Agent skill · product strategy · nousresearch
spike
Throwaway experiments to validate an idea before build.
Why this skill is useful
Provides a structured approach to validating ideas through disposable experiments, which the AI wouldn't reliably generate on its own.
What it needs
About 5k tokens when loaded. Last updated 2026-08-07. 226,679 stars on the source repository.
What this skill does
Spike Use this skill when the user wants to feel out an idea before committing to a real build — validating feasibility, comparing approaches, or surfacing unknowns that no amount of research will answer. Spikes are disposable by design. Throw them away once they've paid their debt. Load this when the user says things like "let me try this", "I want to see if X works", "spike this out", "before I commit to Y", "quick prototype of Z", "is this even possible?", or "compare A vs B". When NOT to use this The answer is knowable from docs or reading code — just do research, don't build The work is production path — use the plan skill instead The idea is already validated — jump straight to implementation If the user has the full GSD system installed If gsd-spike shows up as a sibling skill (installed via npx get-shit-done-cc --hermes), prefer gsd-spike when the user wants the full GSD workflow: persistent .planning/spikes/ state, MANIFEST tracking across sessions, Given/When/Then verdict format, and commit patterns that integrate with the rest of GSD. This skill is the lightweight standalone version for users who don't have (or don't want) the full system. Core method Regardless of scale, every spike follows this loop: 1. Decompose Break the user's idea into 2-5 independent feasibility questions. Each question is one spike. …
How to use it
Reference it in AdaL, Claude Code, Cursor or any coding agent — nothing to install:
@skills nousresearch/spike