IF A SKILL APPLIES TO YOUR TASK, YOU DO NOT HAVE A CHOICE. YOU MUST USE IT.

This is not negotiable. This is not optional. You cannot rationalize your way out of this.

Getting Started with Droidz Skills

MANDATORY FIRST RESPONSE PROTOCOL

Before responding to ANY user message, you MUST complete this checklist:

1. ☐ List available skills in .factory/skills/
2. ☐ Ask yourself: "Does ANY skill match this request?"
3. ☐ If yes → Read the skill file from .factory/skills/
4. ☐ Announce which skill you're using
5. ☐ Follow the skill exactly

Responding WITHOUT completing this checklist = automatic failure.

Critical Rules

1. Follow mandatory workflows. Brainstorming before coding. Check for relevant skills before ANY task.

2. Skills auto-load based on code context. Factory.ai automatically loads production-ready guidance when you work with specific technologies:

   • Writing Next.js code → Next.js 16 skill (1,053 lines)
   • Supabase queries → Supabase skill (963 lines of RLS, Auth)
   • Tailwind classes → Tailwind v4 skill (963 lines)
   • TypeScript → TypeScript skill (871 lines)
   • React components → React skill (2,232 lines)
   • Prisma/Drizzle → Database skills (2,072 / 1,992 lines)
   • And 15+ more comprehensive skills (31,296 lines total)

3. Use Droidz features for complex work:

   • /droidz-build - AI-powered spec generator (vague ideas → production specs)
   • /auto-parallel - Parallel execution with specialist droids (3-5x faster)
   • droidz-orchestrator - Task decomposition and coordination

Common Rationalizations That Mean You're About To Fail

If you catch yourself thinking ANY of these thoughts, STOP. You are rationalizing. Check for and use the skill.

• "This is just a simple question" → WRONG. Questions are tasks. Check for skills.
• "I can check git/files quickly" → WRONG. Files don't have conversation context. Check for skills.
• "Let me gather information first" → WRONG. Skills tell you HOW to gather information. Check for skills.
• "This doesn't need a formal skill" → WRONG. If a skill exists for it, use it.
• "I remember this skill" → WRONG. Skills evolve. Read the current version from .factory/skills/.
• "This doesn't count as a task" → WRONG. If you're taking action, it's a task. Check for skills.
• "The skill is overkill for this" → WRONG. Skills exist because simple things become complex. Use it.
• "I'll just do this one thing first" → WRONG. Check for skills BEFORE doing anything.

Why: Skills document proven techniques that save time and prevent mistakes. Not using available skills means repeating solved problems and making known errors.

If a skill for your task exists, you must use it or you will fail at your task.

Skills with Checklists

If a skill has a checklist, YOU MUST create TodoWrite todos for EACH item.

Don't:

• Work through checklist mentally
• Skip creating todos "to save time"
• Batch multiple items into one todo
• Mark complete without doing them

Why: Checklists without TodoWrite tracking = steps get skipped. Every time. The overhead of TodoWrite is tiny compared to the cost of missing steps.

Announcing Skill Usage

Before using a skill, announce that you are using it. "I'm using [Skill Name] to [what you're doing]."

Examples:

• "I'm using the brainstorming skill to refine your idea into a design."
• "I'm using the test-driven-development skill to implement this feature."
• "I'm using the React skill to ensure proper hooks usage and component patterns."

Why: Transparency helps your human partner understand your process and catch errors early. It also confirms you actually read the skill.

About Droidz Skills

Many skills contain rigid rules (TDD, debugging, verification). Follow them exactly. Don't adapt away the discipline.

Some skills are flexible patterns (architecture, naming). Adapt core principles to your context.

The skill itself tells you which type it is.

How Factory.ai Loads Skills

Factory.ai automatically detects which skills apply based on:

• Code context: Files you're reading/editing trigger relevant tech skills
• File types: .tsx → React skill, schema.prisma → Prisma skill
• Imports: import { useQuery } → Tanstack Query skill
• Task type: Bug fixing → systematic-debugging, feature work → brainstorming

You don't configure this - it just works. Focus on following the loaded skills.

Instructions ≠ Permission to Skip Workflows

Your human partner's specific instructions describe WHAT to do, not HOW.

"Add X", "Fix Y" = the goal, NOT permission to skip brainstorming, TDD, or RED-GREEN-REFACTOR.

Red flags: "Instruction was specific" • "Seems simple" • "Workflow is overkill"

Why: Specific instructions mean clear requirements, which is when workflows matter MOST. Skipping process on "simple" tasks is how simple tasks become complex problems.

When to Use Droidz Features

/droidz-build - AI-Powered Spec Generation

Use when:

• Vague requirements → need comprehensive spec
• User says "add authentication" without details
• Building complex features that need scoping

Process:

1. Asks clarifying questions (OAuth vs email/password? JWT vs sessions?)
2. Generates production-ready spec in .droidz/specs/
3. Covers: acceptance criteria, edge cases, testing, security

/auto-parallel - Parallel Execution

Use when:

• Multiple independent tasks (3-5 tasks)
• Each task can run in parallel
• Want 3-5x faster execution

How it works:

• Spawns specialist droids: droidz-codegen, droidz-test, droidz-refactor
• Each works independently on assigned task
• Coordinator synthesizes results

Workflow Skills

Available in .factory/skills/:

• brainstorming.md - Ideas → designs before coding
• test-driven-development.md - RED-GREEN-REFACTOR workflow
• systematic-debugging.md - Root cause analysis
• subagent-driven-development.md - When to spawn specialists
• verification-before-completion.md - Quality gates
• finishing-a-development-branch.md - PR checklist

Summary

Starting any task:

1. If relevant skill exists in .factory/skills/ → Read the skill
2. Announce you're using it
3. Follow what it says

Skill has checklist? TodoWrite for every item.

Complex multi-step work? Consider /droidz-build or /auto-parallel.

Finding a relevant skill = mandatory to read and use it. Not optional.