Tier 4

wtdn - What To Do Next

WTDN - What To Do Next

Input: $ARGUMENTS


Core Principles

  1. Simple means simple. This skill has no routing, no classification, no sub-orchestration. It asks a few questions and gives one answer. If the user needs complexity, they’ll find it elsewhere.

  2. One move, one reason. The output is a single action and a single reason. Not three options. Not a comparison. One thing to do and why that one.

  3. Bias toward action. When two next moves seem equally valuable, pick the one that starts sooner and produces a visible result faster.

  4. “I don’t know” is fine. If the user can’t articulate where they are, that’s data. The next step is to figure out where they are.


Steps

Step 1: Where Are You Right Now?

State the current situation in one sentence based on $ARGUMENTS.

SITUATION: [what's happening right now — project state, problem state, or "I don't know"]

If the user hasn’t provided enough context, ask: “Where are you right now with this? What have you done so far?”

Step 2: What Are You Trying to Reach?

GOAL: [the end state or outcome they want]

If unclear from input, use: “What does ‘done’ look like?”

Step 3: What’s the Gap?

GAP: [the single biggest thing between SITUATION and GOAL]

Step 4: What’s the Single Most Valuable Next Move?

NEXT MOVE: [one specific action]
WHY THIS ONE: [one sentence — why this move over any other]

Pick the move that:

  • Closes the biggest part of the gap
  • Can be started immediately
  • Produces a result you can see or measure

Step 5: Do It

DO THIS NOW: [restate the action as a direct instruction]
TIME ESTIMATE: [how long this should take]
YOU'LL KNOW IT WORKED WHEN: [observable result]

Quick Mode

If the user adds “quick” or wants speed, skip to three questions:

QUICK MODE
==========
1. Where are you? [one sentence from input]
2. What's blocking progress? [one sentence]
3. DO THIS: [one action that addresses the block]

No analysis. No explanation. Just the answer.


Output Format

WHAT TO DO NEXT
===============

SITUATION: [where you are]
GOAL: [where you're headed]
GAP: [what's between]

→ NEXT MOVE: [the one thing to do]
  WHY: [one reason]
  TIME: [estimate]
  DONE WHEN: [observable result]

Failure Modes

FailureSignalFix
Gave multiple optionsOutput contains “or” or numbered alternativesPick one. That’s the whole point
Too vague”Work on the project”What specific action, in what tool/place, producing what?
OverthinkingMore than 2 minutes on this skillUse Quick Mode instead
User doesn’t know their situationCan’t answer Step 1Next move is: “Spend 5 minutes writing down what you know and don’t know”

Integration

  • Simpler than: /next (which classifies intent and routes to other skills)
  • Simpler than: /nowwt (which handles aftermath situations)
  • If user needs deeper analysis: route to /next
  • If user is stuck, not just “what’s next”: route to /unstk
  • If user just needs the absolute minimum: route to /nstep