exiao/pm-skills/another-perspective

Another Perspective — Multi-Perspective Council Analysis

Spawns parallel cognitive perspectives to analyze questions, plans, and ideas from multiple angles, then synthesizes findings through structured dialectical analysis.

Usage

Invoke this skill when the user asks for another perspective, wants a decision stress-tested, or needs a structured multi-angle analysis.

Council sizes:

• --quick — 2 perspectives (User Advocate + 1 adaptive). Fast sanity check.
• (default) — 4 perspectives (User Advocate + 3 adaptive). Balanced.
• --full — all 6 perspectives. Comprehensive deep dive.
• --council N — exactly N perspectives (2–6).

Quality:

• (default) — Sonnet agents (~$0.15–0.45)
• --deep — Opus agents (~$0.75–2.25). Max analytical depth.

Perspective overrides:

• --include name,name — force-include specific perspectives
• --exclude name,name — force-exclude specific perspectives

Perspective names: architect, skeptic, pragmatist, innovator, advocate, temporal

Step 1: Parse Input

Parse flags from the user's message (remove each from the question after parsing):

Council size (mutually exclusive):

• --quick → 2 perspectives
• (no flag) → 4 perspectives (default)
• --full → 6 perspectives
• --council N → exactly N (2–6)

Quality: --deep → use model: opus for agents (default: sonnet)

Overrides: --include name,name / --exclude name,name

If no question is present after parsing, ask what the user wants analyzed.

Step 2: Classify and Select Perspectives

Read classification rules: @${SKILL_DIR}/references/classification.md

Resolution order:

1. Classify question type → get default relevance order
2. Apply --include overrides (add, up to 6 max)
3. Apply --exclude overrides (remove)
4. User Advocate is always included unless explicitly excluded via --exclude advocate
5. Final council: 2–6 perspectives

Step 3: Announce

Announce before spawning agents:

Convening the council...
 
Question type: [classification]
Council ([N] perspectives): [Perspective 1] + [Perspective 2] + ...
Mode: [Default (sonnet) / Deep (opus)]
Estimated cost: ~$[X.XX]

Cost table:

Step 4: Load Perspectives

Read perspective definitions: @${SKILL_DIR}/references/perspectives.md

Step 5: Spawn Parallel Agents

Launch all N agent tool calls in a single message for parallel execution. Each agent receives:

• Full perspective identity, methodology, output structure from perspectives.md
• User's question verbatim
• Instructions to follow methodology step by step
• Instructions to rate confidence (High/Medium/Low) with reasoning
• Instructions to note what they are MOST and LEAST qualified to assess
• Model: sonnet (default) or opus (if --deep)

Agent prompt template:

You are [PERSPECTIVE NAME] on a multi-perspective analysis council.
 
[FULL PERSPECTIVE DEFINITION — Identity, Methodology, Signature Questions, Challenge Targets, Confidence Calibration]
 
---
 
QUESTION TO ANALYZE:
[User's question, verbatim]
 
---
 
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Follow your methodology step by step
2. Apply your signature questions to this specific situation
3. Consider your challenge targets — what would other perspectives likely argue, and where would you push back?
4. Rate your confidence (High/Medium/Low) with a specific reason
5. Note which aspects you are MOST and LEAST qualified to assess
6. Use your perspective's output structure exactly
 
Be thorough but focused. 300–600 words. Quality over quantity.

Critical: All N agent calls MUST be in a single message to execute in parallel.

Step 6: Synthesize

After all agents return, perform dialectical synthesis.

Read synthesis methodology: @${SKILL_DIR}/references/synthesis.md

Follow the 7-step process:

1. Map consensus (proportional thresholds)
2. Identify tensions (2+ perspectives meaningfully disagree)
3. Resolve or frame each tension
4. Detect blind spots (what nobody addressed)
5. Build confidence map (skip for --quick)
6. Synthesize verdict (1–3 sentences, actionable)
7. Order next steps (3–5 concrete actions)

Step 7: Output Council Report

Read output format: @${SKILL_DIR}/references/output-format.md

• Quick (2 perspectives): Compact format — Verdict, Agreement/Disagreement, Blind Spots, Next Steps
• Standard (3–6 perspectives): Full format with all sections

Include individual perspective analyses in collapsible <details> sections at the bottom.

Important:

• Do NOT editorialize between spawning agents and synthesizing
• Do NOT show raw agent output — only the final Council Report
• If an agent fails, proceed with remaining and note: "The [X] perspective was unavailable."
• Synthesize yourself — do not spawn an additional agent for synthesis
• Represent tensions faithfully — don't smooth them over
• At 5–6 perspectives, surface only the 2–3 most significant tensions