think-first

Stop your AI agent from coding before thinking. Enforces a plan-first workflow: read before writing,
search before creating, understand before fixing. Reduces backtracking, wasted tokens, and broken
changes.
> Your agent's #1 problem isn't knowledge - it's process. It edits files before reading them. It
> creates utilities that already exist. It fixes symptoms without tracing root causes. Think First
> changes the default from "dive into code" to "understand first, plan second, implement third."
The Difference
**Without Think First** - "Fix the login bug"
Agent opens auth.ts, changes a condition, proposes a diff. Maybe it works. Maybe it breaks the reset
flow. Maybe there's already a fix in a different branch.
**With Think First** - "Fix the login bug"
Agent reads auth.ts, traces the login flow, searches for similar fixes, identifies affected areas
(login, reset, OAuth), proposes a plan with risks and testing strategy, then implements.
Install
Cursor / Claude Code / Windsurf
Or copy skills/ into your .cursor/skills/ or .claude/skills/ directory.
What's Included
| Type | Name | Description |
| ------- | ------------------ | --------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Skill | think-first | 10 rules for read-before-write, search-before-create, plan-before-implement |
| Rule | think-first | Always-on behavioral rule that enforces the plan-first workflow |
| Command | /plan | Create a structured implementation plan before making changes |
| Command | /review-approach | Review the current approach and suggest improvements |
The 10 Rules
1. **Read before writing** - read all relevant files before editing any
2. **Understand the full picture** - trace the issue through the codebase before proposing a fix
3. **Check if it already exists** - search for existing implementations before creating new ones
4. **Propose a plan for complex changes** - outline the approach for changes touching 3+ files
5. **Identify affected areas** - find all files, tests, and features that could break
6. **Consider alternatives** - briefly evaluate 2-3 approaches for non-trivial changes
7. **Verify assumptions** - read the actual code instead of guessing
8. **Minimal change principle** - smallest change that solves the problem, separate refactoring from