changes | | **GitHub issues** | Durable | Work threads that need cross-session or team visibility | Decision status is rationale maturity, not a general work-progress board: `proposed` means a direction is drafted, `accepted` means the operator chose it, and `codified` means the rationale has been integrated into durable business or engine truth. See [decide-phase.md](references/decide-phase.md) for decision lifecycle patterns. See [recovery.md](references/recovery.md) for resuming sessions. --- ## Recovery If conversation compacted, check multiple sources: **1. Claude tasks (current session):** ``` TaskList ``` **2. Recent files and rationale state:** ```bash ls -lt research/*.md 2>/dev/null | head -5 grep -l "status: proposed\|status: accepted" decisions/*.md 2>/dev/null ``` **3. GitHub issues (when durable work threads are needed):** ```bash gh issue list --assignee @me --state open ``` Then confirm: "I see you were working on [topic]. Continue from here?" See [references/recovery.md](references/recovery.md) for details. --- ## Templates - [references/templates/research-template.md](references/templates/research-template.md) - [references/grok-8-brief-format.md](references/grok-8-brief-format.md) - [references/templates/decision-template.md](references/templates/decision-template.md) --- ## When NOT to Use - Quick factual questions (just ask) - Simple file edits (just edit) - Generating content (use `/mb-ads`, `/mb-site`, `/mb-organic`) Use `/mb-think` when the answer requires investigation and the choice needs documentation. --- ## Why This Matters Keep what changes the business. Leave the rest in research. Reference files get stronger when each accepted decision makes the offer, proof, audience, voice, or content strategy clearer.