About 023-assumption-analysis
023-assumption-analysis is an interactive skill for making assumptions and unknowns explicit, ranking them by impact and confidence, and defining how to validate them. It supports problem exploration before design and Functional Specification work.
Key features
- 01Surfaces falsifiable assumptions
- 02Separates assumptions from unknowns
- 03Ranks impact and confidence
- 04Defines validation steps and timing
- 05Flags gaps for clarification
Use cases
- 01Analyze risks in a problem frame
- 02Prioritize uncertain beliefs for validation
- 03Draft an Assumption Analysis section
Install
Copy the command and run it in a terminal.
npx skills add https:/ / github.com/ jabrena/ plinth --skill 023-assumption-analysisAfter installing, type/023-assumption-analysisin Claude Code to confirm it loaded.
Bundled filesreferences/023-assumption-analysis.md
Details
From the project READMEAssumption Analysis
Guide production of explicit Assumptions, a list of Unknowns, and a Validation plan for a problem under exploration. This is an interactive SKILL.
What is covered in this Skill?
- Surfacing assumptions implicit in the problem frame and root-cause findings
- Distinguishing an assumption (believed true, not yet verified) from an unknown (not yet known either way)
- Ranking assumptions and unknowns by impact and confidence
- Defining a validation plan that names how and when each risky assumption or unknown will be checked
- Feeding assumption and unknown findings into
024-context-mappingand the remaining Functional Specification lenses
Constraints
Make assumptions and unknowns explicit before they become undiscussed risk. When this technique is orchestrated by another workflow, the orchestrator owns clarifying-question sequencing; when applied standalone, ask directly.
- MUST read
references/023-assumption-analysis.mdbefore applying Assumption Analysis guidance - MUST state each assumption as a falsifiable claim believed true but not yet verified
- MUST distinguish assumptions (believed true) from unknowns (not yet known either way)
- MUST rank assumptions and unknowns by impact if wrong and by current confidence
- MUST define a validation plan naming how and when each high-impact, low-confidence assumption or unknown will be checked
- MUST NOT invent an assumption, unknown, or validation step when the available content is vague or ambiguous; flag the gap for a clarifying question instead
When to use this skill
- Surface the assumptions behind this problem
- List the unknowns for this issue
- Build a validation plan for these assumptions
- Apply assumption analysis before design begins
- Draft the Assumption Analysis section of a Functional Specification
Workflow
- Read the Reference
Read references/023-assumption-analysis.md, then review the problem frame and root-cause findings for implicit beliefs.
- Surface Explicit Assumptions
State each assumption as a falsifiable claim believed true but not yet verified.
- List Unknowns
List facts that are not yet known either way, distinct from assumptions.
- Rank by Impact and Confidence
Rank assumptions and unknowns by impact if wrong and by current confidence, prioritizing high-impact, low-confidence items.
- Define the Validation Plan
Name how and when each high-priority assumption or unknown will be validated.
- Report the Assumption Analysis
Report the Assumptions, Unknowns, and Validation plan, and flag any item left open pending a clarifying answer.
Reference
For detailed guidance, examples, and constraints, see references/023-assumption-analysis.md.