devils-advocate

Critique ideas through adversarial rounds with a hardening scorecard.

3|1|Updated Mar 27, 2026
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/ryankolean/summit-claude-skills --skill devils-advocate-ryankolean
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: devils-advocate
Source: https://github.com/ryankolean/summit-claude-skills/tree/main/skills/devils-advocate
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/ryankolean/summit-claude-skills --skill devils-advocate-ryankolean

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

What problem does it solve?

Stress-test ideas by systematically challenging them from multiple angles to surface blind spots and clarify reasoning. The default mode is a Sparring Partner; it can escalate to Adversarial mode on request and maintains a running hardening scorecard.

Core Features & Use Cases

  • Modes: Sparring Partner (default) and Adversarial (on demand) for sharper critique.
  • One-challenge-per-round flow with explicit check-ins and scorecard updates.
  • Rotation through attack angles (logical, empirical, practical, etc.) to cover diverse risk dimensions.
  • Phase-based process: understand the idea, initialize the scorecard, run iterative rounds, and perform steelman before closing.
  • Activation triggers (manual and auto-detect) to start critique when requested while maintaining guardrails.

Quick Start

Activate Devil's Advocate on my thesis and start sparring to harden the idea.

Frequently Asked Questions about devils-advocate

High-intent search queries and answers about installing and using this skill.

FAQPage Schema
How do I stress-test a product strategy to find blind spots?

Stress-test product strategy by applying adversarial critique that rotates through logical, empirical, and practical attack angles. This systematic challenge surfaces blind spots and clarifies reasoning through a one-challenge-per-round interactive flow.

What is adversarial thinking and how does it harden ideas?

Adversarial thinking hardens ideas by systematically challenging them from multiple angles to expose weaknesses. It uses a sparring partner mode by default and can escalate to adversarial mode for sharper critique, tracking progress with a running hardening scorecard.

Can I use structured feedback to challenge a research brief?

Yes, you can challenge a research brief using structured feedback. The process rotates through diverse risk dimensions, applying iterative rounds of critique followed by a steelman phase to ensure the final proposal is rigorously tested and hardened.

How do I start a sparring session to critique a decision proposal?

Start a sparring session by activating the critique workflow on your decision proposal. The process initializes a hardening scorecard, runs iterative one-challenge-per-round critique cycles, and performs a steelman summary before closing.

Does idea hardening support different levels of critique intensity?

Idea hardening supports two levels of critique intensity. It defaults to a Sparring Partner mode for structured pushback and can escalate to Adversarial mode on demand when a sharper, more rigorous challenge is required.

When should I not use adversarial critique for product strategy?

Adversarial critique may not suit product strategy discussions requiring rapid consensus without deep validation. Its rigorous one-challenge-per-round flow and multi-angle attacks are designed for thorough idea hardening, which can slow down fast-paced decision-making.