dbachelder/pi-btw/btw

BTW

Use this skill when the user wants to work in parallel with the main agent instead of derailing the current turn.

When to use BTW

Prefer the BTW workflow when the user wants to:

• ask a side question while the main agent keeps working
• brainstorm or compare options without interrupting the current run
• prepare a plan or summary before handing it back to the main agent
• keep exploratory discussion out of the main transcript/context

Commands

Use these commands in your guidance to the user:

/btw <question>
/side <question>
/btw --save <question>
/btw:new [question]
/btw:tangent <question>
/btw:tangent --save <question>
/btw:ask <question>
/btw:ask --save <question>
/btw:clear
/btw:model [<provider> <model> <api> | clear]
/btw:thinking [<level> | clear]
/btw:inject [instructions]
/btw:summarize [instructions]

/side is an alias for /btw and shares the same thread, overlay, and settings. /btw is canonical; the lifecycle commands stay in the /btw:* namespace.

How to guide the user

For a quick side question

Recommend:

/btw <question>

Use this when the user wants an immediate aside and does not need a visible saved note.

Users coming from Codex may reach for /side instead; it is an alias for /btw and can be used anywhere /btw is used.

For a saved one-off note

Recommend:

/btw --save <question>

Use this when the user wants the exchange to appear as a visible BTW note in the session transcript.

For a fresh side thread

Recommend:

/btw:new

or

/btw:new <question>

Use this when the previous BTW discussion is no longer relevant, but you still want the new side thread to inherit the current main-session context.

For a contextless tangent thread

Recommend:

/btw:tangent <question>

or

/btw:tangent --save <question>

Use this when the user wants a side conversation that does not include the current main-session context.

For an enforced read-only side question

Recommend:

/btw:ask <question>

or

/btw:ask --save <question>

Use this when the user wants a side question that inherits the current main-session context but must not be able to change anything. The read-only thread only has read, grep, find, and ls; it never has bash, edit, or write.

To hand the full thread back to the main agent

Recommend:

/btw:inject <instructions>

Use this when the exact discussion matters and the user wants the main agent to act on it.

To hand back a condensed version

Recommend:

/btw:summarize <instructions>

Use this when the thread is long and only the distilled outcome should go back into the main agent.

To make BTW cheaper or faster than the main thread

Recommend:

/btw:model <provider> <model> <api>
/btw:thinking <level>

Use these when the main thread should keep its current model or thinking level, but BTW should run with a different cost/speed profile.

Recommendation rules

• Prefer /btw over normal chat when the user explicitly wants a side conversation.
• Prefer /btw:tangent when the user wants that side conversation to be contextless.
• Prefer /btw:ask when the user wants a side conversation that cannot modify the workspace.
• Prefer /btw:summarize over /btw:inject for long exploratory threads.
• Prefer /btw:inject when precise wording, detailed tradeoffs, or a full plan matters.
• Suggest /btw:new before starting a totally unrelated side topic when main-session context is still useful.
• Suggest /btw:clear when the widget/thread should be dismissed.
• Suggest /btw:model or /btw:thinking when the user wants BTW to be cheaper, faster, or less deliberative than the main thread.

Response style

When helping the user use BTW:

• give the exact slash command to run
• explain briefly why that command fits
• keep the guidance short and operational

Examples

Example: brainstorm while coding continues

/btw what are the risks of switching this to optimistic updates?

Example: create a clean new thread

/btw:new sketch a safer migration plan

Example: start a contextless tangent

/btw:tangent think through this from first principles without using the current chat context

Example: ask a read-only side question

/btw:ask what does the token refresh path do without changing anything?

Example: send the result back

/btw:summarize implement the recommended migration plan

Example: make BTW cheaper than the main thread

/btw:model openai gpt-5-mini openai-responses
/btw:thinking low