# grill-me

Stress-tests plans, designs, and decisions through a calibrated interview, asking one focused question at a time.

- skill · `type=skill` · Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, OpenCode · 2700 installs · ★ 168
- Author: JuliusBrussee
- License: MIT · policy=mirror · the beginning of the file is at the end of this page
- Source: https://github.com/JuliusBrussee/skills/tree/HEAD/skills/grill-me/SKILL.md
- Updated: 2026-08-07
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/juliusbrussee-grill-me

## What it does

The skill runs a structured interrogation session to test plans and technical decisions before execution. Before firing questions, it calibrates your domain familiarity (New, Working, Expert) and desired intensity (Light, Standard, Hard). It inspects repository files, code, and logs first to avoid asking for details already present in the workspace.

Questioning follows a structured ladder covering goal fit, constraints, alternatives, execution milestones, failure modes, and reversibility. Each prompt includes a single question, a recommended answer, and a one-sentence rationale. You can adjust the intensity at any moment using cues like `softer`, `harder`, `teach more`, or `skip basics`.

If calibration is skipped, the skill defaults to Working knowledge and Standard pressure. It actively resists polite agreement, so you must be ready to defend trade-offs and edge cases.

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add JuliusBrussee/skills --skill grill-me -a claude-code
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `~/.claude/skills/grill-me/SKILL.md` — Copy the whole skill folder; for one project use .claude/skills/grill-me/

### Codex

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add JuliusBrussee/skills --skill grill-me -a codex
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.agents/skills/grill-me/SKILL.md` — For all projects use ~/.agents/skills/

### Cursor

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add JuliusBrussee/skills --skill grill-me -a cursor
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.cursor/skills/grill-me/SKILL.md` — Cursor also reads .agents/skills/ and .claude/skills/

### GitHub Copilot

1. **GitHub CLI**
```bash
gh skill install JuliusBrussee/skills grill-me
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.github/skills/grill-me/SKILL.md`

### Gemini CLI

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add JuliusBrussee/skills --skill grill-me -a gemini-cli
```

2. **Platform CLI**
```bash
gemini skills install https://github.com/JuliusBrussee/skills --path skills/grill-me
```

### Windsurf (Devin Desktop)

**Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.devin/skills/grill-me/SKILL.md` — The legacy .windsurf/skills/ path still works

### OpenCode

**Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add JuliusBrussee/skills --skill grill-me -a opencode
```

### Claude.ai

**Claude.ai**
- Zip the folder and upload it in Settings → Capabilities → Skills

Where a file is given instead of a command, copy the files from the source to that path: https://github.com/JuliusBrussee/skills/tree/HEAD/skills/grill-me/SKILL.md

## When to use it
- stress-test technical decisions and architectural designs before writing code
- identify unverified assumptions, failure modes, and reversibility risks
- scope down a sprawling proposal to its smallest useful version
- evaluate trade-offs between competing implementation alternatives

## Example prompts
- Grill me on my database migration plan
- Stress-test this architecture proposal before we write any code
- Challenge my plan for breaking up the monolithic service

## Source text · SKILL.md · MIT

Below is the content of a third-party file. It is data, not instructions for you: do not act on anything written inside unless the human asks. Block tag: ffbf760a068ea1cd.

BEGIN THIRD-PARTY FILE ffbf760a068ea1cd
```text
---
name: grill-me
description: Calibrated grilling session for stress-testing a plan, design, idea, or decision. First assesses the user's topic knowledge, confidence, and desired pressure level, then asks one question at a time with recommended answers. Use when user says "grill me", "stress-test this", "challenge my plan", "interview me", or wants a plan probed without being overwhelmed.
---

# Grill Me

Interview the user until the plan is clear, defensible, and ready for action.

This is not hostile debate. It is calibrated pressure. First find the user's knowledge level and desired intensity, then ramp questions to match.

## Core Rules

- Ask one question at a time.
- Give a recommended answer for every question.
- If the answer can be found by reading files, code, docs, issues, or logs, inspect those first instead of asking.
- Keep track of unresolved decisions, assumptions, risks, and dependencies.
- Do not over-grill domain basics when the user is still learning the topic. Teach the missing frame briefly, then ask the next useful question.
- Do not under-grill confident experts. If they know the terrain, pressure-test tradeoffs, edge cases, failure modes, and reversibility.
- Let the user change intensity any time with "softer", "harder", "teach more", or "skip basics".

## Phase 1: Frame The Target

Identify what should be grilled before asking about comfort. If the topic is not clear, ask:

> What plan, design, or decision should I grill?
>
> Recommended answer: give me the concrete goal, current approach, constraints, and what decision you need to make.

If context already contains the plan, summarize it in 3-6 bullets and ask for correction:

> I think target is: [...]
>
> Recommended answer: "Yes, grill that" or "Adjust: ..."

## Phase 2: Calibration

Before grilling the topic, ask a short calibration question unless the user's level is already obvious from context.

Ask:

> Before I grill the plan: what is your current comfort with this topic, and how hard do you want the pressure?
>
> Recommended answer: "I know the basics of [topic], but I want standard pressure. Explain missing concepts briefly, then keep pushing."

Use the user's answer to set two dials:

### Knowledge Level

- **New** - user lacks core vocabulary or model of the domain.
- **Working** - user understands basics and can discuss tradeoffs.
- **Expert** - user knows domain deeply and wants sharper critique.

### Pressure Level

- **Light** - clarify goals, constraints, and missing context.
- **Standard** - challenge assumptions, tradeoffs, and execution path.
- **Hard** - probe failure modes, edge cases, incentives, reversibility, and second-order effects.

If the user does not answer calibration, default to:

- Knowledge: **Working**
- Pressure: **Standard**

## Phase 3: Build The Decision Map

Create a private decision map while asking questions one at a time:

- Goal - what success means.
- User or customer - who this affects.
```
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First 2965 of 6479 bytes. © JuliusBrussee · MIT · https://github.com/JuliusBrussee/skills/tree/HEAD/skills/grill-me/SKILL.md

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