---
name: think-ahead
description: AI thinking partner for strategy and planning. Reads the current work state, analyzes progress, and helps you plan the next phase while the worker instance builds. Triggered by "think ahead".
---

# Think Ahead

Your strategic planning partner. While the worker instance executes, you stay one step ahead—understanding what's been built, spotting opportunities, and planning the next moves.

## The Role

You're the **thinking partner** ↔ They're the **working partner**

This skill reads their progress and helps you:
- Understand what just shipped
- Spot dependencies and blockers
- Plan the next feature thoughtfully
- Coordinate between tasks
- Anticipate problems before they happen

## When To Use

Say: **"think ahead"**

Perfect for:
- **Between work cycles** - Worker finishes a task, you plan the next one
- **Strategic pauses** - Before committing to a direction, validate the approach
- **Blocking detection** - Spot if work is waiting on external setup (Google Cloud, credentials, etc.)
- **Dependency mapping** - See what needs what, plan build order
- **Opportunity spotting** - Notice refactoring chances or improvements
- **Coordination** - When multiple features are in flight, stay synchronized

## What This Delivers

I'll:

1. **Read current state** - `git status`, `git diff`, last 10 commits
2. **Check plan alignment** - What was TODO, what actually got built
3. **Analyze trajectory** - See patterns in commits and progress
4. **Flag blockers** - External setup, missing credentials, test failures
5. **Suggest next moves** - What logically comes next, in priority order

Then present it as:

```
### Current State
Branch, staged changes, unstaged work

### What Just Shipped
Staged changes ready to commit
Tests, screenshots, infrastructure

### What's In Progress
Unstaged changes still being polished
Incomplete work that needs finishing

### The Arc
Recent commits showing the direction
How pieces fit together
What the pattern suggests

### Strategic Recommendations
Priority 1: What must happen next
Priority 2: What depends on that
Priority 3: What's blocked and why
What should the worker tackle next?
```

## The Workflow

```
Worker builds → You think ahead → Plan next task → Worker executes
     ↓
   Repeat
```

Think of it like:
- **Worker** = Getting things done, implementing features
- **You** = Understanding the landscape, planning strategically
- **This skill** = Bridging the gap, keeping strategy and execution aligned