--- name: ask-tim description: Meta-skill for discovering and routing to the right skill out of the ~154 available options. Use when a user or agent is unsure which skill fits their intent, or needs to pick between overlapping choices (e.g. build pipelines, scraping tools, UI components). category: bdb-core --- # `ask-tim`: The BDB Skill Routing Meta-Skill This is a discovery and routing guide. It does not perform work itself. Use it to map a user's intent to the correct specialized skill(s). ## 🧭 Intent Index (Table of Contents) If the user's intent matches one of these, jump to the corresponding section: * **"I need to choose a build pipeline (startcycle vs startcycle-graph)"** βž” [Agent Orchestration & Pipelines](#agent-orchestration--pipelines) * **"I need multi-agent brainstorming or ideation"** βž” [Agent Orchestration & Pipelines](#agent-orchestration--pipelines) * **"I want to build a new UI component or page"** βž” [Frontend, UI & Motion](#frontend-ui--motion) * **"I want Tailwind, shadcn, or design-system UI work"** βž” [Frontend, UI & Motion](#frontend-ui--motion) * **"I'm optimizing React or Next.js performance"** βž” [Frontend, UI & Motion](#frontend-ui--motion) * **"I'm designing an API (REST/GraphQL)"** βž” [Backend, APIs & Databases](#backend-apis--databases) * **"I need Prisma, Drizzle, or Postgres schema help"** βž” [Backend, APIs & Databases](#backend-apis--databases) * **"I'm working with n8n workflows"** βž” [Backend, APIs & Databases](#backend-apis--databases) * **"I want to deploy to Vercel, Cloudflare, or a VPS"** βž” [DevOps, Git & Deployment](#devops-git--deployment) * **"I'm managing GitHub PRs, issues, or monorepos"** βž” [DevOps, Git & Deployment](#devops-git--deployment) * **"I want to scrape or extract data from a website"** βž” [Web Scraping & Browser Automation](#web-scraping--browser-automation) * **"I need to run browser automation or web testing"** βž” [Web Scraping & Browser Automation](#web-scraping--browser-automation) * **"I'm building an AI agent, RAG pipeline, or working with LLMs"** βž” [AI, LLMs & Agents](#ai-llms--agents) * **"I need an SEO, GEO, or accessibility audit"** βž” [Content, SEO & Docs](#content-seo--docs) * **"I need to write a README or documentation"** βž” [Content, SEO & Docs](#content-seo--docs) * **"I need to debug a failing test or weird bug"** βž” [Core Programming & Debugging](#core-programming--debugging) * **"I want to ship a feature safely to production"** βž” [Core Programming & Debugging](#core-programming--debugging) * **"I'm managing the BDB SaaS multi-cloud fleet"** βž” [BDB Ecosystem & SaaS Ops](#bdb-ecosystem--saas-ops) * **"I need Three.js, 3D, or motion work"** βž” [Media & EventTech](#media--eventtech) * **"I need live event tech, TouchDesigner, or Resolume help"** βž” [Media & EventTech](#media--eventtech) --- ## πŸ—οΈ Agent Orchestration & Pipelines Use these skills to orchestrate complex multi-agent workflows. * **Top Picks:** `startcycle-graph`, `bdbrainstorm` ### Overlap: The 3 Build Pipelines Don't guess which pipeline to use. Follow these rules (source of truth: `CLAUDE.md` and `skills/basic/*/SKILL.md`): * **`startcycle`**: Use for a straight-line, predictable run through the agents with file hand-offs and no state machine. Cheapest of the three. * **`startcycle-graph`**: Use when you need the full dispatcher graph: durable `state.json`, a Reviewer repair loop, a quality gate, and human escalation. * **`startcycle-graph-user`**: Use for a small throwaway fan-out (2-4 nodes) in any project without persistent artifacts. ### Overlap: Brainstorming * **`bdbrainstorm`**: For multi-agent software engineering ideation, UI/UX design, and architecture planning. Handoffs to `/startcycle-graph`. * **`bdbmediastorm`**: For creative-tech, live event technology, and show-control systems (TouchDesigner, Resolume, grandMA3). *Also see:* `agent-pipeline`, `subagent-driven-development`. --- ## 🎨 Frontend, UI & Motion Use these skills for UI development, component architecture, and design taste. * **Top Picks:** `godmode-ui-ux`, `ui-component`, `senior-frontend` ### Overlap: The UI Cluster vs Senior Frontend * **`ui-component` / `ui-page` / `ui-pattern`**: Use these strictly when scaffolding new pieces in the **StyleSeed Toss** design system convention (enforcing tokens, spacing, and rhythm). * **`ui-review` / `ui-tokens`**: Use for reviewing code against StyleSeed or syncing its design tokens. * **`senior-frontend`**: Use for general React/Next.js/Tailwind development outside of strict StyleSeed scaffolding, or for reviewing general frontend code quality. * **`shadcn`**: Use specifically when adding or customizing shadcn/ui components. * **`tailwind-patterns`**: Use when managing CSS-first configurations, container queries, or Tailwind CSS v4 design token architectures. ### Overlap: React & Next.js Performance * **`react-best-practices`**: The Vercel-maintained guide for broad performance optimization and App Router data fetching. * **`react-patterns`**: Use for core hooks, composition, and TypeScript best practices. * **`nextjs-app-router-patterns` / `nextjs-best-practices`**: Use specifically for Next.js App Router architecture and routing. * **`react-component-performance`**: Use for targeted diagnosis of slow React components (e.g., render bottlenecks). *Also see:* `bdbdesignpro`, `design-spells`. --- ## πŸ—„οΈ Backend, APIs & Databases Use these for server-side architecture, APIs, workflows, and database schema design. * **Top Picks:** `godmode-engineering`, `api-design-principles`, `drizzle-orm-expert` ### Overlap: Database & ORM Choices * **`database-design`**: Use for overarching schema design, indexing strategy, and general database principles. * **`postgres-best-practices`**: Use for raw performance optimization, queries, and Supabase-specific patterns. * **`postgresql`**: Use for raw schema design, indexing, and Postgres constraints. * **`using-neon` / `neon-postgres`**: Use specifically when working with Neon's serverless Postgres (branching, connection pooling). * **`prisma-expert`**: Use for Prisma ORM schema design, migrations, and relational modeling. * **`drizzle-orm-expert`**: Use for Drizzle ORM type-safe queries and serverless integrations. ### Overlap: The n8n Cluster * **`n8n-workflow-patterns`**: Use for architectural patterns of whole workflows. * **`n8n-code-javascript` / `n8n-code-python`**: Use when writing custom code inside n8n Code nodes (handles `$input`/`$json` nuances for JS/Python). * **`n8n-expression-syntax`**: Use for debugging `{{}}` expressions. * **`n8n-mcp-tools-expert`**: Use for integrating n8n-mcp tools effectively. *Also see:* `api-patterns`, `openapi-spec-generation`, `golang-pro`, `python-pro`. --- ## πŸ•·οΈ Web Scraping & Browser Automation Use these skills to extract data or control browsers. * **Top Picks:** `apify-ultimate-scraper`, `playwright-skill` ### Overlap: Scraping and Extraction * **`apify-ultimate-scraper`**: The top-level choice. Automatically selects from 55+ Apify Actors for the task. * **`apify-lead-generation`**: Narrow use case: scraping leads from multiple platforms. * **`web-scraper`**: Multi-strategy data extraction (tables, prices) with pagination and CSV/JSON export. * **`browser-automation`**: General principles for selectors, waiting, and anti-detection. * **`playwright-skill`**: Universal executor for custom Playwright code (e2e testing, interactive