name	identify-core-need
description	This skill should be used when the user asks to "identify core need", "clarify requirements", "extract user intent", "validate distinctions", or when starting any research or analysis task that requires understanding what the user actually needs before proceeding.
version	1.0.0

Identify Core Need

Extract the fundamental requirement from user requests before any research or implementation.

Purpose

Transform ambiguous or complex user requests into clear, actionable core needs with validated distinctions. Filter noise before it reaches the user.

Flow

User Request
    │
    ├─ If ambiguous → AskUserQuestion to clarify
    │
    ▼
Apply Behavioral Principles + Validation Log
    │
    ▼
Core Need Output: action + target + triggers + validated distinctions

When to Use

Before any research phase
Before generating configurations or code
When user request has multiple interpretations
When starting analysis that could go in multiple directions

Process

Read and follow references/process.md for the complete workflow.

The process includes:

Clarify User Request: Use AskUserQuestion if ambiguous
Apply Behavioral Principles: Focus on practical, no artificial distinctions
Validate Distinctions: Ask "If I omit this, does it change what user must DO?"
Document in Validation Log: All evaluations must be logged
Extract Core Need: action + target + triggers + success criteria

Key Behavioral Principles

Principle	Application
FOCUS ON PRACTICAL	Address real objective directly
VALIDATE COMPARISONS	Each distinction must be relevant and correct
NO ARTIFICIAL DISTINCTIONS	Omit implementation details that don't change action
SIMPLICITY > COMPLEXITY	Simple solution without elaboration
VALIDATION QUESTION	"Does this change what user must DO?"

Output Structure

The mandatory output includes:

Core Need (action, target, triggers, success criteria)
Validation Log (minimum 3 evaluations)
Actionable Distinctions (≤3 items)
Context Discarded (minimum 2 items)
Clarifications Made

Validation Checkpoints

Before proceeding, verify:

User request is clear
Minimum 3 distinctions evaluated
Each included distinction has justification
Context Discarded has minimum 2 items
Actionable Distinctions has ≤3 items

Reference Files

Need	Reference
Complete process with examples	`references/process.md`

identify-core-need

Install Skill

SKILL.md