skill

kaizen — Claude Code skill: small steps to better code

Q: How do I install kaizen in Claude?

Run `npx claude-code-templates@latest --skill productivity/kaizen`. The skill ends up at `~/.claude/skills/kaizen/SKILL.md`.

A skill that pushes the agent toward small, verified improvements and errors caught by the type system instead of at runtime.

Install into Claude Code · claude-code-templates All methods and platforms ↓

npx claude-code-templates@latest --skill productivity/kaizen

Open on GitHub

What kaizen does

kaizen is a set of working rules for the agent during refactoring and feature work. It rests on four pillars: continuous small improvements, error proofing through types, standardization, and building only what is needed. The agent is told to make the smallest change that improves quality, verify it, then move on — not to rewrite a module in one pass.

The second half covers types and validation. Instead of status: string you get a union of allowed values; instead of checking a value after it is used, the check moves to the system boundary. Early returns and branded types like PositiveNumber show up as ways to make invalid states impossible to construct.

The examples are TypeScript, so keep that in mind: on a dynamically typed project some of the techniques do not carry over as written. Install runs through npx claude-code-templates@latest --skill productivity/kaizen, and the file lands at ~/.claude/skills/kaizen/SKILL.md.

What it helps with

split a large refactor into verifiable steps
replace string statuses with union types
move validation to the system boundary
drop dead code and stale comments while working
make invalid states unrepresentable in types

Example prompts for the agent

refactor this module with kaizen, one improvement at a time
check the types in order.ts and stop an order from being built without a trackingNumber
suggest incremental fixes for this function instead of a rewrite

How to install kaizen

1claude-code-templates

npx claude-code-templates@latest --skill productivity/kaizen

2Skills CLI (Vercel)

npx skills add davila7/claude-code-templates --skill kaizen -a claude-code

3Manually: put the files in place

~/.claude/skills/kaizen/SKILL.md

Copy the whole skill folder; for one project use .claude/skills/kaizen/

Manually: put the files in place

.agents/skills/kaizen/SKILL.md

For all projects use ~/.agents/skills/

Manually: put the files in place

.cursor/skills/kaizen/SKILL.md

Cursor also reads .agents/skills/ and .claude/skills/

1GitHub CLI

gh skill install davila7/claude-code-templates kaizen

2Manually: put the files in place

.github/skills/kaizen/SKILL.md

Platform CLI

gemini skills install https://github.com/davila7/claude-code-templates --path cli-tool/components/skills/productivity/kaizen

Manually: put the files in place

.devin/skills/kaizen/SKILL.md

The legacy .windsurf/skills/ path still works

Step by step, with commands for each platform: How to install skills in Claude Code: five ways

Questions about kaizen

How do I install kaizen in Claude?

Run npx claude-code-templates@latest --skill productivity/kaizen. The skill ends up at ~/.claude/skills/kaizen/SKILL.md.

What does kaizen do?

It sets the agent's working order: one small improvement at a time, verification after each step, and error prevention through the type system and boundary validation.

What language are the examples in?

They are TypeScript — union types, branded types, early returns. On languages without static typing, some of the techniques need adapting.

code-quality zernie A skill for refactoring TypeScript and JavaScript: tightens types, removes impossible states, and separates logic from IO. CX Codex +1 391installs refactor tartinerlabs A refactoring skill that flags dead code, deep nesting and weak patterns, then applies the fixes when you ask. CX Codex +1 376installs coding-standards affaan-m Baseline cross-project coding conventions for naming, immutability, and clean code principles. Useful for code reviews and refactoring. CX Codex +1 5,700installs dry-refactoring kucherenko This skill automates refactoring of copy-paste clones found by jscpd. It guides you through extraction strategies—function, parameterization, module or class—and highlights which files to start with. CX Codex +1 3,600installs principal-engineering riekelt Enforces core engineering discipline for AI agents: mandates pre-change checkpoints, bans silent error suppression, and requires evidence from real code. CX Codex +1 18,000installs antislop-code miqdadbadjuber This skill filters out comments that look AI-generated: ones that repeat what the code shows, chop the flow into steps, or decorate section headers. It keeps comments with real information and never touches executable code. CX Codex +1 5,800installs

From the same set205

The whole set →

web-design-guidelines This skill checks UI files against current Web Interface Guidelines and reports findings by file and line. Use it for accessibility or design reviews. 2,076installs writing-clearly-and-concisely A Claude skill that pushes the agent toward Strunk's rules for clear prose and away from the stock phrasing language models fall into. 206installs backend-architect A subagent for backend design work: service boundaries, API paradigm choice, database schemas and observability. Useful when the decision comes before the first line of code. 23,691installs seo-optimizer Guides search optimization by generating structured data, meta tags, and content outlines directly in Claude Code. 11,415installs ultra-think Runs a structured analysis of a hard problem: surfaces hidden assumptions, proposes competing solutions, stress-tests each one. Useful when a decision is expensive to get wrong. 8,383installs clean-code Gives the agent a set of clean-code rules: small functions, intent-revealing names, no obvious comments, no needless abstraction. Useful when you want working code, not a tutorial. 7,176installs git-commit-helper Reads your staged changes and drafts a commit message in conventional commits format. Handy when you cannot be bothered to phrase one yourself. 7,093installs documentation-expert This subagent creates, updates, and maintains project documentation, from README files to API references. Use it when docs need structure or a refresh. 6,992installs