mattpocock/skills is Matt Pocock's set of small, editable skills aimed at four common coding agent failures.
Start from the problem your agent has, because each skill handles a separate one.What is mattpocock/skills for?
mattpocock/skills · by Matt Pocock
Fixes four common agent failures with small skills you can edit and combine.
Each skill handles one problem, and you type its command when you need it.
27
core skills
4
failure modes
2
ways to invoke
30s
to install
Start with /grill-with-docs
How does mattpocock/skills work?
Take a guess first
What is this skill set organized around?
It targets four failure modes. You start from the symptom, then run the skill that treats it.
What is going wrong with your agent?
Explored 1/4
Align before you start
Have the agent question you in detail about what you're building.
grill-meInterviews you until every design branch is resolvedgrill-with-docsThe same, and it updates GLOSSARY.md and ADRs
Build a shared language
A glossary replaces 20 words with 1 and keeps names consistent.
grill-with-docsBuilds the language while it questions youdomain-modelingStress-tests terms against edge cases
Give the agent feedback loops
Without feedback on how its code runs, the agent cannot tell whether the code works.
tddRuns red, green, refactor in vertical slicesdiagnosing-bugsDiagnoses hard bugs in a step-by-step loop
Invest in design every day
Agents write code fast, so codebases also get complex fast. The author suggests running this every few days.
improve-codebase-architectureFinds deepening candidates, then grills you on your pickcodebase-designTeaches deep modules behind small interfacesto-specAsks which modules you're touching before writing a spec
Skills you invoke orchestrate. Skills the agent reaches for hold the discipline.
How is mattpocock/skills different from other skill sets?
vs Agent SkillsAgent Skills defines the whole lifecycle. Matt's set has separate skills and leaves the process to you.vs SuperpowersMatt argues that tools which own the process take away your control. Superpowers is a tool that defines the process.vs pstackpstack chooses the next step. Here you type each command and know exactly what happens.
When should you use mattpocock/skills?
Use it when
You want to keep control of your process
Your agent often misreads what you want
You like adapting skills to fit you
Skip it when
You want a ready-made end-to-end process
You need strong coverage after Build
How do you start with mattpocock/skills?
bash
claude plugin install mattpocock-skills@claude-plugins-officialChoose this set if you want to choose each step yourself. Run /setup-matt-pocock-skills once per repo, then use /grill-with-docs before your next change.