scraping). * **`go-playwright`**: Use when writing browser automation in Go. * **`webapp-testing`**: Use when writing native Python Playwright scripts for local testing. --- ## πŸš€ DevOps, Git & Deployment Use these to ship code, manage infrastructure, and handle source control. * **Top Picks:** `godmode-shipping`, `github`, `vercel-deployment` * **Godmode Shipping**: `godmode-shipping` is the ultimate pre-launch gatekeeper (lint, tests, rollbacks). * **Deployments**: `vercel-deployment` (Next.js/React), `cloudflare-workers-expert` (Edge/KV/D1), `bdb-deploy` (rsync over SSH to VPS), `docker-expert` (Containers). * **Git/GitHub**: `git-advanced-workflows`, `git-pr-review`, `github-workflow-automation`, `github-repo`. * **Monorepos**: `turborepo-caching`, `monorepo-management`. --- ## 🧠 AI, LLMs & Agents Use these when building AI products or optimizing models. * **Top Picks:** `prompt-engineer`, `llm-structured-output`, `rag-engineer` * **Agent Dev**: `ai-agent-development`, `crewai`. * **LLM Integration**: `gemini-api-integration`, `local-llm-expert`, `llm-app-patterns`. * **Prompting**: `prompt-engineering-patterns`, `llm-prompt-optimizer`. * **RAG**: `rag-implementation`. --- ## πŸ“ Content, SEO & Documentation Use these for docs, markdown, and search engine optimization. * **Top Picks:** `readme`, `seo`, `documentation` * **Docs**: `openwiki-skill`, `readme`, `copywriting`. * **SEO**: `seo` (broad audit), `seo-technical` (crawlability, CWV), `seo-audit` (rankings), `geo-fundamentals` (AI search), `programmatic-seo`, `schema-markup`. --- ## πŸ”§ Core Programming & Debugging Use these for raw problem solving and code hygiene. * **Top Picks:** `systematic-debugging`, `clean-code`, `test-driven-development` * **Debugging**: `debugger` (general errors), `systematic-debugging` (structured triage before fixing). * **Hygiene**: `simplify-code` (diff review for clarity). * **TDD**: `tdd-workflow`. --- ## πŸŒ€ BDB Ecosystem & SaaS Ops Specific utilities for the BDB environment. * **Top Picks:** `bdbsaashost`, `memb-skill` ### Overlap: SaaS Ops * **`bdbsaas-ops`**: Retired. Do not use. * **`bdbsaashost`**: The active skill for managing the BDB Multi-Cloud Fleet (GCP, Oracle, Incus). * **`bdbsaastraining`**: For onboarding/training staff on the host engine. *Also see:* `bdb-ecosystem-health`, `bdb-dev-os-skill`, `memb-ingest`, `synapse-integration-skill`. --- ## 🧊 Media & EventTech Use these for 3D, motion, and live show control. * **Top Picks:** `godmode-eventtech`, `godmode-3d-creation`, `godmode-media-creation` * **Godmodes**: Determine the overarching flow (3D, Media, EventTech). * **Implementations**: `MCP_Manage` (Unreal, Rhino, Resolve, TouchDesigner), `spline-3d-integration` (web 3D), `threejs-skills` (WebGL). --- ## πŸ›‘οΈ Overlap: The Supreme Godmodes When do you use a `godmode-*` skill versus a narrower skill? * **`godmode-ui-ux`, `godmode-engineering`, `godmode-shipping`, `godmode-3d-creation`, `godmode-media-creation`, `godmode-eventtech`** are orchestrator/enforcer skills. They hold the "supreme rulebook" for a domain. Use them when starting a major feature or defining the overarching architecture of a task. * Use narrower skills (e.g., `shadcn`, `drizzle-orm-expert`, `threejs-skills`) for the tactical implementation inside those domains. --- ## πŸ›‘ Fallback Note If none of the intents above match your task, look for the closest general library skill in the catalog. **Remember:** This file helps discover skills, but **`CLAUDE.md`** is the canonical source of truth for the primary Skill Routing by Domain table and the exact rules for Agent Counts (subagents vs teams vs solo). Do not rely on `ask-tim` to dictate pipeline definitionsβ€”always defer to `CLAUDE.md`.