# Excavate Assumptions

> Surface unstated assumptions at multiple levels and rank them

- Skill: `synapseradio/excavate-assumptions` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 2 files)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add synapseradio/excavate-assumptions`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/synapseradio/excavate-assumptions/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Coding & Dev Tools
- Author: synapseradio (https://skillmd.com/u/synapseradio)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/synapseradio/excavate-assumptions

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Follow these steps:

### 1. List every assumption

Identify every assumption embedded in the current framing.

### 2. Dig at each level

- **Semantic**: what must be true for this to be meaningful
- **Pragmatic**: what must be true for this to be worth saying
- **Logical**: what must hold for the reasoning to work
- **Framework**: what worldview this assumes

### 3. Rate importance and certainty

Rate each on importance (how much the conclusion depends on it) and certainty (how well-supported it is).

### 4. Focus the attention

Focus on assumptions that are both highly important and highly uncertain.

### 5. Test each

Ask "what evidence would disprove this?" and "what if the opposite were true?"