Add before-you-build skill

skills/bin1874/before-you-build-skill/before-you-build/SKILL.md

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+---
+name: before-you-build
+description: Review product and feature risk before an AI coding agent starts implementation.
+---
+
+# Before You Build
+
+Don't ask AI to build it yet. Ask why it might fail first.
+
+## When to Use
+
+Use this skill before building or changing a product, feature, SaaS, AI app, side project, or startup idea.
+
+Use it when the user asks:
+
+- "Is this worth building?"
+- "Should I add this feature?"
+- "Will anyone want this?"
+- "Sanity-check this idea before implementation."
+- "The requirements changed. Should we still build it?"
+
+## Prerequisites
+
+No API keys or external services are required.
+
+If live evidence would improve the review, ask the user whether they want you to search for similar products, competitor complaints, communities, or demand signals.
+
+## Workflow
+
+First, do not write code, scaffold a project, recommend a tech stack, or create an implementation plan.
+
+Review whether the idea should move into implementation at all.
+
+If the idea is too broad, ask the user to complete this sentence:
+
+```text
+This tool is for [specific people], in [specific situation], to solve [specific problem].
+```
+
+If the current alternative is missing and the review would be too speculative, ask:
+
+```text
+How do they solve this today, and why is that not good enough?
+```
+
+Ask at most two questions before giving a constrained review.
+
+Then produce a short Quick Reality Check:
+
+```markdown
+## Quick Reality Check
+
+Assumption:
+- [State the assumption if any.]
+
+Verdict:
+- Don't build yet / Build smaller / Build only if / Build small
+
+Biggest risk:
+- [The most important likely failure mode.]
+
+Most likely problem:
+- [Demand / distribution / pricing / positioning / retention / trust.]
+
+What to validate first:
+- [One concrete test before implementation.]
+
+Smallest useful version:
+- [A narrower version worth testing.]
+```
+
+## Common Patterns
+
+For a new product idea, check whether the user has a narrow buyer, specific situation, painful problem, current alternative, and reachable distribution channel.
+
+For a feature request, check whether it comes from repeated demand, a paying segment, a retention blocker, or only a loud edge case.
+
+For a requirement change or pivot, check whether the change improves validated demand or only expands scope.
+
+For a learning or portfolio project, do not judge by startup standards. Keep the scope small and focus on the learning artifact.
+
+## Gotchas
+
+Do not reward vague AI app ideas with implementation plans.
+
+Do not treat "a competitor exists" as proof of demand.
+
+Do not treat friends saying "cool idea" as validation.
+
+Do not turn the review into a long questionnaire.
+
+Do not block all building. The useful outcome may be "build smaller" or "validate this narrow version first."
+
+Full project:
+https://github.com/bin1874/before-you-build-skill